ROBINS REALISE THEIR DREAMS

A much more closely-run Southern Division title race than the previous season, in which Bristol Rovers had been clear-cut winner by 17 points, saw Bristol City pip Southampton Saints by just one point at the summit, the Robins thus following their neighbours into the top flight. 

The 2003-04 campaign featured a slightly busier fixture schedule after South Wales side Merthyr Tydfil successfully appealed against being moved into the Northern Division – due to understandable travel concerns – and so the Southern section kicked off with 13 sides rather than 12.

Bristol City initially established a gap at the top of the table and headed into December unbeaten. They had gained the upper hand on fellow title chasers Southampton Saints in October, when they pulled off a stunning 2-1 win against them courtesy of stoppage time goals from Carly Bryant and Charlotte King. 

17-year-old King, who formed a prolific partnership with fellow forward Angela Tinson, went on to win the division’s Golden Boot with 21 goals. She later reflected to Fair Game Magazine that the strike that downed the Saint was her most memorable and important of the season: “We scored two in the last few minutes and I got the winner. From a corner there was a scramble in the area, I took the ball past a defender and volleyed it into the far corner.”

King was less enamoured by her finishing skills in their home game against Saints a few months later, however. “I missed a good first-half chance and we lost 3-0.” 

Southampton, under new manager Sue Lopez (who was also Director of Saints’ Girls Centre of Excellence and Academy) made a strong start, possessed a potent goalscorer in Kelly Baker, remained difficult to beat and were in contention throughout. Though a less pleasing result came against debutants Portsmouth, who conversely were thrilled to draw 1-1 and thus avoid defeat for the first time ever against their South coast rivals.

After flying out of the traps early doors, Chelsea engaged in a tussle for third place with Wimbledon. It was the Dons, who had made the switch to affiliate with AFC Wimbledon (and backed by the Dons Trust) in the summer and lost less points than Chelsea in draws, who won that mini battle.   

Below them, Langford demonstrated the often refreshingly cosmopolitan look of the Premier League by making a number of foreign signings. They included two Swedish students as well as Hana Kratochvilova, from the Czech Republic, who impressively scored four times on her debut.

After stumbling and stuttering through April with only two points from three matches, Jack Edgar’s Bristol City side emphatically returned to form in their last match to fire themselves into the top flight with a 6-0 defeat of AFC Wimbledon. King contributed a brace and Heidi Bevan also scored after five months on the sidelines. 

Robins’ 21-year-old captain Carly Bryant remarked to Women’s Soccer Scene, on their promotion: “We always leave it until the last minute! I’m on top of the world right now. It’s something you don’t really think about, but now it’s a dream come true – it’s what everyone wants. We’re going to go (into the top flight) and do the best we can.”

King added: “I’m very happy to have contributed, but at the end of the day it’s about the team. We’ve worked well as a unit, that’s why we get results. Our defence is rock solid and the midfield gets the ball to me." 

Unfortunately and despite a brave effort, the Martyrs from Merthyr could only draw 1-1 in their relegation six-pointer against Enfield (who had joined Enfield Town FC) and were relegated.    

They were joined by a battling Barnet side, who in March had been shocked by the departure of manager John Jones after he had been in charge for 23 years, right through their eras as District Line and Wembley Ladies before the name-change to Barnet. He was replaced by Tracey Kevins. 

In this same season Langford boss Dave Buey – who for many seasons had been the Southern Division’s representative on the FAWPL Committee – resigned after 13 years of service. 

FINAL TABLE

FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIVISION RESULTS 2003-04

17/8/2003 
Chelsea 2-1 AFC Wimbledon 
Ipswich Town 3-1 Millwall Lionesses 
Langford 5-0 Enfield Town 
Merthyr Tydfil 1-1 Barnet 
Portsmouth 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Southampton Saints 2-0 Watford  

24/8/2003
AFC Wimbledon 3-2 Ipswich Town 
Barnet 0-3 Southampton Saints 
Enfield Town 0-3 Chelsea 
Millwall Lionesses 1-2 Langford 
Portsmouth 1-2 Bristol City 
Watford 1-1 Merthyr Tydfil  

31/8/2003
AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Barnet
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Bristol City 
Langford 1-4 Chelsea 
Southampton Saints 2-1 Merthyr Tydfil 
Watford 2-2 Ipswich Town  

7/9/2003
Barnet 0-1 Watford 
Bristol City 4-2 Enfield Town 
Chelsea 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Ipswich Town 0-1 Southampton Saints 
Merthyr Tydfil 0-4 Langford 
Millwall Lionesses 1-0 AFC Wimbledon  

17/9/2003 
Bristol City 4-1 Merthyr Tydfil 
Langford 0-1 Watford 
Portsmouth 1-5 Southampton Saints 

21/9/2003
AFC Wimbledon 3-4 Bristol City 
Ipswich Town 3-2 Langford 
Millwall Lionesses 2-1 Portsmouth 
Southampton Saints 2-0 Chelsea 
Watford 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion 

24/9/2003 
Brighton 1-1 AFC Wimbledon  
Chelsea 1-0 Millwall Lionesses 

28/9/2003 
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-3 Millwall Lionesses 
Bristol City 2-1 Ipswich Town
Chelsea 2-2 Watford 
Enfield Town 0-1 Southampton Saints
Langford 2-1 Barnet 
Portsmouth 2-3 AFC Wimbledon  

2/10/2003 
Enfield Town 2-1 Ipswich Town  

5/10/2003 
Barnet 0-0 Chelsea 
Ipswich Town 0-3 Brighton & Hove Albion 
Merthyr Tydfil 1-3 Portsmouth 
Millwall Lionesses 1-5 Bristol City 
Southampton Saints 3-0 Langford 
Watford 2-1 Enfield Town  

12/10/2003 
Barnet 1-2 AFC Wimbledon 
Bristol City 3-1 Chelsea 
Merthyr Tydfil 2-1 Enfield Town
Portsmouth 4-0 Ipswich Town 
Southampton Saints 3-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Watford 1-2 Millwall Lionesses  

15/10/2003
AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Merthyr Tydfil 2-4 Bristol City 
Millwall Lionesses 1-1 Chelsea 
Southampton Saints 1-1 Portsmouth  

19/10/2003
Bristol City 5-1 Watford 
Chelsea 9-1 Merthyr Tydfil 
Portsmouth 2-1 Barnet  

23/10/2003
Enfield Town 3-1 Barnet 

24/10/2003
Watford 1-1 Langford  

26/10/2003
Barnet 2-2 Millwall Lionesses 
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-6 Langford 
Enfield Town 1-0 Portsmouth 
Merthyr Tydfil 1-1 Ipswich Town 
Southampton Saints 1-2 Bristol City 
Watford 2-3 AFC Wimbledon  

2/11/2003
AFC Wimbledon 3-0 Merthyr Tydfil 
Bristol City 7-0 Langford 
Ipswich Town 3-0 Watford 
Portsmouth 1-3 Chelsea  

9/11/2003
AFC Wimbledon 4-0 Enfield Town 
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 Merthyr Tydfil 
Ipswich Town 2-2 Barnet 
Millwall Lionesses 0-2 Southampton Saints
Portsmouth 1-2 Watford  

16/11/2003
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Barnet 
Enfield Town 0-4 Millwall Lionesses  

23/11/2003 
Bristol City 3-2 Barnet  

27/11/2003
Barnet 1-1 Enfield Town  

30/11/2003
AFC Wimbledon 2-2 Chelsea 
Barnet 1-1 Merthyr Tydfil  
Brighton & Hove Albion 4-1 Portsmouth 
Enfield Town 0-0 Langford 
Watford 1-4 Southampton Saints

14/12/2003 
Ipswich Town 2-3 AFC Wimbledon  

11/1/2004
Ipswich Town 4-2 Portsmouth 
Merthyr Tydfil 1-4 Southampton Saints 

18/1/2004
Langford 0-1 Merthyr Tydfil 
Southampton Saints 2-2 Ipswich Town  

25/1/2004 
Barnet 5-2 Langford 
Ipswich Town 1-1 Bristol City 
Millwall Lionesses 2-2 Brighton 
Southampton Saints 3-1 Enfield  

1/2/2004
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 Watford  
Langford 1-0 Ipswich Town 

8/2/2004
AFC Wimbledon 6-2 Langford 
Barnet 0-3 Portsmouth 
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Southampton Saints
Watford 2-3 Bristol City  

15/2/2004
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 Ipswich Town 
Enfield Town 0-2 Watford 
Langford 0-1 Southampton Saints
Merthyr Tydfil 3-4 Chelsea  

22/2/2004
Barnet 0-4 Ipswich Town 
Enfield Town 2-1 AFC Wimbledon 
Langford 0-3 Bristol City 
Merthyr Tydfil 0-2 Brighton 
Southampton Saints 1-0 Millwall Lionesses 
Watford 0-2 Portsmouth  

29/2/2004
Bristol City 0-3 Southampton Saints
Langford 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Millwall Lionesses 3-1 Barnet 
Portsmouth 4-0 Enfield Town 
Wimbledon 2-1 Watford  

7/3/2004
Barnet 0-6 Bristol City 
Chelsea 3-0 Ipswich Town 
Enfield Town 0-4 Brighton 
Langford 3-1 Portsmouth 
Merthyr Tydfil 1-1 Millwall Lionesses 
Southampton Saints 1-2 AFC Wimbledon  

14/3/2004 
Barnet 4-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Bristol City 4-0 Portsmouth  
Langford 1-1 Millwall Lionesses 

21/3/2004
AFC Wimbledon 3-1 Southampton 
Barnet 1-5 Watford 
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Enfield Town 
Ipswich Town 3-2 Chelsea  

28/3/2004
Chelsea 3-2 Portsmouth 
Merthyr Tydfil 1-2 AFC Wimbledon 
Millwall Lionesses 3-0 Enfield Town  

31/3/2004
Chelsea 3-2 Enfield Town  

4/4/2004
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-6 Chelsea 
Enfield Town 0-4 Bristol City 
Langford 1-2 AFC Wimbledon 
Millwall Lionesses 3-0 Ipswich Town 
Portsmouth 4-1 Merthyr Tydfil 
Southampton Saints 2-1 Barnet  

7/4/2004
Chelsea 6-3 Barnet  

11/4/2004
Bristol City 0-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Chelsea 0-4 Southampton 
Ipswich Town 1-0 Enfield Town 
Millwall Lionesses 1-4 Merthyr Tydfil 
Portsmouth 0-2 Langford  

14/4/2004
Watford 1-1 Chelsea  

18/4/2004
Chelsea 2-2 Bristol City
Millwall Lionesses 0-1 Watford  

22/4/2004
AFC Wimbledon 5-1 Portsmouth  

25/4/2004
Bristol City 2-2 Millwall Lionesses 
Merthyr Tydfil 0-3 Watford  

28/4/2004
AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Millwall Lionesses  

2/5/2004
Bristol City 6-0 AFC Wimbledon 
Ipswich Town 2-1 Merthyr Tydfil 
Portsmouth 4-0 Millwall Lionesses  

9/5/2004
Enfield Town 1-1 Merthyr Tydfil  

18/5/2004 
Chelsea 0-1 Langford