The fifth season of the Women’s Super League kicks off on March the 25th with reigning champions Liverpool ladies beginning the defence of their title at home to newly promoted Sunderland. Here at SLS we’ve rounded up the need to know information for the new season and given you a quick recap of last year’s events below.
What’s new?
2015 will see the WSL 1 expanding to nine teams, with ten teams remaining in the WSL 2 which was introduced for the first time last season.
The top two teams of WSL 1 will qualify for the Champions League and the top two from WSL 2 will gain promotion to the highest tier.
For the first time a team from the FA Women’s Premier League will earn promotion to WSL 2 in the 2014–15 season, effectively connecting the WSL to the rest of the English women’s football pyramid.
What happened last season?
Liverpool ladies retained the title in dramatic fashion last season with a win against Bristol Academy despite starting the final day in third place. Top of the table Chelsea had a three point advantage on champions Liverpool but lost 2-1 at Manchester City, while second placed Birmingham could only draw 2-2 against Notts County. Goals from Natasha Dowie, Lucy Bronze and a penalty from Fara Williams handed Liverpool the trophy on goal difference.
At the other end of the table, Merseyside rivals Everton were relegated with two games remaining, after 21 years as a top flight club. Everton’s demise has left Arsenal as the only club that can boast a top-flight history stretching back into the last century. Once the overpoweringly dominant force in the women’s game, Arsenal finished last season in fourth place.
The final day in WSL 2 was equally as exciting with the Doncaster Rovers Belles challenging for promotion until the final day, after defeating title rivals Sunderland three weeks earlier. Sunderland however finished the season in emphatic style with a 4-0 win over Millwall Lionesses to gain promotion to the WSL 1.
Francesca Kirby, finished the league’s top goal scorer with an impressive 23 goals for third-placed Reading. Karen Carney won the golden boot in the WSL 1 with 8 goals.
What can we expect this year?
For the first time two teams from WSL 2 will be promoted come the end of the season so there has never been more to play for, and the managers have been busy bringing in new players to strengthen their squads.
Yeovil Town set the standard in closed season, making what they called the “biggest signing in their club’s history” when they brought in England defender Corinne Yorston from Champions League quarter-finalists Bristol Academy. Millwall Lionesses were also busy, signing 18 year old Megan Goss from London Bees and Rinsola Babajide from Crystal Palace – a player who has been dubbed “the one to watch” this season.
This being said it is Everton who are firm favourites to bounce straight back in to the top tier alongside last years runners up Doncaster Rovers Belles. Promotion won’t come easy however, as these two sides will have the likes of Reading, with England’s rising star Fran Kirby firing on all cylinders up front, and Aston Villa sniffing at their heels.
Over in WSL 1 it’s anyone’s game as last year’s finale day proved. Chelsea, Liverpool and Birmingham are all expected to be there or there-abouts again come October, but one should never rule out the improving Manchester City and last year’s FA Cup winners Arsenal, who’s manager Pedro Martinez Losa will be looking to impress in his first season at the helm.
