Brighton and Hove Albion WFC

Brighton & Hove Albion Women began, of all places, in a telephone exchange. The club was founded in 1967 as Brighton GPO, created by workers at the General Post Office — the idea sparked when the postmen challenged the female telephonists to a charity match in the wake of England's 1966 World Cup win. Two years later they became one of the six founding members of the Sussex Martlet League, the same year the Women's Football Association was formed, and in 1975/76 they reached the semi-finals of the Women's FA Cup. The club linked up with Brighton & Hove Albion in 1990 through the men's club's community scheme, taking on the Albion name and its Seagulls identity. After decades climbing the pyramid, they won promotion to the Women's Super League for the 2018/19 season, establishing themselves among the top flight.