THE SAINTS GO MARCHING BACK – TO THE TOP FLIGHT

Relegated from the Premier League’s National Division after just one season following their 1995-96 promotion, Southampton Saints made a rapid return to the top flight on the back of a Southern Division campaign which they went through without a single defeat.

Twelve wins and six draws in the 18-match schedule saw the Saints finish four points clear of Brighton & Hove Albion, who for the second season in succession had to settle for the runners-up spot after faltering during a key run of matches in the second half of the campaign.

Heading into February the Seagulls were flying high at the top of the table after winning eight successive outings. But a 4-0 defeat by Southampton began a run that saw Albion take only two points from four games as their bid for promotion faltered badly.

Saints took full advantage, maintaining their consistency throughout the remainder of the season to end it as worthy winners and clinch their place back in the National Division.

The team’s joy of their achievement contrasted sharply with the relegation heartbreak of the previous campaign, in which England international-to-be Rachel Stowell (nee McArthur) had endured rather than enjoyed her first season with Southampton after joining from Bristol City.

“We got battered every game,” recalled the then 19-year-old McArthur as she looked back on her time with the club. “We had so little possession in games that I was running but not touching the ball,” she added. “I was just a kid, I’d not really been coached and it was a real eye-opener for me.

“But in my second season when we were in the Southern Division I found my feet. I was switched from right wing-back into midfield and really enjoyed it – got a few goals too.

“A big help in that promotion year was the introduction of youngsters like Gemma Ritchie, Lisa Langrish and Katy Poore. They were all only 14 or 15 years old, but they added great energy and enthusiasm to the team and chipped in with quite a few goals between them.”

After this promotion Saints’ stay in the top flight would last for not just one but five seasons, the first of them highlighted with a memorable run to the FA Cup final. Sadly for the south coast club, a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal would mean having to settle for runners-up medals.

Back to 1997-98 and, as Southampton were heading back to the top tier of the women’s game, the Southern Division’s bottom of the table team Rushden & Diamonds were dropping out of the Premier League and would never return.

They had been founder members of the League under their previous name Town & County. In the early years they had been solid competitors, notably finishing as Southern Division runners-up to Bromley Borough (later Croydon, then Charlton Athletic) in 1993-94.

But they ended the following three seasons in the bottom four and finally, in what was their first campaign as Rushden & Diamonds, their demise was completed. 

FINAL TABLE

FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIVISION RESULTS 1997-98

7/9/1997
Barry Town 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Leyton Orient 1-1 Southampton Saints
Rushden & Diamonds 1-6 Wimbledon
Three Bridges 1-2 Langford
Whitehawk 2-1 Ipswich Town

14/9/1997
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 Wimbledon
Ipswich Town 1-1 Barry Town
Langford 1-1 Whitehawk
Leyton Orient 1-2 Three Bridges
Southampton Saints 6-1 Rushden & Diamonds

21/9/1997
Barry Town 3-1 Leyton Orient
Brighton & Hove Albion 5-1 Langford
Three Bridges 1-2 Southampton Saints
Whitehawk 7-0 Rushden & Diamonds
Wimbledon 3-2 Ipswich Town

28/9/1997
Ipswich Town 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Langford 2-5 Barry Town
Rushden & Diamonds 0-7 Three Bridges
Leyton Orient 2-2 Whitehawk 
Southampton Saints 2-1 Wimbledon

5/10/1997
Brighton & Hove Albion 5-0 Leyton Orient
Langford 3-1 Ipswich Town
Three Bridges 1-6 Wimbledon
Whitehawk 1-3 Southampton

12/10/1997
Ipswich Town 1-1 Southampton Saints
Rushden & Diamonds 1-11 Langford
Three Bridges 0-3 Brighton & Albion
Wimbledon 6-1 Leyton Orient

26/10/1997
Leyton Orient 3-2 Barry Town
Three Bridges 1-1 Ipswich Town

9/11/1997
Rushden & Diamonds 1-11 Ipswich Town

16/11/1997
Barry Town 2-2 Southampton Saints

23/11/1997
Langford 2-0 Three Bridges

7/12/1997
Wimbledon 5-4 Whitehawk

14/12/1997
Ipswich Town 1-2 Wimbledon
Rushden & Diamonds 1-16 Whitehawk

21/12/1997
Ipswich Town 1-2 Langford
Leyton Orient 0-5 Brighton & Hove Albion
Southampton Saints 1-1 Whitehawk
Wimbledon 4-0 Three Bridges

18/1/1998
Southampton Saints 1-0 Barry Town

25/1/1998
Barry Town 0-0 Langford
Brighton & Hove Albion 5-1 Ipswich Town

1/2/1998
Langford 1-4 Wimbledon
Leyton Orient 0-2 Ipswich Town
Rushden & Diamonds 1-10 Brighton & Hove Albion
Whitehawk 8-0 Leyton Orient

8/2/1998
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-4 Southampton Saints
Langford 1-0 Leyton Orient
Wimbledon 8-0 Rushden & Diamonds

15/2/1998
Southampton Saints 3-1 Leyton Orient
Whitehawk 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Wimbledon 3-3 Langford

22/2/1998
Ipswich Town 0-2 Whitehawk
Three Bridges 2-0 Barry Town

1/3/1998
Leyton 1-5 Wimbledon
Southampton Saints 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Whitehawk 2-0 Three Bridges

8/3/1998
Southampton Saints 4-0 Ipswich Town
Whitehawk 3-4 Langford

15/3/1998
Barry Town 2-2 Wimbledon
Leyton Orient 4-0 Rushden & Diamonds

22/3/1998
Ipswich Town 3-1 Leyton Orient
Langford 4-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Wimbledon 2-2 Barry Town

29/3/1998
Three Bridges 6-2 Leyton Orient
Wimbledon 1-2 Southampton Saints

5/4/1998
Whitehawk 2-3 Wimbledon

6/4/1998
Brighton & Hove Albion 17-0 Rushden & Diamonds

19/4/1998
Ipswich Town 2-1 Three Bridges

26/4/1998
Barry Town 2-3 Three Bridges
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-4 Whitehawk

30/4/1998
Wimbledon 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

3/5/1998
Barry Town 1-3 Whitehawk

4/5/1998
Whitehawk 7-2 Barry Town

5/5/1998
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 Barry Town

12/5/1998
Rushden & Diamonds 4-6 Leyton Orient

Dates not known
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 Three Bridges
Langford 9-0 Rushden & Diamonds
Langford 2-2 Southampton Saints
Ipswich Town 4-0 Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds 0-9 Southampton Saints
Southampton Saints 4-1 Langford
Southampton Saints 3-0 Three Bridges
Three Bridges 17-0 Rushden & Diamonds
Three Bridges 2-2 Whitehawk

Date nor score known
Barry Town v Ipswich Town