Benfica W.S.C.
| Full name | Benfica Women's Soccer Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| Ground | Waterford Regional Sports Centre |
| League |
Ladies League of Ireland Dublin Women's Soccer League Munster Ladies League Waterford District Girls League Wexford and District League Cork Ladies League |
Benfica Women's Soccer Club, previously known as Benfica L.F.C. and Mitsubishi Benfica, is an Irish association football club based in Waterford. Founded in 1965, Benfica are one of the oldest women's football clubs in the Republic of Ireland. During the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s they were also one of Ireland's leading women's clubs. They were founder members of the Ladies League of Ireland, played in the Dublin Women's Soccer League and were FAI Women's Cup finalists on at least five occasions.
Benfica was formed in 1965 by Joey O'Callaghan and Sean Cuddihy. They were originally formed to enter a mixed factory five-a-side football competition and were named after S.L. Benfica, the club of Eusébio, the 1965 European Footballer of the Year, who was the founding members favourite player.
During their history Benfica have fielded teams in various women's county, provincial and national leagues. They began playing in the Waterford Ladies League. In 1973 Benfica became founding members of the Ladies League of Ireland In 1987 when the national league was revived Benfica were again members. Other members included Cork Rangers, Cork Celtic, Greenpark (Limerick) and Dublin Castle. While playing in the Ladies League of Ireland during the 1980s, Benfica were sponsored by Mitsubishi. However the revived Ladies League of Ireland lasted just three seasons and was abandoned in 1989. Benfica subsequently joined the Cork Ladies League. During the early 1990s they played in the Munster Ladies League. During the early 2000s they fielded teams in both the Dublin Women's Soccer League and the Wexford and District League. They currently field teams in the Waterford District Girls League.
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