# Loughborough Lightning F.C.

Loughborough Lightning Football Club (formerly Loughborough Foxes) is a football club based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. They are currently members of the FA Women's National League Division One Midlands and play at the Loughborough University Stadium.

## History

The club was founded in 1999 as Shepshed Foxes by Gail and Paul Fox, who wanted to give girls in the surrounding area an opportunity to play football, before becoming Loughborough Foxes in 2002.
After playing in local leagues for much of the first 15 years of their history, Loughborough were promoted to the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division (the 3rd tier of women's football) for the first time in 2015 from the Midlands Division One but would suffer relegation back to the 4th tier after just one season. The Foxes returned to the now renamed FA Women's National League in 2018 having secured promotion and the Midlands Division One title with a record of 21 wins and 1 draw from 22 games.
In January 2019, Loughborough Foxes player and junior team coach Molly Webb died aged 25, with Director of Football Steve Wilkinson describing her as "a joy to spend time with; she was vibrant, enthusiastic, a motivator and someone you want in your team whatever the situation.". The Foxes would end their first season back at the third tier of women's football in 7th place in the 2018–19 FA Women's National League Southern Division before being realigned to the Northern Division for the following season.
In June 2021, the club merged with the Loughborough University performance team to become Loughborough Lightning F.C.

## Players
### Current squad

    As of 15 October 2022
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Kiya Webb |
| — | GK | ENG | Sophia Poor (on loan from Leicester City) |
| — | DF | ENG | Ciara Albas-Martin |
| — | DF | ENG | Ella Smith |
| — | DF | ENG | Emily Sharpe |
| — | DF | ENG | Grace Walters |
| — | DF | ENG | Harriet Petley |
| — | DF | SCO | Katrena Morrison |
| — | DF | ENG | Lauren Taft |
| — | MF | ENG | Abbey Hateley |
| — | MF | SCO | Chloe Young |
| — | MF | ENG | Ella Powell |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Jessica Richardson |
| — | MF | ENG | Kayleigh Hines |
| — | MF | ENG | Laura Steele |
| — | MF | ENG | Melissa Turton-Burrell |
| — | MF | ENG | Monique Robinson (on loan from Leicester City) |
| — | MF | ENG | Sophia Bonser |
| — | FW | ENG | Anna Renken |
| — | FW | ENG | Georgia Stevens |
| — | FW | ENG | Katie Middleton |
| — | FW | ENG | Nicki Russell |
| — | | ENG | Mikayla Wild-Goose |

## Recent seasons

| Year | League | Lvl | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Position | FA Women's Cup | FA Women's Cup | League Cup | League Cup |
| Year | League | Lvl | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Position | Res | Rec | Res | Rec |
| 2006–07 | Leicestershire Women's Senior League | 7 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 51 | 17 | +34 | 27 | 2nd of 7 Promoted | PR | 0-0-1 | 1R | 0-0-1 |
| 2007–08 | East Midlands Regional Women's Football League Division One South | 6 | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 50 | 23 | +27 | 31 | 2nd of 9 Promoted | 1Q | 0-0-1 | 1R | 0-0-1 |
| 2008–09 | East Midlands Regional Women's Football League Premier Division | 5 | 20 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 62 | 21 | +41 | 46 | 1st of 11 Promoted | 1Q | 0-0-1 | QF | 2-0-1 |
| 2009–10 | Midland Combination Women's Football League | 4 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 23 | 78 | -55 | 9 | 12th of 12 Relegated | 2R | 1-0-1 | | |
| 2010–11 | East Midlands Regional Women's Football League Premier Division | 5 | 20 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 81 | 23 | +58 | 50 | 1st of 11 Promoted | 3Q | 1-0-1 | | |
| 2011–12 | Midland Combination Women's Football League | 4 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 35 | 39 | -4 | 26 | 6th of 11 | 2R | 2-0-1 | QF | 1-0-1 |
| 2012–13 | Midland Combination Women's Football League | 4 | 20 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 32 | 46 | -14 | 19 | 9th of 11 | 2R | 2-0-1 | QF | 1-0-1 |
| 2013–14 | Midland Combination Women's Football League | 4 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 48 | 63 | -15 | 25 | 7th of 11 Transferred | 1R | 1-0-1 | 1R | 0-0-1 |
| 2014–15 | FA Women's Premier League Midlands Division One | 4 | 22 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 69 | 26 | +43 | 52 | 1st of 12 Promoted | 1R | 1-0-1 | 1R | 0-0-1 |
| 2015–16 | FA Women's Premier League Northern Division | 3 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 26 | 58 | -32 | 11 | 12th of 12 Relegated | 4R | 2-0-1 | QF | 2-0-1 |
| 2016–17 | FA Women's Premier League Midlands Division One | 4 | 22 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 111 | 31 | +80 | 54 | 2nd of 12 | 3QR | 0-0-1 | 3R | 3-0-1 |
| 2017–18 | FA Women's Premier League Midlands Division One | 4 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 91 | 9 | +82 | 64 | 1st of 12 Promoted | 2R | 2-0-1 | 2R | 2-0-1 |
| 2018–19 | FA Women's National League Southern Division | 3 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 48 | 32 | +16 | 34 | 7th of 12 Transferred | 4R | 2-0-1 | SF | 5-0-1 |
| 2019–20 | FA Women's National League Northern Division | 3 | | | | | | | | | Season abandoned | 3R | 1-0-1 | 1R | 0-0-1 |
| 2020–21 | FA Women's National League Northern Division | 3 | | | | | | | | | Season abandoned | 2R | 0-0-1 | Not held | 0-0-0 |
| 2021–22 | FA Women's National League Northern Division | 3 | 24 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 35 | 63 | -28 | 23 | 10th of 13 | 3R | 2-0-1 | 2R | 3-0-1 |

## Records

* Best League performance: 7th FA Women's National League South (third level), 2018–19
* Best FA Women's Cup performance: Fourth Round, 2015–16 & 2018–19