| Season | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Liverpool |
← 2013 2015 → | |
The 2014 FA WSL was the fourth season of the FA WSL, the top-level women's football league of England. The season began on 30 March and ended on 12 October.[1]
Liverpool L.F.C. are the defending champions from the 2013 FA WSL. The top two teams qualify for the 2015–16 UEFA Women's Champions League.[2]
Beginning in the 2014 season, the WSL added a second division, the WSL 2. Because the divisions are interconnected, WSL 1 teams face the risk of relegation for the first time in the league's history. There is, however, no connection to the third level Women's Premier League, so WSL 2 teams cannot be relegated.[3] WSL 1 consists of eight teams while the WSL 2 is made up of ten.
Starting places in both divisions were granted based on applications sent in by clubs, so Manchester City were able to enter its newly created women's team directly into the WSL 1. The governing body announced it will partially fund teams in the league, awarding £70,000 to clubs in WSL1 and £23,000 in WSL2.[4]
| Team | Location | Ground | Manufacturer | Sponsors | 2013 WSL finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Borehamwood | Meadow Park | Nike | Emirates | 3rd |
| Birmingham City | Solihull | Damson Park | Sondico | Hollywood Monster | 4th |
| Bristol Academy | Filton | Stoke Gifford Stadium | Bristol Sports | DAS | 2nd |
| Chelsea | Staines | Wheatsheaf Park | Adidas | Samsung | 7th |
| Manchester City | Manchester | Academy Stadium | Nike | Etihad Airways | 12/13 Women's Premier League, 4th (promoted) |
| Everton | Widnes | Halton Stadium | Nike | Chang Beer | 5th |
| Liverpool | Widnes | Halton Stadium | Warrior | Standard Chartered | 1st |
| Notts County Ladies | Nottingham | Meadow Lane | Fila | Pinnacle | 6th |
| Team | Location | Ground | Manufacturer | Sponsors | last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | Sutton Coldfield | Trevor Brown Memorial Ground | Macron | dafabet | 12/13 FA Women's Premier League, 6th |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | Doncaster | Keepmoat Stadium | Jako | BPP University | 2013 WSL, 8th |
| Durham | Durham | New Ferens Park | Hummel | Wood Estate Agents | new team |
| London Bees | Canons Park | The Hive Stadium | Jako | Stanmore College | 12/13 FA Women's Premier League, 10th (as Barnet FC) |
| Millwall Lionesses | London | Champion Hill | Protime Sports | BT Sport | 12/13 Women's Premier 2nd Level South, 2nd |
| Oxford United | Oxford | Rover Cowley Sports Ground | Nike | Polythene UK | 12/13 Women's Combination South-West, 1st |
| Reading | Tadley | Barlow's Park | Puma | Waitrose | 12/13 Women's Premier 2nd Level South, 1st |
| Sunderland | Hetton-le-Hole | Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground | Adidas | Bidvest | 12/13 FA Women's Premier League, 1st |
| Watford | Berkhamsted | Broadwater | Puma | McGinley Support Services | 12/13 FA Women's Premier League, 2nd |
| Yeovil Town | Sherborne | Raleigh Grove | Sondico | Quaedam Yeovil Shopping | 12/13 Women's Premier 2nd Level South, 3rd |
| Season | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Liverpool 2nd WSL title |
| Relegated | Everton |
| Matches played | 56 |
| Goals scored | 139 (2.48 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Karen Carney (8 goals)[5] |
| Biggest home win | Bristol Academy 5–2 Everton (23 August 2014) Chelsea 5–2 Everton (5 October 2014) Liverpool 3–0 Bristol Academy[1] (12 October 2014) |
| Biggest away win | Manchester City 0–4 Arsenal[1] (24 August 2014) |
| Highest scoring | Bristol Academy 5–2 Everton (23 August 2014) Bristol Academy 3–4 Arsenal[1] (20 September 2014) Chelsea 5–2 Everton (5 October 2014) |
| Longest winning run | 4 games Chelsea |
| Longest unbeaten run | 7 games Birmingham City |
| Longest winless run | 14 games Everton |
| Longest losing run | 5 games Everton |
| Total attendance | 39,519[6] |
| Average attendance | 719[6] |
← 2013 2015 → | |
Liverpool retained the title on goal difference, after they and Chelsea finished level on 26 points.[7] Everton were relegated to the WSL 2 for the 2015 season after 21 years as a top flight club.[8]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool (C) | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 26 | Qualification to Champions League |
| 2 | Chelsea | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 16 | +7 | 26 | |
| 3 | Birmingham City | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 25 | |
| 4 | Arsenal | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 21 | +3 | 21 | |
| 5 | Manchester City | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 16 | −3 | 19 | |
| 6 | Notts County | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 18 | |
| 7 | Bristol Academy | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 24 | −6 | 16 | |
| 8 | Everton | 14 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 30 | −20 | 4 | Relegation to FA WSL 2 |
| Home \ Away | ARS | BIR | BRI | CHE | EVE | LIV | MCI | NTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | |
| Birmingham City | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | |
| Bristol Academy | 3–4 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 5–2 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 0–2 | |
| Chelsea | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 5–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | |
| Everton | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 0–2 | |
| Liverpool | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | |
| Manchester City | 0–4 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | |
| Notts County | 1–1 | 0–1 | awd[a] | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 |
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals[5][9] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karen Carney | Birmingham City | 8 |
| 2 | Jessica Clarke | Notts County | 6 |
| 3 | Eniola Aluko | Chelsea | 5 |
| Yūki Ōgimi | Chelsea | ||
| Jordan Nobbs | Arsenal | ||
| Nikita Parris | Everton | ||
| Casey Stoney | Arsenal | ||
| Nicola Watts | Bristol Academy | ||
| 9 | Danielle Carter | Arsenal | 4 |
| Kirsty Linnett | Birmingham City | ||
| Natalia Pablos | Bristol Academy | ||
| Kelly Smith | Arsenal |
| Season | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Sunderland |
| Promoted | Sunderland |
| Matches played | 90 |
| Goals scored | 308 (3.42 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Fran Kirby (24 goals)[5] |
| Biggest home win | Doncaster Rovers Belles 7–0 London Bees[1] (9 August 2014) |
| Biggest away win | London Bees 0–9 Doncaster Rovers Belles[1] (26 October 2014) |
| Highest scoring | London Bees 1–9 Reading[1] (5 October 2014) |
| Longest winning run | 7 games Doncaster Rovers Belles |
| Longest unbeaten run | 15 games Sunderland |
| Longest winless run | 9 games London Bees |
| Longest losing run | 7 games London Bees |
2015 → | |
The Doncaster Rovers Belles challenged for promotion until the final day, due to a 2-1 win over Sunderland.[10] Sunderland won the inaugural WSL 2 on the final day, with a 4-0 win over Millwall Lionesses.[11]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland (C) | 18 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 47 | 15 | +32 | 47 | Promotion to FA WSL 1 |
| 2 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 56 | 14 | +42 | 45 | |
| 3 | Reading | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 60 | 21 | +39 | 41 | |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 25 | 26 | −1 | 30 | |
| 5 | Yeovil Town | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 26 | +1 | 22 | |
| 6 | Durham | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 32 | −13 | 18 | |
| 7 | Watford | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 22 | 37 | −15 | 18 | |
| 8 | Millwall Lionesses | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 36 | −16 | 15 | |
| 9 | Oxford United | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 44 | −28 | 12 | |
| 10 | London Bees | 18 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 57 | −41 | 8 |
| Home \ Away | AST | DON | DUR | LON | MIL | OXF | REA | SUN | WAT | YEO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | 0–2 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | 6–1 | 2–0 | 7–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 5–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
| Durham Women | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 2–4 | 1–2 | 1–1 | |
| London Bees | 0–1 | 0–9 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–9 | 0–3 | 4–5 | 0–2 | |
| Millwall Lionesses | 2–3 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 0–4 | 1–0 | 3–1 | |
| Oxford United | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | |
| Reading | 3–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | |
| Sunderland | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | |
| Watford | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | |
| Yeovil Town | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 0–3 |
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals[5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fran Kirby | Reading | 24 |
| 2 | Beth Mead | Sunderland | 13 |
| 3 | Lauren Bruton | Reading | 11 |
| Sue Smith | Doncaster Rovers Belles | ||
| Sarah Wiltshire | Watford Yeovil Town | ||
| 6 | Keira Ramshaw | Sunderland | 10 |
| Courtney Sweetman-Kirk | Doncaster Rovers Belles | ||
| 8 | Bethany England | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 8 |
| 9 | Millie Bright | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 7 |
| 10 | Rachel Furness | Sunderland | 6 |
| Katie Wilkinson | Aston Villa | ||
| Jo Wilson | Watford |
The 2014 edition of the FA WSL Cup sees 18 teams play for the title. Teams are divided into three groups of six. The group winners plus the best runners-up advance to the semi-finals. Arsenal are the defending champions. The cup is played along with the season, the first matches are held on 30 April 2014.[12][13][14]
Arsenal advanced as best runners-up, having more points than the other second placed teams.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CHE | ARS | WAT | MIL | REA | LON | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 5 | +17 | 12 | Advance to Knockout stage | — | — | — | 2–0 | — | 13–0 | |
| 2 | Arsenal | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 2 | +15 | 12 | 3–0 | — | 3–0 | — | — | 7–0 | ||
| 3 | Watford | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 6 | 1–2 | — | — | 1–5 | — | — | ||
| 4 | Millwall Lionesses | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 5 | — | 0–4 | — | — | 1–1 | — | ||
| 5 | Reading[a] | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 4 | 1–2 | 2–0 | AWD[b] | — | — | — | ||
| 6 | London Bees | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 31 | −29 | 1 | — | — | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–8 | — |
| London Bees | 0–0 | Millwall Lionesses |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Attendance: 438
| Reading | 1–2 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
 84' |
Attendance: 224
Referee: Antony Foster
| Arsenal | 3–0 | Watford |
|---|---|---|
76' 86' |
Report |
Attendance: 509
Referee: Paul Johnson
| Millwall Lionesses | 1–1 | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Attendance: 210
Referee: Nigel Lugg
| Watford | 1–5 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
25' (pen.) 28' 42', 51' |
Attendance: 232
Referee: Wayne Cartmel
| London Bees | 1–3 | Watford |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
45' 89' |
Attendance: 427
Referee: Paul Forrester
| Chelsea | 4–0 | Millwall Lionesses |
|---|---|---|
45' 75', 84' |
Report |
Attendance: 305
Referee: Reuben Simon
| Reading | 2–0 | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
35' |
Report |
Attendance: 387
Referee: Daniel Berry
| Watford | 1–2 | Millwall Lionesses |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
80' |
Attendance: 194
Referee: Tim Donnellan
| London Bees | 1–8 | Reading |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
46', 64' 74', 88' 75' 82' |
Attendance: 496
Referee: Stephen Bates
| Arsenal | 3–0 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
|
68' |
Report |
Attendance: 615
Referee: Dan Cook
| Arsenal | 7–0 | London Bees |
|---|---|---|
3', 68' 25' 57' 84', 88' |
Report 1 Report 2 |
Attendance: 271
Referee: Tim Donnellan
| Reading | Cancelled | Watford |
|---|---|---|
Attendance: NA
Referee: NA
| Millwall Lionesses | 0–4 | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
31', 90+1' 43' |
Attendance: 225
Referee: Stuart Franklin
| Chelsea | 13–0 | London Bees |
|---|---|---|
11', 45' 28', 37' 29', 55', 64' 40' 53' 69', 81' 88' |
Report 1 Report 2 |
Attendance: 267
Referee: Paul Johnson
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MCI | LIV | EVE | DON | SUN | DUR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 12 | Advance to Knockout stage | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | — | 2–0 | — | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 5 | +12 | 10 | — | — | 0–0 | 3–2 | 6–0 | — | ||
| 3 | Everton | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 10 | — | — | — | 3–1 | — | 3–0 | ||
| 4 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 6 | 2–1 | — | — | — | 0–2 | — | ||
| 5 | Sunderland | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 6 | — | — | 0–2 | — | — | 3–0 | ||
| 6 | Durham | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 19 | −17 | 0 | 0–3 | 1–7 | — | 1–3 | — | — |
| Liverpool | 0–0 | Everton |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Attendance: 770
Referee: Craig Buxton
| Sunderland | 3–0 | Durham |
|---|---|---|
50' 90' (o.g.) |
Report |
Attendance: 393
Referee: Paul Brown
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | 2–1 | Manchester City |
|---|---|---|
55' |
Report |
|
Attendance: 308
Referee: Anthony Tankard
| Liverpool | 6–0 | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
19' 21', 25', 62' 75' |
Report |
Attendance: 403
Referee: Nick Gibbons
| Manchester City | 1–0 | Everton |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Attendance: 1,462
Referee: Richard Holmes
| Durham | 1–3 | Doncaster Rovers Belles |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
62' 88' |
Attendance: 156
Referee: Lindsey Robinson
| Manchester City | 2–1 | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
52' |
Report |
|
Attendance: 746
Referee: Elizabeth Jane Simms
| Everton | 3–0 | Durham |
|---|---|---|
49' 86' |
Report |
Attendance: 331
Referee: Steve Rudd
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | 0–2 | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
25' |
Attendance: 321
Referee: Andrew Park
| Durham | 1–7 | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
50' 65', 69' 82', 84' |
Attendance: 339
Referee: Marc Edwards
| Manchester City | 2–0 | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
78' |
Report |
Attendance: 670
Referee: Paul Graham
| Everton | 3–1 | Doncaster Rovers Belles |
|---|---|---|
40' 68' |
Report |
Attendance: 288
Referee: David McNamara
| Liverpool | 3–2 | Doncaster Rovers Belles |
|---|---|---|
14' |
Report |
81' |
Attendance: 402
Referee: Justin Hayes
| Sunderland | 0–2 | Everton |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
76' |
Attendance: 323
Referee: John Matthews
| Durham | 0–3 | Manchester City |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
38' 83' |
Attendance: 379
Referee: Matthew Dicicco
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | NTC | BRI | BIR | YEO | AST | OXF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notts County | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 1 | +15 | 13 | Advance to Knockout stage | — | 1–1 | — | — | 5–0 | — | |
| 2 | Bristol Academy | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 4 | +13 | 11 | — | — | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | 9–2 | ||
| 3 | Birmingham City | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 9 | 0–2 | 0–5 | — | — | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 | Yeovil Town | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 7 | 0–4 | — | 1–2 | — | 2–0 | — | ||
| 5 | Aston Villa | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 3 | — | — | 0–2 | — | — | 1–0 | ||
| 6 | Oxford United | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 18 | −16 | 0 | 0–4 | — | — | 0–2 | — | — |
| Notts County | 5–0 | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
20', 76' 24' |
Report |
Attendance: 847
Referee: Stuart Richardson
| Yeovil Town | 1–2 | Birmingham City |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
41' |
Attendance: 168
Referee: Glenn Barter
| Bristol Academy | 9–2 | Oxford United Ladies |
|---|---|---|
16', 23' 67', 74', 77' 84' |
Report |
59' |
Attendance: 723
Referee: Kevin Morris
| Yeovil Town | 2–0 | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
27' |
Report |
Attendance: 181
Referee: Stephen Fearnley
| Notts County | 1–1 | Bristol Academy |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 501
Referee: James Bell
| Aston Villa | 0–2 | Birmingham City |
|---|---|---|
14' |
Attendance: 602
Referee: Amy Rayner Fearn
| Bristol Academy | 0–0 | Yeovil Town |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Attendance: 763
Referee: Lee Sheridan
| Oxford United | 0–4 | Notts County |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
49', 70' 72' |
Attendance: 286
Referee: Sian Piret
| Birmingham City | 2–0 | Oxford United |
|---|---|---|
75' |
Report |
Attendance: 254
Referee: Sian Massey
| Bristol Academy | 2–1 | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
72' |
Report |
|
Attendance: 524
Referee: Simon Shaw
| Oxford United | 0–2 | Yeovil Town |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
49' |
Attendance: 198
Referee: Ben James
| Birmingham City | 0–2 | Notts County |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
90+4' |
Attendance: 481
Referee: Akil Howson
| Yeovil Town | 0–4 | Notts County |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
54', 63' |
Attendance: 243
Referee: Adrian Quelch
| Aston Villa | 1–0 | Oxford United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Attendance: 235
Referee: Sarah Garratt
| Birmingham City | 0–5 | Bristol Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
37', 50', 90' |
Attendance: 331
Referee: Dumitru-Ravel Cheosiaua
Semi-finals were drawn after the group stage and not predetermined. All teams play in the WSL 1. Arsenal reached their fourth final in as many years and meet Manchester City.[16]
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||
| ||||||
| 7 September | |||||
| ||||||
| Arsenal (a.e.t.) | 2 | ||||
| 16 October | |||||
| Notts County | 0 | ||||
| Arsenal | 0 | ||||
| 7 September | |||||
| Manchester City | 1 | ||||
| Chelsea | 0 | ||||
| ||||||
| Manchester City | 1 | ||||
| ||||||
| Arsenal | 2–0 (a.e.t.) | Notts County Ladies |
|---|---|---|
117' (pen.) |
Report |
Attendance: 692
Referee: Ian Fissenden
| Manchester City | 1–0 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Attendance: 752
Referee: Helen Byrne
Wycombe Wanderers' Adams Park was to stage the final match. The match was broadcast live on BT Sport.[17][18][19]
| Arsenal | 0–1 | Manchester City |
|---|---|---|
| Report Report (1) | 73' Isobel Christiansen |
Attendance: 3,697[20]
Referee: Nigel Lugg[20]
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasons |
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| Clubs |
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| Competition |
| ||||
| Awards |
| ||||
| Associated competitions |
| ||||
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|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
« 2012–13 2014–15 » | |||||
| League competitions |
| ||||
| Cup competitions |
| ||||
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« 2013–14 2015–16 » | |||||||||
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