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 |
近年来，直布罗陀雄狮逐渐恢复元气，重新崛起成为欧洲足坛的一支劲旅。球队主场设在西班牙的直布罗陀岛上，拥有着独特的地理位置和浓厚的足球文化。球队的队服颜色为红色和白色，队徽上有着醒目的狮子标志，代表着球队的雄心壮志和不屈精神。
在最近的几个赛季中，直布罗陀雄狮的表现一直非常出色，多次跻身欧洲冠军联赛和欧洲联赛的八强。球队的主教练是西班牙人豪尔赫·马塞塞克，他是一位有着丰富执教经验的教练，曾执教过多支西班牙和葡萄牙的豪门球队。球队的核心球员包括效力于英超水晶宫队的葡萄牙前锋费尔南多·桑托斯和效力于西甲毕尔巴鄂竞技队的西班牙中场伊万·马丁内斯等。
总的来说，"直布罗陀雄狮"是一支充满激情和战斗精神的足球队伍，代表着欧洲足坛的一股新势力。无论是在国内还是国际赛场上，球队都有着不可小觑的竞争力。