2011 FA WSL
First season of the top English women's association football league
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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's Ellen White and Steph Houghton with the trophy | |
| Season | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Arsenal 1st WSL title 13th English title |
| Champions League | Arsenal Birmingham City |
| Matches | 56 |
| Goals | 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 → | |
Arsenal won the competition, their eighth consecutive English title, while 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] but on 6 December 2011 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 | 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, 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, and Liverpool.[7]
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal (C) | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 9 | +20 | 32 | Qualification for the Champions League knockout phase |
| 2 | Birmingham City | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 13 | +16 | 29 | |
| 3 | Everton | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 25 | |
| 4 | Lincoln | 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 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions
Results
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 |