Crystal Palace are no strangers to the WSL after spending the 24/25 season competing in the top flight of English football.
The club was formed in 1992, under the name of Crystal Palace Ladies. Since 2003, the club has worked its way up the women’s football pyramid, starting with their South East combination women’s football league title in the 2003/04 season.
The Eagles continued their rise by winning the London and South East Women’s Regional League in 2013/14 and winning the South East division one title after going the whole season undefeated in the 2016/16 season.
In 2018, Palace were given semi-professional status and a Tier 2 license which allowed them to become a founding member of the Women’s Championship, the second highest tier of women’s football.
In 2019 the club rebranded from Crystal Palace Ladies FC to Crystal Palace FC, reflecting the continued growth of the women’s game.
During their first 3 seasons in the Women’s Championship, Palace showed their determination and talent with three back to back top five finishes. In the summer of 2023, the club appointed Laura Kaminski as head coach who guided Palace to promotion to the Women’s Super League. However their season in the WSL ended in heartbreak when they finished in bottom place and were subsequently relegated back to the WSL2.
Following relegation, Jo Potter was appointed manager and immediately transformed the squad. She made a huge difference and guided the club back to the top tier after finishing second place in the 25/26 season. With their determination, skill set and new signings, their goal is to stay up at the end of next season.
Key signings ahead of the 26/27 season
In order to bolster their side, Crystal Palace are making key signings ahead of their campaign.
Lexi Lloyd-Smith
South London born and bred, Lloyd-Smith returns to the capital, determined to make her mark on the WSL. She started her career in the Arsenal academy which is where she spent 4 seasons in their youth set up. After this she made the move across London to Chelsea, where she spent two seasons playing in the academy.
Lloyd-Smith spent two years from 2022-2024 at Charlton Athletic where she made 33 appearances and scored 2 goals. She then made the move to Bristol city where she had an outstanding spell with 48 appearances across all competitions and scoring 23 goals.
Now at Crystal Palace, Lloyd-Smith arrives with experience and an eye for goals.
Teyah Goldie
Having come through the Arsenal academy, Teyah Goldie learnt skill and discipline from a very young age. She rose up through the ranks and became one of the clubs brightest young defensive players.
She became a regular presence amongst the first team during the 2020/21 season and quickly became a firm fan favourite. During a 10-0 win over Gillingham, she made her well deserved first team debut.
During the second half of the 2022 campaign, Goldie went on loan to Watford and quickly impressed, winning the club’s player of the month for February. Unfortunately her loan spell was cut short after suffering an ACL injury in March 2022.
Her injury crisis continued as shortly after she recovered from that injury, she ruptured her other ACL. Despite setbacks, she worked tirelessly throughout her rehabilitation with the support of her teammates as well as the other four Arsenal players out with the same injury that season.
In August 2024, she joined London City Lionesses on a one year loan deal, before signing permanently. Now, she is on loan at Crystal Palace, hungry for minutes and is ready to prove herself at the highest level.
Bethany England
At 32 years old, Bethany England is ready to bring leadership, knowledge and technical ability to the squad. With her in the team, Crystal Palace are bound to make a mark on the WSL.
Her journey began at Sheffield United Girls Centre of Excellence before playing for the Sheffield United academy for three years with her twin sister by her side. England then joined Doncaster Belles at the age of 16 and broke into the first team within her first year.
It was at Chelsea however where England made a name for herself. During the second half of the 2016 season, she scored 5 goals in her 19 appearances. In April 2017 England signed a new two year contract with Chelsea before being loaned out to Liverpool, where she strengthened her technicality and goal scoring with 10 goals scored in 16 games.
In 2018 she returned to Chelsea where she instantly made her mark, scoring 12 goals in 18 matches.
She then went on to captain Tottenham Hotspur from January 2023 until her recent signing with Crystal Palace.
After learning valuable lessons from their previous spell in the top flight, Crystal Palace now have another opportunity to prove they belong among England’s elite. With their new signings on side, the Eagles could be set for an exciting and successful return to the Women’s Super League.
