On the surface, this season might look a lot like other recent campaigns for York City Ladies. They’re competing in the National League Division One North, as they have done since 2022, and facing many of the same opponents. Yet this masks what has been a period of real upheaval, as the team has been integrated into the wider men’s setup, moved to a new permanent home ground and overhauled both the playing squad and management.
The team, which formed in 1995, has been on an upward curve in recent years. They won promotion to the fourth tier of women’s football in 2021/22, the same year the men’s side went up from National League North, and have survived at the level since then despite some close brushes with relegation. Other notable achievements include seeing ex-player Jess Park form part of the England squad that won Euro 2025, raising the profile of the team by playing a series of games at the LNER, and last season reaching the Fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time.
To kick on to the next level, though, it was felt that greater investment and support from the club was needed, so this summer it was announced that the women’s team would be brought under the umbrella of York City FC, rather than the Foundation which had previously run the side. Co-owner Julie-Ann Uggla praised the progress made under the Foundation, and in particular the valuable contribution made by their CEO Paula Stainton, but explained that the club felt that “bringing [York City Ladies] under the club’s management structure ensures the women’s programme receives the visibility, resources, and professional support it deserves.”
An early step towards improving the professional support for the team involved the creation of a full-time head coach role, a first for the Minsterbelles. This role went to Chris Hames, who joined from Hull City Ladies having spent four years there and led them to promotion from York’s league in 2024. Player recruitment over summer was also ambitious, with thirteen new signings being added to the remaining core of last season’s squad, including a number who followed Hames in making the switch from Hull City.
