Paisley City Ladies, formerly Arthurlie Ladies, was founded at the start of the 1999–2000 season. As a new club they started in the third (lowest) tier.[2] In 2001–02 they played in Division One, directly under the Premier League, and stayed there until 2008.[3] In the 2007–08 season they suffered financial problems, and began to search for a partnership with another club.
Rangers L.F.C. was founded in 2008, as Rangers followed the example of Celtic, Hibernian and Aberdeen in developing a women's section. The formation of the team involved a partnership with Paisley City Ladies.[4][5][6] Former Rangers youth academy coach Drew Todd was brought in to coach the team. Scotland player Jayne Sommerville was signed as the new team's first captain.[7][8] They took the league place of Paisley City and many players switched too.[9] Rangers won the league in their debut season.[10] They also reached the final of the Scottish Women's Cup but lost 5–0 to Glasgow City;[11] they were the first side playing in a lower division to reach the final.[12]
Former East Stirlingshire footballer Scott Allison was appointed manager in 2010.[13] The club reached the Cup final again but were beaten 2–1 by Hibernian.[14]
In May 2011, Alana Marshall became the first female Rangers player to be called up by the senior Scotland team.[15]
In February 2012, The Herald newspaper reported that the financial crisis engulfing Rangers also threatened the existence of the club's women's section.[16] The team continued to operate under budgetary constraints, and having appointed Angie Hind as coach (who was able to add quality to the squad using her extensive network of contacts in the women's game)[8] they ended the 2014 SWPL season with a second place finish, the club's best result up to that point.
Ahead of the 2018 season, the official name of the team was changed to 'Rangers Women' from the previous 'Rangers Ladies'.[17] In July 2019, the club announced a significant commitment to women's football by integrating their teams more fully into its operations and providing further financial support with the aim of becoming professional. To this end, the incumbent coach Amy McDonald was installed in a new position as Women's Manager, with former player and youth trainer Grégory Vignal appointed as head coach of the senior team.[18][19] A few months later the team moved their home fixtures to the Rangers Training Centre in Milngavie following improvements made to its facilities, having previously been using New Tinto Park (home of Benburb F.C.) in the Govan area of Glasgow, near to the club's Ibrox Stadium.[20]
In January 2020 Malky Thomson was appointed joint first-team coach alongside Vignal,[21] in June of the same year Vignal left the club Thomson was named head of the women's first team.[22] In 2022, an arrangement was reached to play home fixtures at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld, due to capacity and parking issues at the training venue.[1]
^Shaw, Louise (28 January 2020). "Malky intrigued by challenge". rangers.co.uk. Rangers FC. Retrieved 4 October 2022.malky Thomson said the intrigue of a new challenge attracted him to becoming Joint Head Coach of Rangers Women
^Thomson, Nick (24 June 2020). "Vignal to vacate role". rangers.co.uk. Rangers FC. Retrieved 4 October 2022.gregory vignal will today vacate his role as Joint Head Coach of Rangers Women’s first team
^"Women's Team". Rangers Football Club. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
^"Rangers mount late comeback to win Glasgow Cup over Celtic". heraldscotland.com. The Herald. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023. Rangers put down an early season marker after retaining the Glasgow Cup with a last gasp winner at Broadwood yesterday afternoon.
