Lauren Smith's Robins host Liverpool at Ashton Gate
In 2005, Bristol Rovers Women’s FC became Bristol Academy WFC through a partnership with South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. By 2011, the club had earned a spot in the new FA Women’s Super League. Mark Sampson went from coaching the College Girls Under-18s Development Squad to Managing the first team.
Under Sampson's leadership, Bristol Academy reached FA Cup finals in 2011 and 2013 and participated in the Champions League in 2011 and 2014, finishing as WSL1 runners-up in 2013 - Sampson left the club to manage England in 2014. Post-relegation to WSL2 in 2015, the team changed its name to Bristol City Women’s Football Club.
Willie Kirk took charge in 2015, guiding the team back to the top flight in his first full season. Tanya Oxtoby succeeded Kirk in the summer of 2018 and the 2018/19 season resulted in a sixth-place finish in the Barclays FAWSL. The subsequent year saw the team maintain top-flight status amid notable victories before the season ended due to the pandemic.
In the 2020/21 season, Oxtoby went on maternity leave, and Matt Beard served as interim coach. Despite reaching their first League Cup final, the team suffered relegation to the FA Women’s Championship after a defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.
Lauren Smith took over in the summer of 2021, overseeing a rebuild with 11 new signings and promoting various Academy talents. The team finished 3rd in the Championship, breaking attendance records in their last home game against Liverpool.
Ahead of the 22/23 season, Smith signed seven recruits, including Fran Bentley. In a remarkable campaign, City Women secured promotion and the Championship title with a game in hand, beating Charlton Athletic 4-0 in the final home game before a record crowd of over 7,000 fans. City continue to have one of the highest average attendances in world women’s football.