CHELSEA TAKE CHARGE

Revitalised with summer signings and in their first season funded by the men’s club, rather than self-financed – multi-rich Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich had taken over at Stamford Bridge in June 2003 – Chelsea sprinted clear of the pack from an early stage and won their first promotion to the National Division. 

By the time chasers Portsmouth, Brighton, Crystal Palace and AFC Wimbledon had started to gather momentum, from the turn of the year, the Blues’ lead looked an unassailable one, and so it proved. 

Only, ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ side AFC Wimbledon had denied Chelsea victory in their opening seven fixtures and their superiority was reflected in the way that they amassed 72 goals for and a goal difference of plus-57 by the season’s end. 

When they stunned Ipswich Town 10-2 in September, former Millwall Lionesses and Arsenal forward Nina Downham hit five of the goals. Established team mates Laura Cooper and Nicki de la Salle, together with new recruits Emma Delves and Lisa Langrish,  also regularly contributed to the scoresheet throughout the season. 

The title was secured with a 4-0 home win against Millwall Lionesses in March, Downham hitting a hat-trick. At the season’s end a five-year strategy was announced by Chelsea, setting out plans to make it into the top four. Progress would be not quite as straightforward as intended, but the seeds were certainly sewn for the future. 

Although dominant, Chelsea did not have it all of their own way. Corrine Convington’s goal had secured a victory against them for Crystal Palace, while Sophie Perry struck twice within ten minutes for Brighton when they won 2-0 against the leaders. 

If Perry was not grabbing goals for Brighton, the division’s 24-goal leading scorer Emma Mead almost certainly was. The two strikers combined for three-quarters of the Seagulls’ goals throughout the season, Perry finishing with 20, just behind Chelsea’s Downham on 22.

Also popping up with goals were a number of young, future Welsh stars for Cardiff City.. Fresh from their third successive UEFA Women’s Cup qualifying campaign in August, Cardiff celebrated their return to the Premier League with a 3-2 win at Brighton and then Jessica Fishlock hit a brace and Gwennan Harries scored twice in a 3-0 win at Wimbledon.  

At the other end of the table, Enfield Town and Ipswich Town were cut adrift and their relegation became a formality.

FINAL TABLE

FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIVISION RESULTS 2004-05 

15/8/2004
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-3 Cardiff City 
Chelsea 4-2 Southampton Saints
Ipswich Town 0-1 Crystal Palace
Langford 2-1 Enfield Town
Millwall Lionesses 1-1 AFC Wimbledon
Portsmouth 0-0 Watford

22/8/2004
AFC Wimbledon 0-2 Portsmouth
Cardiff City 2-2 Millwall Lionesses
Crystal Palace 3-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Enfield Town 1-2 Chelsea
Southampton Saints 1-3 Langford
Watford 7-1 Ipswich Town

29/8/2004
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 AFC Wimbledon
Chelsea 5-0 Watford
Ipswich Town 0- 0 Cardiff City
Langford 1-1 Crystal Palace
Portsmouth 1-1 Enfield Town

5/9/2004
AFC Wimbledon 0-3 Cardiff City
Brighton & Hove Albion 3- 0 Millwall Lionesses
Portsmouth 0-2 Chelsea
Southampton Saints 0-1 Crystal Palace
Watford 4-1 Enfield Town

15/9/2004
Southern Division   
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-3 Portsmouth
Crystal Palace 1-2 Millwall Lionesses
Enfield Town 3-1 Ipswich Town
Langford 1-1 Watford

19/9/2004
Chelsea 10-2 Ipswich Town
Crystal Palace 2-2 Cardiff City
Enfield Town 1- 2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Portsmouth 2-1 Langford
Southampton Saints 2-3 AFC Wimbledon
Watford 1-2 Millwall Lionesses

22/9/2004
Chelsea 1-1 AFC Wimbledon

26/9/2004
AFC Wimbledon 1-5 Crystal Palace
Ipswich Town 1-5 Portsmouth
Langford 2-3 Chelsea
Millwall Lionesses 2-1 Enfield Town

3/10/2004
AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Millwall Lionesses
Chelsea 6-3 Portsmouth
Crystal Palace 2-0 Southampton Saints
Enfield Town 0-3 Watford
Langford 4-3 Ipswich Town

10/10/2004
Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea
Enfield Town 2- 2 Portsmouth
Ipswich Town 0-7 AFC Wimbledon
Langford 2-1 Southampton Saints

13/10/2004
AFC Wimbledon 1-2 Chelsea

14/10/2004
Watford 0- 0 Langford

17/10/2004
Chelsea 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Enfield Town 1- 3 Cardiff City
Ipswich Town 1-4 Southampton Saints
Portsmouth 1 – 1 Crystal Palace
Watford 0- 4 AFC Wimbledon

20/10/2004
Ipswich Town 0-0 Enfield Town

24/10/2004
AFC Wimbledon 4- 0 Enfield Town
Cardiff City 1-1 Langford 
Crystal Palace 2-1 Watford

31/10/2004
Chelsea 0-1 Crystal Palace
Enfield Town 1-2 Southampton Saints
Ipswich Town 1-4 Millwall Lionesses
Langford LFC 1-2 AFC Wimbledon 
Portsmouth 4-2 Cardiff City
Watford 1-4 Brighton & Hove Albion

7/11/2004
AFC Wimbledon 3-1 Ipswich Town 
Cardiff City 3-4 Watford 
Langford 2-0 Millwall Lionesses

14/11/2004
Cardiff City 0-2 Ipswich Town 
Crystal Palace 2-0 Enfield Town
Millwall Lionesses 1-1 Portsmouth
Southampton Saints 3- 0 Watford

21/11/2004
AFC Wimbledon LFC 1-2 Southampton Saints
Brighton & Hove Albion 5-1 Enfield Town
Ipswich Town 1-2 Chelsea
Langford 1-2 Portsmouth

28/11/2004
Chelsea 4-1 Langford
Crystal Palace 1-3 AFC Wimbledon
Enfield Town 0-3 Millwall Lionesses
Portsmouth 6-1 Ipswich Town
Southampton Saints 3-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Watford 1-1 Cardiff City

8/12/2004
Millwall Lionesses 1-1 Crystal Palace

12/12/2004
AFC Wimbledon 4-0 Watford
Brighton & Hove Albion 0–6 Chelsea
Cardiff City 3-1 Enfield Town
Crystal Palace 0-2 Portsmouth
Millwall Lionesses 4-1 Langford 
Southampton Saints 6-2 Ipswich Town

19/12/2004
Ipswich Town 4-5 Brighton & Hove Albion
Langford 1-0 Cardiff City

9/1/2005
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-3 Southampton Saints

16/1/2005
Cardiff City 3-0 Crystal Palace

23/1/2005
Chelsea 1-1 Cardiff City
Enfield Town 1-1 Crystal Palace
Langford 1- 5 Brighton & Hove Albion

30/1/2005
Cardiff City 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Enfield Town 1-1 Langford

6/2/2005
Ipswich Town  0-4 Watford
Millwall Lionesses  3-2 Cardiff City
Portsmouth Football Club 1-0 AFC Wimbledon
Southampton Saints 1-1 Enfield Town

13/2/2005
Southampton Saints 2- 1 Millwall Lionesses

20/2/2005
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Crystal Palace

27/2/2005
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 Langford
Cardiff City 2-0 AFC Wimbledon
Southampton Saints 1- 2 Portsmouth

6/3/2005
AFC Wimbledon 6-0 Langford
Cardiff City 1-1 Southampton Saints
Chelsea 4- 0 Millwall Lionesses
Watford 3-1 Crystal Palace

13/3/2005
Ipswich Town 6-1 Langford
Millwall Lionesses 1-1 Southampton Saints
Watford 0-1 Portsmouth

20/3/2005
Watford 2-3 Chelsea

27/3/2005
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-2 Watford
Cardiff City 2-1 Portsmouth
Chelsea 10-0 Enfield Town
Millwall Lionesses 2-0 Ipswich Town

3/4/2005
Crystal Palace 3- 0 Ipswich Town
Millwall Lionesses 2-2 Chelsea
Portsmouth 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Southampton Saints 0-4 Cardiff City

6/4/2005
Portsmouth 1-0 Southampton Saints

10/4/2005
AFC Wimbledon 0-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Cardiff City 1-2 Chelsea
Crystal Palace 5-0 Langford
Portsmouth 0-1 Millwall Lionesses
Watford 2-2 Southampton Saints

17/4/2005
Brighton & Hove Albion 7-1 Ipswich Town
Enfield Town 2-7 AFC Wimbledon
Millwall Lionesses 2- 2 Watford
Southampton Saints 2-2 Chelsea

24/4/2005
Millwall Lionesses 3-3 Brighton & Hove Albion