LCFC Women’s Progress Continues With Belvoir Drive Transition
Following the transfer of the entire men's professional and Academy football operation to a new facility in Seagrave, LCFC Women will now possess one of the finest training centres in the women's game at the midway point of their maiden campaign as a professional outfit.
Equipped with nine full-size pitches, a 3G surface and an indoor dome, alongside an indoor gymnasium, treatment rooms and office space, Belvoir Drive has been regularly developed and enhanced throughout King Power International's custodianship of the Club since 2010.
An outstanding, professional working environment which has been Leicester City's spiritual home for over half a century, it is a facility which will now allow LCFC Women to continue their progression as a bold new era takes shape for women’s football in Leicestershire.
Last summer, LCFC Women turned professional, joining Leicester City’s senior men, Under-23s and Under-18s among the core teams within the Club’s football operation after being acquired by King Power International.
A side including 12 players already at the Foxes, who signed their first professional contracts, and 11 new additions to the playing squad, including arrivals from Women’s Super League outfits, currently sit atop of the FA Women's Championship – for the first time in their 17-year history.
Managed by Jonathan Morgan, the Foxes embarked on a five-game league winning run before Christmas, as well as securing the side’s first-ever qualification for the Continental Tyres League Cup's knockout stages, where they will travel to Crystal Palace later this month.
For generations to come, as LCFC Women aspire to be a competitive force in the women's game, the newly professional team will now boast excellent training facilities and a permanent headquarters for their entire operation.
Speaking at Belvoir Drive, Morgan said: “The atmosphere is great and the girls have been on top of the world with the facilities they now have.
“We get to follow in some big footsteps here, both as players and staff. It’s brilliant that the Club have provided this opportunity and this platform for the players and staff to really push on.”
LCFC Women’s league campaign continues on Sunday with the visit of Sheffield United Women to their Farley Way Stadium home venue in a 2pm GMT kick-off.
The Foxes sit at the league's apex with 26 points from 11 matches, eight of which have resulted in victories, giving them a one-point advantage over second-placed Durham Women.
After training at Belvoir Drive for the first time, Leicester-born forward Libby Smith said: “The girls are buzzing to be back, and to get back on the pitches, especially here at Belvoir Drive.
“It’s unreal. The facilities that we’ve got, as individuals and as a collective, can really improve and build our game. For me, being a Leicester girl, I’d seen it before and it’s something you want to work towards.
“It’s great to be here. You can see that it’s a modern facility, and we’ve seen the pictures of the men’s team here, so it’s great for the women’s game and the Club as a whole.”
Leicester City supporters can follow LCFC Women’s 2020/21 campaign by visiting lcfc.com/women and following social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.