2011 FA WSL
| Season | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Arsenal |
| Champions League |
Arsenal Birmingham City |
| Matches played | 56 |
| Goals scored | 142 (2.54 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Rachel Williams (14) |
| Biggest home win |
Birmingham City 4–0 Bristol Academy 14 April 2011 |
| Biggest away win |
Liverpool 0–4 Birmingham City 20 April 2011 |
| Highest scoring |
Liverpool 3–3 Everton 14 April 2011 |
| Longest winning run |
5 games Birmingham City |
| Longest unbeaten run |
10 games Birmingham City |
| Longest winless run |
11 games Liverpool |
| Highest attendance |
2,510 Chelsea v Arsenal |
| Lowest attendance |
120 Liverpool v Doncaster Rovers Belles |
|
2012 → | |
The 2011 FA WSL was the inaugural season of the FA WSL, the top-level women's football league of England. The season began on 13 April 2011 and ended on 28 August 2011.[1] The league also took a break between 12 May and mid-July to allow preparation for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.[2]
Arsenal won the competition, their eighth consecutive English title, Birmingham finished second. The second entry to the UEFA Women's Champions League was supposed to be given to the FA Women's Cup winner,[3] on 6 December 2011 however it was announced that Birmingham as runners-up were given the spot.[4]
Teams
| Team | Location | Ground | Capacity | Avg Att | 2009–10 season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Borehamwood | Meadow Park | 4,502 | 621 | Premier League National, 1st |
| Birmingham City | Stratford-upon-Avon | The DCS Stadium | 1,400 | 544 | Premier League National, 10th |
| Bristol Academy | Filton | Stoke Gifford Stadium | 1,500 | 635 | Premier League National, 12th |
| Chelsea | Morden | Imperial Fields | 3,500 | 880 | Premier League National, 3rd |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | Doncaster | Keepmoat Stadium | 15,231 | 448 | Premier League National, 6th |
| Everton | Crosby | The Arriva Park | 3,185 | 519 | Premier League National, 2nd |
| Lincoln Ladies | Lincoln | Sincil Bank/Ashby Avenue | 10,120 | 560 | Premier League Northern, 2nd |
| Liverpool | Skelmersdale | West Lancashire College | 2,500 | 466 | Premier League Northern, 1st |
Sixteen clubs applied for a place in the inaugural season of the league: Arsenal, Barnet, Birmingham City, Bristol Academy, Chelsea, Colchester United, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Everton, Leeds Carnegie, Leicester City, Lincoln Ladies, Liverpool, Millwall Lionesses, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland.[5] Leeds Carnegie later withdrew their application.[6]
Eight clubs were then picked by the FA from the remaining fifteen applicants: Arsenal, Birmingham City, Bristol Academy, Chelsea, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Everton, Lincoln Ladies, and Liverpool.[7]
League table
| Pos |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal (C) | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 9 | +20 | 32 | 2012–13 UEFA Women's Champions League |
| 2 | Birmingham City | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 13 | +16 | 29 | |
| 3 | Everton | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 25 | |
| 4 | Lincoln Ladies | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 16 | +2 | 21 | |
| 5 | Bristol Academy | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 20 | −6 | 16 | |
| 6 | Chelsea | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 19 | −5 | 15 | |
| 7 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 26 | −17 | 9 | |
| 8 | Liverpool | 14 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 26 | −16 | 7 |
Updated to games played on 28 August 2011.
Source: FA WSL results
Rules for classification:
1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Results
| Home ╲ Away | ARS | BIR | BRI | CHE | DON | EVE | LIV | LIN |
| Arsenal | 1–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | |
| Birmingham City | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 1–0 | |
| Bristol Academy | 2–2 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | |
| Chelsea | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | 0–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–3 | |
| Everton | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | |
| Liverpool | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 0–1 | |
| Lincoln Ladies | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 4–2 |
Updated to games played on 28 August 2011.
Source: FA WSL results
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Top scorers
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals[8] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rachel Williams | Birmingham City | 14 |
| 2 | Kim Little | Arsenal | 8 |
| 3 | Natasha Dowie | Everton | 7 |
| 4 | Ellen White | Arsenal | 6 |
| 5 | Rachel Yankey | Arsenal | 5 |
League Cup
The inaugural season of the League Cup, named the WSL Continental Cup, was played as a straight knock-out tournament. Arsenal won the Cup with a 4–1 victory over Birmingham. Arsenal also won the League and Women's FA Cup thus winning a treble that season.[9]
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 4 September – Skelmersdale | ||||||||||
| Liverpool | 0 | |||||||||
| 11 September – Borehamwood | ||||||||||
| Arsenal | 4 | |||||||||
| Arsenal | 3 | |||||||||
| 4 September – Bristol | ||||||||||
| Lincoln Ladies | 1 | |||||||||
| Bristol Academy | 1 | |||||||||
| 25 September – Burton-on-Trent | ||||||||||
| Lincoln Ladies | 2 | |||||||||
| Arsenal | 4 | |||||||||
| 4 September – Doncaster | ||||||||||
| Birmingham City | 1 | |||||||||
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | 0 | |||||||||
| 11 September – Stratford upon Avon | ||||||||||
| Birmingham City | 4 | |||||||||
| Birmingham City | 2 | |||||||||
| 4 September – Morden | ||||||||||
| Everton | 1 | |||||||||
| Chelsea | 0 | |||||||||
| Everton | 4 | |||||||||
References
- ↑ "WSL fixtures confirmed". The Football Association. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
- ↑ thefa.co.uk; FAQ on the FA WSL, No. 23
- ↑ "Arsenal take English WSL title". UEFA. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
- ↑ "Champions League For Birmingham City". shekicks.net. 6 December 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ↑ "Super League's Sixteen Applicants". Shekicks. 7 January 2010. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ↑ Tony Leighton (25 January 2010). "Leeds Carnegie could fold after ending Super League interest". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 January 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ↑ "Eight Super League clubs announced". The Football Association official website. 22 March 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
- ↑ "2011 Goal scorers". women.soccerway.com.
- ↑ "Arsenal complete treble with Continental Cup triumph". BBC. 25 September 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2014.