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QPR Women’s FC

In this their 12th season connected to the Club, QPR Ladies continue to represent the R’s in the fastest growing participation sport in the country.

And currently the Ladies are showing the Rangers boys how to do it, standing as they do, at the top of the South West Combination Women’s Football League.

The team has been led by Martino Chevannes who oversaw the side’s only major trophy win in 2007, when Rangers won the South West Combination League Cup. That was the only final the R’s have won, but have been beaten finalists in the Middlesex Women’s Senior Cup numerous times in the past few seasons, whilst have also recorded a number of runners-up spots in the League.

The Hoops have been in the second tier of Women’s football ever since they were relegated from the FA Women’s Premier League in 2002, after merging with top flight side Wembley Mill Hill in 2001.

Chevannes is well aware of the differences this time around: “When we merged, it was thought that the former Mill Hill players would continue as the First Team for QPR and the QPR players would act as the youth side and the reserve team, who would play in the FA Women’s Premier Reserve League.

“However, we lost a lot of the Mill Hill players and unfortunately, those original R’s players who replaced them lacked experience and we went down. But over the years we have collected together a team of real quality and depth and its showing so far.”

The Ladies boast a Wales Under-21 international in Ceryl Guard and also have an England ‘B’ international in Susannah Abbott, but the real jewel in the crown has been free-scoring striker Cherrelle Albert.

The team, along with the Girl sides at Under-11s, -13s, -15s and -18s (with Under-9s added in the Spring of 2009), moved under the organisation of the Football in the Community department in 2005, after former Rangers chief executive Mark Devlin decided the change would ensure a smoother operation.

And it has been just that, with the Ladies side not the only ones enjoying success. Community coach Steve Quashie heads the youth section and under his guidance every age group is challenging not only for top spot in their respective leagues in the Home Counties League, but are also all in the hunt for the Middlesex Girls Cup at every age group.

It is familiar territory for QPR’s Girls as over the years the Club has won no less than 13 League titles, been three times winners of the Middlesex County Youth Cup and recorded five League Cup wins across the age groups.

Back to the present day, it is the intention of the Club for QPR Ladies to head to Bahrain in the coming months to face the country’s national Women’s side, with a return match scheduled for later this year. Add that to the prospect of Premier League football, and the future of the Ladies side of QPR looks very healthy indeed.