Arsenal Women awarded Islington’s highest honour – the Freedom of the Borough – in recognition of our extraordinary achievements last season. 

Arsenal Women awarded Islington’s highest honour – the Freedom of the Borough – in recognition of our extraordinary achievements last season.

 

Arsenal Women have been granted the Freedom of the Borough of Islington — the council’s highest civic honour — in recognition of their extraordinary achievements during the 2024/25 season.

The special presentation took place on 21 November 2025 in the Council Chamber, with the borough’s Mayor, Jason Jackson, formally conferring the honour. The accolade was accepted on behalf of the team by captain Kim Little, head coach Renée Slegers, Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley, club CEO Richard Garlick and co-chair Josh Kroenke.

A reward for European success and community impact

The award recognises not only the team’s on-field excellence — most notably their triumph in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, secured in May 2025 — but also their wider influence in inspiring a new generation of fans and raising the profile of women’s football.

Council leader Una O’Halloran described the honour as a way to cement the club’s place “at the heart of Islington’s sporting and cultural identity.” She praised the team not only for their sporting greatness, but also for helping to engage more people in women’s sport — especially young girls across the borough.

For the club, the significance of the moment was profound. Richard Garlick emphasised that the women’s team “was born in Islington” — a part of the club’s own origins — dating back to when it was founded as a community initiative in 1987. Nearly 40 years on, receiving the Freedom of the Borough again (the side previously received it in 2007) serves as a powerful symbol of recognition and belonging.

A banner season — on and off the pitch

Beyond the Champions League glory, the 2024/25 season saw the team drawing impressive crowds — nine of their Women’s Super League (WSL) matches were played at the Emirates Stadium, with an average attendance of 34,110 and a record peak of 56,748 in a dominant 5–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur Women in February.

The club has already announced that for the 2025/26 campaign, all WSL home fixtures will be staged at the Emirates — a move that underscores the club’s commitment to elevating women’s football and building on the momentum generated by this season’s achievements.

A public trophy-lift celebration after the Champions League win drew thousands of supporters outside Emirates Stadium — a poignant testament to how deeply the team has resonated with fans and the wider community.

Looking ahead

Awarding Arsenal Women the Freedom of the Borough sends a clear message: the women’s game is no longer on the sidelines — it is central to the sporting identity of Islington. For the players, staff, and supporters, the accolade is recognition not just of a single season’s success, but of decades of commitment, growth, and community roots.

As the 2025/26 season unfolds, with every home match now at the Emirates and the team marching forward under the mantle of European champions, the honour becomes more than symbolic — it becomes a foundation to build from. For Islington, for fans, and for women’s football everywhere, this moment stands as both celebration and a promise of more greatness to come.