IT’S ADVANTAGE ARSENAL AS BARRY BOW OUT

Victories in the first three weeks of the season against the two teams most likely to challenge them, Doncaster Belles and Charlton Athletic, gave Arsenal an early advantage in the National Division title race. It was an advantage they never looked like losing. 

The Gunners won their first 13 games of the campaign’s 18-match schedule, faltering for the first time when they were held to a goalless draw at Brighton & Hove Albion in early April.

They were stunned a week or so later, however, going down 4-0 at Doncaster Belles. It was not only a defeat but also the heaviest Arsenal loss in a league game since the inception of the Women’s League – and the first time ever that they had conceded four goals in a league game.

Stunned though they may have been, the Gunners bounced back immediately to win all four of their remaining games, the last of them a 10-2 drubbing of Leeds United with Wales midfielder Jayne Ludlow hitting five of the goals.

Despite that dreadful end to the campaign for Leeds, who were playing for the first time in the top flight after promotion from the Northern Division, they had a respectable fourth place finish with Charlton Athletic third and Doncaster runners-up.

Sunderland and Barry Town, the bottom two clubs, were relegated and with contrasting fortunes awaiting them. Sunderland were to reclaim their top flight place through promotion from the Northern Division in 2005, but Barry folded during the 2003 close season.

They had begun life as Tongwynlais LFC in 1986 before changing their name to Barry Town in 1994. Three years later they became the first Welsh team to win promotion to the FA Women’s Premier League, reaching the top flight in 2000.

But following their 2003 relegation, player recruitment proved so difficult that the club was unable to continue. A Football Association statement said: "We are sad at the club's withdrawal from the League. They have been good ambassadors of the sport.”

While Barry were no more, their replacement in the top flight from the Southern Division was to be the juggernaut that was full-time professional outfit Fulham. The Cottagers had won the second tier with a 100 per cent record and an incredible goal difference of 234-6 in 22 matches. 

Arsenal’s two-season dominance of the National Division was set to be severely tested…

FINAL TABLE

FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE NATIONAL DIVISION RESULTS 2001-02 
 
19/8/2001 
Barry Town 3-3 Everton 
Brighton & Hove 1-0 Tranmere Rovers 
Doncaster Belles 5-1 Southampton Saints 
Leeds United 2-5 Arsenal 
Sunderland 1-4 Charlton Athletic 
 
26/8/2001 
Arsenal 4-1 Doncaster Belles 
Charlton Athletic 5-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Everton 1-0 Sunderland 
Southampton Saints 3-1 Barry Town 
Tranmere Rovers 3-3 Leeds United 
 
2/9/2001 
Arsenal 3-1 Southampton Saints 
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 Everton 
Doncaster Belles 6-0 Tranmere Rovers 
Sunderland 2-3 Barry Town 
 
9/9/2001 
Barry Town 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Charlton Athletic 3-4 Doncaster Belles 
Everton 0-0 Leeds United 
Southampton Saints 0-0 Sunderland 
 
16/9/2001 
Arsenal 3-1 Charlton Athletic 
Doncaster Belles 4-1 Everton 
Leeds United 3-0 Barry Town 
Sunderland 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Tranmere Rovers 3-0 Southampton Saints 
 
30/9/2001 
Barry Town 1-2 Tranmere Rovers 
Southampton Saints 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Sunderland 1-1 Leeds United 
 
7/10/2001 
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Barry Town 
Charlton Athletic 0-1 Southampton Saints 
Doncaster Belles 1-1 Sunderland 
Tranmere Rovers 2-3 Everton 
 
14/10/2001 
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-8 Doncaster Belles 
Everton 0-3 Charlton Athletic 
Southampton Saints 2-2 Leeds United 
Sunderland 0-3 Arsenal 
 
21/10/2001 
Charlton Athletic 5-2 Barry Town 
Doncaster Belles 3-1 Leeds United 
Southampton Saints 1-2 Everton 
 
28/10/2001 
Tranmere Rovers 4-1 Brighton & Hove Albion 
 
4/11/2001 
Everton 2-1 Southampton Saints 
 
11/11/2001 
Leeds United 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
 
18/11/2001 
Charlton Athletic 7-0 Sunderland 
 
2/12/2001 
Charlton Athletic 0-1 Leeds United 
Southampton Saints 0-3 Arsenal 
 
9/12/2001 
Arsenal 2-0 Tranmere Rovers 
Doncaster Belles 0-0 Charlton Athletic 
Leeds United 4-3 Everton 
 
16/12/2001 
Barry Town 1-3 Doncaster Belles 
Everton 0-1 Arsenal 
Leeds United 2-0 Charlton Athletic 
Tranmere Rovers 1-3 Sunderland 
 
13/1/2002 
Everton 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
 
20/1/2002 
Arsenal 4-2 Everton 
Leeds United 5-0 Sunderland 
Tranmere Rovers 1-1 Charlton Athletic 
 
10/2/2002 
Brighton & Hove 1-0 Sunderland 
 
17/2/2002 
Leeds United 1-2 Southampton Saints 
Charlton Athletic 2-1 Everton 
 
24/2/2002 
Barry Town 1-3 Leeds United 
Southampton Saints 0-0 Tranmere Rovers 
 
3/3/2002 
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 Southampton Saints 
 
10/3/2002 
Arsenal 6-0 Barry Town 
Leeds United 1-1 Doncaster Belles 
Sunderland 1-3 Southampton Saints 
 
13/3/2002 
Arsenal 3-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
 
17/3/2002 
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 Charlton Athletic 
Tranmere Rovers 1-5 Doncaster Belles 
 
31/3/2002 
Barry Town 2-2 Sunderland 
 
3/4/2002 
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Arsenal 
 
7/4/2002 
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Leeds United 
Everton 4-0 Barry Town 
Southampton Saints 0-3 Charlton Athletic 
Sunderland 2-4 Doncaster Belles 
Tranmere Rovers 1-5 Arsenal 
 
11/4/2002 
Doncaster Belles 4-0 Arsenal 
 
14/4/2002 
Barry Town 1-2 Charlton Athletic 
Doncaster Belles 4-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Sunderland 0-1 Tranmere Rovers 
 
18/4/2002 
Barry Town 0-1 Arsenal 
 
21/4/2002 
Arsenal 4-1 Sunderland 
Charlton Athletic 2-0 Tranmere Rovers 
Doncaster Belles 2-0 Barry Town 
 
25/4/2002 
Charlton Athletic 0-3 Arsenal 
 
26/4/2002 
Everton 0-4 Tranmere Rovers 
 
28/4/2002 
Southampton Saints 1-2 Doncaster Belles 
Tranmere Rovers 4-0 Barry Town 
 
11/5/2002 
Arsenal 9-2 Leeds United 
 
26/5/2002 
Everton 2-0 Doncaster Belles