London Bees, a part of the Barnet Football Group, are dedicated to the growth of the women’s game at all levels and this license allows us to continue to grow the Club and team. Since its formation in 2014, the London Bees has gone from strength to strength, both on and off of the pitch in what is a rapidly growing and increasingly competitive part of the modern game.
Away from the pitch, our matchday and non-matchday activities have inspired young girls across our local area and we are looking forward to continuing this work throughout next year and beyond.
London Bees General Manager and Head Coach Luke Swindlehurst has spoken of his delight at the re-application.
“The hard work and dedication put into the application gives us great satisfaction that we are have now secured the clubs long term future. I personally am delighted for the players and staff that we are continuing to progress towards the highest level in women’s football. In the current climate it’s important to always keep moving forward and our plans for growth will enable a strong and stable future for London Bees.”
Barnet Football Group COO James Thorne added:
“The Club is completely committed to the London Bees and its continued development. We have many exciting plans for the Club and will be launching a new full time development programme for girls football in the coming year. This is one of the many ongoing projects we are focussing on at the Hive London and a fully integrated women’s section of the Club is a key part of our long term strategy both on and off the pitch.”
London Bees Chairman Tony Kleanthous praised the hard work of all involved with the bid including the Management Committee and also Lucy Wellings & Katie Brazier at the FA for their support during this process.
He said: “It’s a marvellous achievement for all involved and The Hive London is proud to continue its long standing support of the women’s section. Barnet FC were one the first professional men’s clubs to fully incorporate the women’s team, then known as Barnet Ladies, within their set up. Today the London Bees is a fully professional club in its own right and although we still face many challenges ahead we have managed to keep pace with the huge growth within this part of the game.
“Our recent £15m planning application for a new Indoor Sports hall and Academy Building in conjunction with our new £5m Medical Centre which opens early next year, will allow us to boast the best facilities in Women’s Football. These new facilities will pave the way for the launch of our new Girls Development Centre and we are proud to keep building on our recent achievements. The final part of our jigsaw is for all the fans out there in the capital to, hopefully, get rid of old rivalries and get behind and support their very own London team!”
