Lions Gibraltar F.C.

Lions Gibraltar is a professional football club in Gibraltar. They play in the country's top-level league, the Gibraltar National League.

Lions Gibraltar
Full nameLions Gibraltar Football Club
Short nameLions
Founded1966
GroundVictoria Stadium,
Winston Churchill Avenue Gibraltar
Capacity5000
PresidentAlexander Grech
ManagerAlberto Ferri[1]
LeagueGibraltar National League
2019–20Championship Group: 6th
Overall: 6th[lower-alpha 1]
WebsiteClub website

They were created by a merger of Gibraltar United F.C. and Lions FC in 2011.[2] Aside from their first team, they also run an intermediate (under-23) team, several youth teams, futsal teams and a women's team.

History

Lions Gibraltar was founded as Lions Football Club in 1966 when a group of friends decided to take up a team after the euphoria of England winning the 1966 World Cup, thus the three lions on its club badge. After a quiet 45-year history, the club merged with league giants Gibraltar United in 2011 to create a much stronger side.

Their time together saw the side consistently compete in the Gibraltar Premier Division, and the side continued this upon the GFA's admittance to UEFA in 2013. The 2013–14 season, their final season united with Gibraltar United, saw them narrowly avoid a relegation playoff with a 6th-place finish. After this, Gibraltar United joined the Gibraltar Second Division and Lions restructured, with English coach Jeff Wood appointed manager with ambitions to challenge the top sides and qualify for the UEFA Europa League. In February 2015 the club announced plans to become a feeder club with Premier League club Swansea City, although these plans eventually fell through.

However, after a disappointing season in which the club finished bottom of the league (avoiding relegation due to the league's expansion), the club announced in July 2015 that it was to be taken over by Hercules Sports Promotion, Ltd, headed by Andrew Flowers (who had previously attempted to purchase Leeds United in 2013). Significant investment by the new ownership meant that Lions would now become a semi-professional club with the aim of toppling Lincoln Red Imps' dominance.[3] The following season saw immediate improvement, with the club finishing 4th, however they remained significantly off the pace compared to the region's top two sides Lincoln Red Imps and Europa.

On 31 May, the board announced former national team coach David Wilson as their new manager for the 2016–17 season. However, after the collapse of the club owners' other companies left Lions' future uncertain, Wilson resigned before the beginning of the season to take over at FCB Magpies and the previous season's co-caretaker Rafael Bado was announced as manager. A season spent primarily in the bottom two ended in safety, however, after an upturn in form from the beginning of 2017 despite only winning one game in the first 4 months of the season.

Seasons (since UEFA acceptance)
Season Division League record Rock Cup
P W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2013–14 Premier144282333146thSemi-final
2014–15 Premier21151594888thQuarter-final
2015–16 Premier27143104944454thSemi-final
2016–17 Premier2749141754218thQuarter-final
2017–18 Premier2765162763238thSecond round
2018–19 Premier273024177799thQuarter-final
2019–20 National League abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic Quarter-final

Current squad

First team
As of 17 October 2020[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ESP Borja Valadés
2 DF  ESP Francisco Morales
3 DF  ESP Guillermo Jiménez
4 MF  ESP Adrián Vera
5 MF  GIB Jay Bosio (vice-captain)
6 DF  GIB Shea Breakspear
7 MF  GIB Kaylan Rumbo
8 MF  ESP Antonio Cintas
9 FW  ESP Abri Pomares
11 DF  GIB Jared Buhagiar
12 DF  GIB Craig Bossano-Anes
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF  ESP Iván Ruiz
18 MF  GIB Kadrian Verjaque
19 MF  ESP Germán Cortés
20 FW  GIB Charles Gaivizo
22 MF  GIB Byron Espinosa
24 DF  GIB Thomas Hastings
25 GK  ESP Juan Mateo
37 FW  GIB Ethan Dobinson
— MF  GIB Cecil Prescott
— FW  ESP Labra
— FW  GIB Dylan Peacock (on loan from Lincoln Red Imps)

Intermediate League squad

Players below are registered to play in the Gibraltar Intermediate League. Players from the first team may also appear for this team. Correct as of 17 December 2020.[5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
13 GK  GIB Sean Benitez
15 MF  GIB Callum Hellier
16 DF  GIB Ryan Danino
17 MF  GIB Stefan Thorne
21 MF  GIB Julian Grech
23 FW  GIB Michael Borja Sánchez
26 DF  GIB Matthew Mason
27 FW  ESP Pedro Rosa
28 FW  ESP José Manuel Gómez
No. Pos. Nation Player
29 MF  GIB Leigh Dobinson
30 MF  GIB Stefan Bonavia
31 MF  GIB Rohan Chellaram
32 FW  GIB Jayce Perez-Carreras
33 GK  GIB Lewis Victor
34 MF  GIB Nikolaj Forrester
36 FW  GIB Brendan Ramagge
39 MF  GIB Nathan Fortunato
40 FW  GIB Naseem Ben Youssef

Club staff
Position Name
Club Management
Manager Alberto Ferri
Assistant Coach David Arguez Aguilar
Coach Ángel Chozas Hermoso
Physiotherapist Luke Henshaw
Frederick Martin
Board
Chairman Alexander Grech
Vice-President Dylan Buhagiar
Club Secretary Kadrian Bugeja

See also

References
  1. Premier Division 2018-19 Season Preview Football Gibraltar. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  2. "Division Structure". footballgibraltar.wordpress.com. 2 October 2011.
  3. LIONS GIBRALTAR TAKEOVER COMPLETE GibFootballTalk. 10 July 2015. Accessed 20 July 2015.
  4. Lions Gibraltar Squad Lions Gibraltar FC. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  5. Lions Gibraltar FC Intermediate. Lions Gibraltar FC. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  1. Season abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic
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