Club History

Loughborough University Women’s Performance Team

Loughborough Students Women’s Football Club has always offered a competitive playing opportunity for its players. The performance team competes in the British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS) Northern Premier League (the highest level of University Sport). This programme prides itself on its support of players as people, students, and athletes holistically. In 2020 when discussions started between the University and Loughborough Foxes representatives it was this section of the University football programme that enabled the Lightning team to form.

Loughborough Foxes

Gail and Paul Fox founded Loughborough Foxes in 1999, known then as Shepshed Foxes until 2002.

For 15 years, Foxes played in local leagues, before being promoted to the FA Women’s Northern Premier Division (the 3rd ranked tier of women’s football) in 2015.

After the first season they suffered relegation but managed a promotion in 2018 to return to tier 3 football. This feat was a club record for the Foxes who won the Midlands Division One title by winning 22 games and drawing one.

Work begun behind the scenes in 2020 between Loughborough Foxes and Loughborough University officials to explore a future possible collaboration.

In 2021 this hard work culminated in the inaugural season of the Loughborough Lightning franchise. The Foxes are still very much a part of the Loughborough family and continue to be a key community focused partner of the University with their youth development pathway and women’s football teams.  

Loughborough Lightning Established 2021

Loughborough Lightning is the women’s high performance football team, who train and play their games at Loughborough University world class facilities. Born out of the foundations laid by both the University women’s football club and Loughborough Foxes this new franchise aims to support the women’s side to grow and develop to new heights.

The Loughborough Lightning programme aims to provide women’s performance athletes with an opportunity to be empowered and supported through their culture of sporting excellence. We are delighted to be a part of the Lightning franchise family who proudly field teams at the highest level in sport in Netball, Wheelchair Basketball, Rugby, and Cycling.