Gibraltar National League 04/13 14:30 22 Europa FC v Lions Gibraltar - View

Wikipedia - 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.

They were created by a merger of Gibraltar United F.C. and Lions FC in 2011. 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. 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.

On 28 January 2024, it was announced that Solihull Moors CEO Mark Palmer had purchased a controlling stake in the club, becoming owner and Chairman.

Seasons (since UEFA acceptance)

Season Division League record Rock Cup
P W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2013–14 Premier 14 4 2 8 23 33 14 6th Semi-final
2014–15 Premier 21 1 5 15 9 48 8 8th Quarter-final
2015–16 Premier 27 14 3 10 49 44 45 4th Semi-final
2016–17 Premier 27 4 9 14 17 54 21 8th Quarter-final
2017–18 Premier 27 6 5 16 27 63 23 8th Second round
2018–19 Premier 27 3 0 24 17 77 9 9th Quarter-final
2019–20 National 20 4 4 12 13 33 16 6th Quarter-final
2020–21 National 20 4 4 12 13 33 16 6th First round
2021–22 National 18 1 5 12 13 45 8 11th Quarter-final
2022–23 GFL 18 5 4 9 25 37 19 8th First round


Lions Gibraltar is a professional soccer team based in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory located on the southern coast of Spain. The team was founded in 2006 and currently competes in the Gibraltar National League, the top tier of football in Gibraltar.

The team's home ground is the Victoria Stadium, which has a capacity of 5,000 spectators. The team's colors are red and white, and their logo features a lion, which is a symbol of strength and courage.

Lions Gibraltar has a strong reputation for developing young talent and has produced several players who have gone on to play for the Gibraltar national team. The team has also had success in domestic competitions, winning the Rock Cup in 2017 and finishing as runners-up in the Gibraltar National League in 2019.

The team is known for its attacking style of play and has a passionate fan base that supports them both at home and away matches. With a talented squad and a dedicated coaching staff, Lions Gibraltar is poised to continue its success in the coming years.