2013 FA WSL

FA WSL
Season 2013
Champions Liverpool (1st title)
Matches played 53
Goals scored 177 (3.34 per match)
Top goalscorer Natasha Dowie
Biggest home win Arsenal 5–0 Everton
Biggest away win Doncaster Rovers Belles 0–9 Liverpool
Highest scoring Doncaster Rovers Belles 0–9 Liverpool
← 2012
2014 →

The 2013 FA WSL was the third season of the FA WSL, the top-level women's football league of England. The season began on 14 April and ended on 29 September.

Arsenal were the defending champions, having won their ninth consecutive English title last season. The top two teams qualified for the 2014–15 UEFA Women's Champions League.

The season was the last before the creation of a second division of the WSL. All teams had to reapply for a place in WSL 1 in the next season. Doncaster Belles were the only current WSL team not granted a WSL 1 place, thus they played in the WSL 2 the following season. This decision had already been taken before Doncaster finished the season bottom of the WSL with the lowest points tally, as no relegation to the WSL 2 based on points was scheduled until the WSL 2 had completed its inaugural season to produce a corresponding promotion team. The reason for Doncaster's relegation from WSL 1 was a failed reapplication based on financial criteria, which is an aspect of the WSL the FA monitors very closely since it funds the participating teams and the teams must regularly prove they can match the FA funding. The Belles' place in the top flight the following season was taken by the Manchester City Ladies team from the FA Women's Premier League National Division, but now re-branded as Manchester City Women. Likewise, Lincoln Ladies retained their place in WSL 1 but relocated and re-branded as Notts County Ladies for the following season.[1]

Teams

The same teams as last season returned, as there was no relegation system in place.

Liverpool, who finished bottom in 2011 and 2012, relocated from Skelmersdale to the Halton Stadium in Widnes prior to the 2013 season as part of an ambitious programme of investment.[2] Lincoln Ladies left Ashby Avenue to return full-time to Sincil Bank.[3]

Team Location Ground 2012 WSL finish
Arsenal Borehamwood Meadow Park 1st
Birmingham City Stratford-upon-Avon The DCS Stadium 2nd
Bristol Academy Filton Stoke Gifford Stadium 4th
Chelsea Staines Wheatsheaf Park 6th
Doncaster Rovers Belles Doncaster Keepmoat Stadium 7th
Everton Crosby The Arriva Stadium 3rd
Lincoln Ladies Lincoln Sincil Bank 5th
Liverpool Widnes Halton Stadium 8th

League table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Liverpool 14 12 0 2 46 19 +27 36 2014–15 UEFA Women's Champions League
2 Bristol Academy 14 10 1 3 30 20 +10 31
3 Arsenal 14 10 3 1 31 11 +20 030†
4 Birmingham City 14 5 3 6 16 21 −5 18
5 Everton 14 4 3 7 23 30 −7 15
6 Lincoln Ladies 14 2 4 8 10 15 −5 10
7 Chelsea 14 3 1 10 20 27 −7 10
8 Doncaster Rovers Belles (R) 14 1 3 10 9 42 −33 06††

Updated to games played on 29 September 2013.
Source: FA WSL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
†: Arsenal were deducted 3 points for fielding an unregistered player[4]
††: Doncaster Rovers Belles relegated to the Super League Second Division on financial grounds.
(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 BRICHEDONEVELIVLIN
Arsenal 2–0 0–0 2–1 3–1 5–0 0–4 0–0
Birmingham City 1–3 0–2 2–1 1–0 2–1 2–4 1–1
Bristol Academy 2–3 1–0 2–0 3–1 4–3 3–4 2–1
Chelsea 0–1 1–1 1–3 4–0 1–4 2–1 0–2
Doncaster Rovers Belles 0–6 0–3 3–4 0–4 1–1 0–9 1–0
Everton 1–2 0–0 2–3 3–2 2–2 1–4 1–0
Liverpool 0–3 4–1 2–0 4–3 2–0 4–2 3–2
Lincoln Ladies 1–1 1–2 0–1 2–0 0–0 0–2 0–1

Updated to games played on 15 September.
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[5][6]
1 Natasha Dowie Liverpool 13
2 Nicole Rolser Liverpool 10
3 Natalia de Pablos Bristol Academy 9
4 Louise Fors Liverpool 7
5 Danielle Carter Arsenal 6
Jordan Nobbs Arsenal 6
Nikita Parris Everton 6
Toni Duggan Everton 6
Sofia Jakobsson Chelsea 6
Eniola Aluko Chelsea 6

League Cup

The WSL Continental Cup was played in the same format as last year. Arsenal won their third title in as many editions with a 2–0 win over Lincoln.[7]

Group 1

Team Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Arsenal 3 2 1 0 7 4 +3 7
Lincoln Ladies 3 1 2 0 3 2 +1 5
Birmingham City 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 4
Bristol Academy 3 0 0 3 2 7 −5 0
  ARS BIR BRI LIN
Arsenal — 2–1 4–2 —
Birmingham City — — — 1–1
Bristol Academy — 0–2 — 0–1
Lincoln Ladies 1–1 — — —

Group 2

Team Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Liverpool 3 2 1 0 6 1 +5 7
Everton 3 2 1 0 6 3 +3 7
Doncaster Rovers Belles 3 0 1 2 2 5 −3 1
Chelsea 3 0 1 2 2 7 −5 1
  CHE DON EVE LIV
Chelsea — — — 0–4
Doncaster RB 1–1 — 1–3 —
Everton 2–1 — — —
Liverpool — 1–0 1–1 —

Knockout stage

Semi-finals Final
8 August – Borehamwood
 Arsenal 4  
 Everton 0  
 
4 October – Barnet
     Arsenal 2
   Lincoln Ladies 0
7 August – Widnes
 Liverpool 1 (2)
 Lincoln Ladies (pen.) 1 (4)  

References

  1. ↑ "Manchester City to compete in WSL top tier after restructure". BBC Sport. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  2. ↑ "WSL: Liverpool Ladies to play at Stobart Stadium". BBC. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  3. ↑ "Lincoln Ladies in deal to play home games at Sincil Bank". Lincolnshire Echo. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  4. ↑ "FA Charge Arsenal Ladies". London: http://www.fawsl.com. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013. External link in |publisher= (help)
  5. ↑ "2013 Goal scorers". women.soccerway.com.
  6. ↑ "the stats". fawsl.com.
  7. ↑ "Back-to-back doubles". thefa.com. 4 October 2013.

External links

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