ARSENAL LEAD SEASON OF RECOVERY FROM CLUB CLOSURE SHOCKS
As the 2007-08 season kicked off the women’s football community was still reeling from the shock of Charlton Athletic men’s club discarding their women’s team in a summer of discontent.
Southern Division Bristol City had also been dropped by their men’s club, though neighbours Bristol Academy – formerly Bristol Rovers – were still in the top flight of the women’s league.
The campaign would end with a new starlet shining brightly in the Arsenal firmament as, no surprise here, the north Londoners would yet again be crowned champions.
Perhaps also not surprising would be the fate of a newly constituted Charlton team. The women’s section had been scrapped by the club but, just ahead of the season, a sponsorship deal was agreed so that a team under the control of the Community Trust could take its place in the National Division with former Addicks men’s senior team player Paul Mortimer as its coach.
But the side was no longer semi-professional and, with only two players left from the squad that three months earlier had played in the FA Cup final against Arsenal, it did not bode well for the new-look team’s prospects in the top flight.
They were in fact to finish bottom of the table after losing their first 12 matches and taking just four points from a season in which their once arch rivals coasted to yet another title.
The Gunners did not coast from day one of the campaign, however. The England team’s involvement in July’s World Cup finals, played in China, had led to the FA deciding that the five clubs – Arsenal, Everton, Chelsea, Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers Belles – who between them had provided the squad’s 21 players, would have no matches until at least September 23rd.
That meant cramming a lot of games into the season’s fixture schedule and Tessa Hayward, the Premier League Co-ordinator, admitted: “It’s been a logistical nightmare and it means there will have to be a lot of midweek fixtures to try and get back on schedule as quickly as possible.
“We’ll be dating as many of the outstanding games as possible for midweek and, to help the clubs in terms of travelling arrangements, we’ll be trying wherever we can to fit local derbies into those midweek slots.”
The cramming affected Arsenal in particular as they had UEFA Cup as well as National Division and League Cup commitments in the early part of the campaign.
In the first 18 days they had to fit in seven matches, though they took them in their stride with six wins plus a 3-3 UEFA Cup draw with Italian side Bardolino Verona.
On the home front it was business as usual for the Gunners, whose main rivals no longer included Charlton, but Everton – runners-up in each of the previous two seasons – were still on their tail while Leeds United were faring well but way back in terms of challenging the champions.
After their quadruple triumph of 2006-07 Arsenal were unable to repeat the great feat, losing to Olympic Lyonnais in the Uefa Cup and 1-0 to Everton in the League Cup final.
But they beat Leeds in the FA Cup final to complete the double after winning the League title without losing a game and with a five-point gap between themselves and Everton.
The club’s fifth successive title was fittingly clinched at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, where Vic Akers’ team came from behind to beat Chelsea 4-1 in front of a crowd of 5,285.
Amongst the Gunners scorers was 17-year-old Kim Little, whose goal was her first for the club after recently joining from Scottish club Hibernian.
“Make a note of this kid,” Akers told reporters,” she’s going to be a big player.” The manager’s prophecy was spot-on, Little going on to become an all-time great for both Arsenal and Scotland.
Not on target that night was leading scorer Lianne Sanderson, but at 20 she was already proving a top striker with 43 goals in all competitions as the Gunners ended another successful season.
Some outsiders were perhaps getting bored with the club’s continuing domination, but England international Sanderson noted: “People always ask how we stay motivated, but the only thing I want to do is win and win again.”
Akers obviously felt the same way as he pondered on his team’s 10th League title in 16 years. “Not a bad record, is it?” he said. “It feels good every year just to see the smiles on our players’ faces.”
There were no end-of-season smiles on the faces of Charlton and Cardiff City players, the Welsh club finishing second bottom and, like the Addicks, relegated to the League’s second tier.
FINAL TABLE
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 85 | 15 | 62 | +70 |
| 2 | Everton | 22 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 69 | 14 | 57 | +55 |
| 3 | Leeds United | 22 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 45 | 33 | 40 | +12 |
| 4 | Bristol Academy | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 45 | 35 | 34 | +10 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 40 | 35 | 32 | +5 |
| 6 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 44 | 42 | 29 | +2 |
| 7 | Watford | 22 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 53 | 52 | 29 | +1 |
| 8 | Blackburn Rovers | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 50 | 45 | 28 | +5 |
| 9 | Birmingham City | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 34 | 39 | 25 | -5 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 31 | 51 | 22 | -20 |
| 11 | Cardiff City | 22 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 19 | 69 | 12 | -50 |
| 12 | Charlton Athletic | 22 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 6 | 91 | 4 | -85 |
FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE NATIONAL DIVISION RESULTS 2007-08
19/08/2007
Blackburn Rovers 6-0 Cardiff City
Bristol Academy 4-3 Liverpool
Watford 0-1 Birmingham City
26/08/2007
Watford 3-2 Blackburn Rovers
02/09/2007
Birmingham City 2-3 Watford
Blackburn Rovers 1-3 Bristol Academy
Cardiff City 1-1 Liverpool
09/09/2007
Bristol Academy 2-1 Birmingham City
Cardiff City 1-3 Blackburn Rovers
Liverpool 1-4 Watford
16/09/2007
Birmingham City 1-2 Liverpool
Bristol Academy 2-2 Blackburn Rovers
Watford 1-1 Cardiff City
19/09/2007
Cardiff City 1-3 Bristol Academy
23/09/2007
Blackburn Rovers 4-1 Birmingham City
Liverpool 3-2 Bristol Academy
27/09/2007
Watford 2-6 Arsenal
30/09/2007
Liverpool 1-4 Arsenal
04/10/2007
Chelsea 0-3 Arsenal
Everton 2-1 Liverpool
07/10/2007
Birmingham City 1-1 Everton
Blackburn Rovers 4-2 Watford
Bristol Academy 7-0 Charlton Athletic
Doncaster Rovers Belles 1-1 Chelsea
10/10/2007
Chelsea 3-4 Bristol Academy
Liverpool 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Cardiff City 2-3 Birmingham City
11/10/2007
Leeds 3-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Charlton Athletic 0-6 Watford
21/10/2007
Charlton Athletic 0-4 Cardiff City
Chelsea 4-1 Liverpool
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-0 Birmingham City
Leeds 4-4 Blackburn Rovers
Watford 6-2 Bristol Academy
23/10/2007
Bristol Academy 4-1 Cardiff City
28/10/2007
Blackburn Rovers 6-0 Charlton Athletic
Leeds 2-1 Birmingham City
Watford 4-3 Doncaster Rovers Belles
31/10/2007
Chelsea 4-0 Charlton Athletic
Doncaster Rovers Belles 1-2 Everton
04/11/2007
Charlton Athletic 0-5 Leeds
Doncaster Rovers Belles 1-1 Cardiff City
08/11/2007
Arsenal 5-0 Charlton Athletic
11/11/2007
Arsenal 9-0 Cardiff City
Leeds 0-1 Chelsea
Everton 3-0 Watford
Liverpool 0-3 Doncaster Rovers Belles
15/11/2007
Bristol Academy 2-2 Chelsea
Leeds 1-2 Everton
Watford 4-0 Charlton Athletic
Birmingham City 2-1 Cardiff City
Blackburn Rovers 2-3 Liverpool
18/11/2007
Chelsea 1-2 Everton
Doncaster Rovers Belles 0-3 Bristol Academy
Liverpool 2-0 Charlton Athletic
Watford 2-4 Leeds
22/11/2007
Birmingham City 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
25/11/2007
Bristol Academy 0-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles
28/11/2007
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-3 Leeds
29/11/2007
Chelsea 4-3 Watford
Charlton Athletic 0-7 Arsenal
02/12/2007
Charlton Athletic 0-5 Blackburn Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-2 Watford
Everton 0-2 Arsenal
Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
09/12/2007
Chelsea 0-1 Birmingham City
Doncaster Rovers Belles 3-0 Blackburn Rovers
12/12/2007
Everton 3-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles
13/12/2007
Bristol Academy 0-1 Arsenal
Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Leeds
16/12/2007
Charlton Athletic 0-3 Bristol Academy
23/12/2007
Leeds 2-2 Charlton Athletic
13/01/2008
Blackburn Rovers 3-2 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Chelsea 5-0 Cardiff City
20/01/2008
Chelsea 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Liverpool 0-3 Leeds
24/01/2008
Arsenal 4-1 Watford
03/02/2008
Birmingham City 2-3 Leeds
Blackburn Rovers 1-3 Arsenal
Bristol Academy 1-3 Everton
Chelsea 3-4 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Liverpool 4-0 Cardiff City
10/02/2008
Arsenal 5-2 Liverpool
Charlton Athletic 1-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles
21/02/2008
Arsenal 4-3 Doncaster Rovers Belles
24/02/2008
Bristol Academy 2-0 Watford
Charlton Athletic 1-1 Liverpool
27/02/2008
Doncaster Rovers Belles 3-2 Liverpool
02/03/2008
Cardiff City 0-4 Everton
Doncaster Rovers Belles 4-0 Charlton Athletic
Leeds 0-4 Arsenal
Liverpool 1-0 Birmingham City
Watford 2-3 Chelsea
09/03/2008
Birmingham City 3-3 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Cardiff City 1-2 Watford
16/03/2008
Charlton Athletic 0-0 Chelsea
23/03/2008
Cardiff City 0-6 Arsenal
Chelsea 1-2 Leeds
26/03/2008
Everton 5-1 Blackburn Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-4 Arsenal
30/03/2008
Arsenal 3-0 Birmingham City
Cardiff City 2-1 Charlton Athletic
Everton 3-0 Chelsea
02/04/2008
Cardiff City 0-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles
03/04/2008
Birmingham City 0-3 Arsenal
Liverpool 1-5 Everton
06/04/2008
Cardiff City 0-1 Chelsea
Everton 3-0 Bristol Academy
09/04/2008
Everton 4-0 Leeds
13/04/2008
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Chelsea
Charlton Athletic 0-4 Birmingham City
Leeds 1-0 Bristol Academy
17/04/2008
Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Everton
Leeds 2-0 Liverpool
20/04/2008
Watford 4-1 Liverpool
Arsenal 2-0 Bristol Academy
Cardiff City 0-4 Leeds
Everton 2-2 Birmingham City
24/04/2008
Arsenal 4-1 Chelsea
27/04/2008
Arsenal 5-1 Blackburn Rovers
Bristol Academy 0-0 Leeds
Charlton Athletic 0-6 Everton
01/05/2008
Birmingham City 1-1 Bristol Academy
03/05/2008
Watford 1-4 Everton
04/05/2008
Birmingham City 6-1 Charlton Athletic
Everton 6-0 Cardiff City
11/05/2008
Birmingham City 1-3 Chelsea
Everton 7-0 Charlton Athletic
Leeds 2-3 Cardiff City
14/05/2008
Arsenal 1-1 Leeds
18/05/2008
Leeds 2-1 Watford
