REMARKABLE ROYALS MAKE ASCENT AT FIRST ATTEMPT
An exciting and sometimes frantic final two months of the 1998-99 season saw Whitehawk, Three Bridges and newcomers Reading Royals vying for the Southern Division crown and with all three in genuine contention.
Whitehawk had established a commanding early lead and, following a 4-1 triumph at Ipswich Town on 7th March, they were 10 points clear at the top. Typically, the south coast side’s prolific strikeforce of Emma Mead and Angela Banks – who went on to share top scorer status with 19 goals each – had hit two apiece.
That early spring game also marked the date that Ipswich completed their 18-match programme. Fortunately for the Tractor Girls, while their fixture-efficiency was not matched by positive results and they finished in bottom place, they retained their spot in the Southern Division due to the planned increase of the number of teams at that level from 10 to 12 for the 1999-2000 campaign.
Meanwhile, Reading Royals were playing catch-up on Whitehawk and Brighton & Hove Albion. They had games in hand and were rather ominously banging in the goals. An 8-2 win against Wimbledon included a notable first-half double hat-trick for the diminutive Cathy Prowse, who was then substituted in the 47th minute – after her seventh goal!
Come the start of April, Whitehawk extended their unbeaten run to 14 games, drawing with fierce local rivals Brighton 1-1. Just days later, however, their charge for promotion was turned on its head by visiting upstarts Reading. The Royals won 2-0, both inflicting Whitehawk’s first defeat and boldly entering the title race.
Three Bridges were also in the mix to reach the top level at this stage, but they needed to win all of their remaining matches. Several twists and turns followed during the run-in. Reading looked to have ‘blown it' by losing at Wimbledon, but then Whitehawk lost a midweek game at home to Three Bridges, who later dropped two points at Barnet.
The key results were Reading’s dramatic 2-1 injury-time win against Whitehawk on the same Sunday that Three Bridges lost 2-1 to Leyton Orient. The Royals then finally extinguished Three Bridges’ hopes with a 4-0 win on a hot, sunny May Bank Holiday weekend next to the River Thames.
A week later their stunning success was confirmed at Reading Town (Men’s) FC’s Scours Lane Stadium, where Leila Dickinson (penalty) and Sarah Stradley struck to beat Orient 2-1. Despite the nerves of the afternoon, especially when the O’s pulled one back through Nicki Wilkinson with two minutes remaining, the Royals held firm and registered a remarkable achievement of gaining promotion at their very first attempt.
Cardiff City and Wembley Mill Hill were promoted from the South West and South East Combination leagues for the 1999-2000 season. The two relegated National Division sides were Midlands and Northern-based and so Berkhamsted Town were transferred back to the Southern Division.
FINAL TABLE
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading Royals | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 59 | 21 | 41 | +38 |
| 2 | Whitehawk | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 56 | 15 | 39 | +41 |
| 3 | Three Bridges | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 35 | 27 | 35 | +8 |
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 35 | 21 | 33 | +14 |
| 5 | Wimbledon | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 41 | 45 | 28 | -4 |
| 6 | Barry Town | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 26 | -6 |
| 7 | Langford | 18 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 34 | 27 | 23 | +7 |
| 8 | Barnet | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 28 | 52 | 15 | -24 |
| 9 | Leyton Orient | 18 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 24 | 58 | 11 | -34 |
| 10 | Ipswich Town | 18 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 22 | 62 | 6 | -40 |
FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIVISION RESULTS 1998-99
6/9/1998
Barnet 3-3 Barry Town
Langford 4-0 Wimbledon
Leyton Orient 3-2 Ipswich Town
Reading Royals 3-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Three Bridges 2-3 Whitehawk
13/9/1998
Barry Town 0-2 Three Bridges
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 Barnet
Ipswich Town 0-6 Reading Royals
Langford 5-2 Leyton Orient
Wimbledon 1-1 Whitehawk
20/9/1998
Barnet 2-3 Ipswich Town
Leyton Orient 4-8 Wimbledon
Reading Royals 0-2 Langford
Three Bridges 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Whitehawk 6-0 Barry Town
4/10/1998
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 Ipswich Town
Three Bridges 4-1 Reading Royals
Whitehawk 4-0 Leyton Orient
Wimbledon 1-4 Barnet
11/10/1998
Barnet 1-1 Whitehawk
Ipswich Town 1-4 Langford
Leyton Orient 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Reading Royals 1-1 Barry Town
Wimbledon 1-4 Three Bridges
18/10/1998
Barry Town 3-0 Ipswich Town
Reading Royals 6-0 Barnet
15/11/1998
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-4 Whitehawk
22/11/1998
Langford 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Reading Royals 7-1 Leyton Orient
Three Bridges 5-3 Ipswich Town
29/11/1998
Barry Town 1-3 Reading Royals
Langford 3-1 Ipswich Town
13/12/1998
Ipswich Town 1-3 Barnet
20/12/1998
Barnet 0-4 Wimbledon
Ipswich Town1-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Langford 0-1 Barry Town
3/1/1999
Ipswich Town 1-2 Three Bridges
10/1/1999
Barry Town 1-0 Leyton Orient
Whitehawk 6-0 Barnet
Wimbledon 4-0 Ipswich Town
17/1/1999
Ipswich Town 1-2 Barry Town
24/1/1999
Barry Town 2-1 Barnet
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Reading Royals
Ipswich Town 3-2 Leyton Orient
7/2/1999
Whitehawk 6-2 Ipswich Town
14/2/1999
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 Wimbledon
Leyton Orient 1-5 Whitehawk
Three Bridges 3-1 Barnet
21/2/1999
Ipswich Town 0-3 Wimbledon
Langford 0-1 Whitehawk
28/2/1999
Barry Town 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Langford 6-0 Barnet
Leyton Orient 1-1 Three Bridges
Reading Royals 4-0 Ipswich Town
Whitehawk 4-0 Wimbledon
7/3/1999
Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 Leyton Orient
Ipswich Town 1-4 Whitehawk
14/3/1999
Leyton Orient 3-2 Barnet
Reading Royals 8-2 Wimbledon
Three Bridges 1-0 Langford
21/3/1999
Barnet 2-3 Reading Royals
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Barry Town
Wimbledon 4-1 Leyton Orient
28/3/1999
Barry Town 1-2 Wimbledon
Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 Three Bridges
Whitehawk 7-0 Langford
1/4/1999
Whitehawk 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
4/4/1999
Three Bridges 1-0 Langford
Whitehawk 0-2 Reading Royals
Wimbledon 1-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Leyton Orient 0-0 Barry Town
7/4/1999
Wimbledon 3-2 Langford
11/4/1999
Barnet 2-0 Leyton Orient
Barry Town 0-2 Whitehawk
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Langford
Wimbledon 4-3 Reading Royals
14/4/1999
Whitehawk 0-1 Three Bridges
18/4/1999
Barnet 2-2 Three Bridges
Langford 0-3 Reading Royals
Wimbledon 2-0 Barry Town
22/4/1999
Barnet 3-2 Langford
25/4/1999
Barnet 0-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Reading Royals 2-1 Whitehawk
Three Bridges 1-2 Leyton Orient
28/4/1999
Three Bridges 3-1 Wimbledon
2/5/1999
Leyton Orient 1-5 Langford
Reading Royals 4-0 Three Bridges
9/5/1999
Reading Royals 2-1 Leyton Orient
Three Bridges 2-3 Barry Town
16/5/1999
Barry Town 1-0 Langford
