CROYDON CRAM END OF TERM FIXTURES TO CLINCH DOUBLE
In only their second season as a Premier League top flight club, Croydon pulled off a mighty 1995-96 League and Cup double in what was a frantic end-of-term match schedule.
After beating Liverpool in a penalty shoot-out to lift the FA Cup in late April, Debbie Bampton’s team had to battle their way through five matches in 10 days to lift the National Division crown.
Postponements of games earlier in the season had led to the fixture pile-up and, said star striker Kerry Davis as she looked back on the campaign, “We were forced by the FA to have our season finished by a certain date.
“We were second in the table below Donny (Doncaster Belles) and although we had five games in hand on them we were 13 points behind and so it was a big ask,” added Davis, who had been signed by player-manager Bampton mid-way through the previous season and played a key role in the sparkling double campaign.
As they set out on the big ask, fixtures on consecutive days against Ilkeston Town and Everton were won to set up a three games in four days finish – crucially against the Belles before outings against Liverpool and, finally, reigning champions Arsenal.
“I suppose you’d have to say that beating Donny was key,” said Davis, “but after that game at our place (won 3-1) we had to go up to Liverpool the next day and only got a (1-1) draw.”
Four points from those two matches meant that – with Doncaster having finished their match schedule and sitting three points clear at the top of the table – Croydon had to beat the Gunners at home to win the League on goal difference.
“It was an evening game and I had to rush there from work,” remembered Davis, whose full-time job at the time was in a sports shop. “We were without Debbie who was injured, and to make it even harder for us we lost (captain) Hope Powell when she dislocated her shoulder half-way through the match.
“Arsenal went one-up and we had to dig deep. In those situations I’d always fight tooth and nail, leave everything on the pitch, that would be my motto. We really battled and I got the equaliser, then Brenda Sempare scored the winner – and what a feeling it was to finish the season with two trophies in a fantastic last few weeks.”
The 2-1 victory over Arsenal meant that Croydon pipped Doncaster to the title thanks to a goal difference three better than the Belles’.
The final whistle that signalled the clinching of the League title was a sweet moment for Bampton, and not just for the fact that the double was done. During the game she had noticed a familiar face in the crowd – Doncaster captain and England colleague Gill Coultard. “She came all that way thinking, you know, if Arsenal beat us then Belles win (the League),” said Bampton wryly.
After the match the celebrating Croydon players also noticed Coultard, who recalled in a ‘She Kicks’ magazine interview: “Yeah, I was in the crowd,” adding with a chuckle, “they gave me a bit of stick – when they scored they all ran up to me!”
While Croydon won the League without losing a single match, bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers – after just two seasons in the top flight following their promotion from the Northern Division - were relegated after losing every one of their games.
FINAL TABLE
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Croydon | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 58 | 17 | 44 | +39 |
| 2 | Doncaster Belles | 18 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 57 | 19 | 44 | +36 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 13 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 54 | 12 | 37 | +42 |
| 4 | Everton | 18 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 44 | 40 | 31 | +4 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 18 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 36 | 27 | 29 | +9 |
| 6 | Wembley | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 43 | 21 | 26 | +22 |
| 7 | Millwall Lionesses | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 32 | 18 | -12 |
| 8 | Ilkeston Town | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 21 | 46 | 15 | -25 |
| 9 | Villa Aztecs | 18 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 22 | 51 | 13 | -29 |
| 10 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 18 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 8 | 98 | 0 | -88 |
FACT: This was the season following England’s first-ever appearance at a Women’s World Cup yet only 27 fans turned out for Croydon’s opening game, to see a side packed full of internationals. (Source: Sunday Kicks Issue 8 Nov ‘95)
FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE NATIONAL DIVISION RESULTS 1995-96
2/9/1995
Liverpool 0-6 Arsenal
3/9/1995
Doncaster Belles 3-0 Wembley
Millwall Lionesses 4-0 Villa Aztecs
Everton 4-6 Croydon
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Ilkeston Town
10/9/1995
Arsenal 1-2 Doncaster Belles
Croydon 7-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Villa Aztecs 1-0 Liverpool
Wembley 3-3 Everton
17/9/1995
Arsenal 7-0 Ilkeston Town
Liverpool 1-0 Everton
Millwall Lionesses 1-4 Wembley
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-5 Villa Aztecs
Doncaster Belles 2-2 Croydon
1/10/1995
Everton 0-2 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Ilkeston Town Rangers 1-6 Croydon
Villa Aztecs 3-1 Arsenal
Wembley 0-1 Liverpool
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Millwall Lionesses
8/10/1995
Croydon 2-2 Wembley
Doncaster Belles 3-1 Liverpool
Ilkeston Town Rangers 2-2 Villa Aztecs
Millwall Lionesses 0-3 Everton
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-5 Arsenal
15/10/1995
Arsenal 6-0 Everton
Croydon 5-0 Millwall Lionesses
Liverpool 3-3 Ilkeston Town Rangers
Villa Aztecs 1-2 Doncaster Belles
Wembley 8-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
22/10/1995
Arsenal 1-1 Croydon
Everton 3-2 Ilkeston Town Rangers
Millwall Lionesses 1-6 Doncaster Belles
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-6 Liverpool
Villa Aztecs 2-1 Wembley
5/11/1995
Arsenal 2-0 Millwall Lionesses
Croydon 2-0 Liverpool
Doncaster Belles 8-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Everton 3-1 Villa Aztecs
Ilkeston Town Rangers 3-0 Wembley
12/11/1995
Ilkeston Town Rangers 0-3 Doncaster Belles
Liverpool 3-0 Millwall Lionesses
Villa Aztecs 1-4 Croydon
Wembley 0-1 Arsenal
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-8 Everton
26/11/1995
Doncaster Belles 7-2 Everton
9/12/1995
Arsenal 3-0 Liverpool
10/12/1995
Wembley 2-1 Doncaster Belles
7/1/1996
Ilkeston Town Rangers 0-3 Arsenal
Villa Aztecs 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
14/1/1996
Ilkeston Town Rangers 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Villa Aztecs 1-2 Everton
18/2/1996
Villa Aztecs 0-3 Millwall Lionesses
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-6 Wembley
25/2/1996
Liverpool 4-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Notts County 3-1 Bronte
3/3/1996
Liverpool 7-0 Villa Aztecs
Millwall Lionesses 0-0 Arsenal
Wembley 4-0 Ilkeston Town Rangers
10/3/1996
Everton 2-1 Liverpool
Ilkeston Town Rangers 1-1 Millwall Lionesses
17/3/1996
Everton 6-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Villa Aztecs 1-2 Ilkeston Town Rangers
24/3/1996
Doncaster Belles 3-1 Ilkeston Town Rangers
Millwall Lionesses 5-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wembley 7-2 Villa Aztecs
27/3/1996
Wembley 0-0 Millwall Lionesses
31/3/1996
Doncaster Belles 2-0 Villa Aztecs
Ilkeston Town Rangers 1-0 Liverpool
3/4/1996
Wembley 0-0 Croydon
7/4/1996
Croydon 3-0 Villa Aztecs
Doncaster Belles 4-0 Millwall Lionesses
Ilkeston Town 2-3 Everton
Liverpool 3-2 Wembley
10/4/1996
Wembley 0-0 Arsenal
14/4/1996
Doncaster Belles 2-2 Arsenal
Everton 2-1 Wembley
Ilkeston Town 0-1 Millwall Lionesses
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-8 Croydon
20/4/1996
Arsenal 9-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
21/4/1996
Arsenal 4-1 Villa Aztecs
Liverpool FC Ladies 2-3 Doncaster Belles
25/4/1996
Millwall Lionesses 0-1 Croydon
27/4/1996
Everton 1-2 Arsenal
28/4/1996
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-3 Doncaster Belles
5/5/1996
Croydon 3-1 Ilkeston Town
Millwall Lionesses 1-2 Liverpool
6/5/1996
Croydon 2-1 Everton
11/5/1996
Croydon 3-1 Doncaster Belles
12/5/1996
Liverpool 1-1 Croydon
14/5/96
Croydon 2-1 Arsenal
