VIC BOWS OUT ON A TRIPLE HIGH
It was the end of an era as Arsenal legend Vic Akers, the most successful manager in the history of the FA Women’s Premier League, retired at the end of yet another hugely successful season for his serial winning team.
Akers signed off with another treble of League, FA Cup and League Cup triumphs that took his total of major trophies to an incredible 32 in the 22 years he had been in charge of the Gunners.
It was not an easy run to the three titles, however. Doncaster Rovers Belles were beaten comfortably enough in the League Cup final, but a stubborn Sunderland side were difficult to overcome in the FA Cup final and Everton were in contention for the League championship right up to the last game of the season.
It was touch and go all the way with both teams winning match after match en route to the season’s finale. Everton took maximum points from their first 14 outings, while the Gunners did likewise from their first 16 on the back of a sensational start fired by striker Kelly Smith, who hit 16 goals in the opening six League matches.
The Toffees looked likely to become champions for the first time since 1997-98 when they beat Akers’ team away from home at the end of March. Goals by Jill Scott, Fara Williams and Michelle Hinnigan gave their side a crucial 3-0 victory that satisfyingly avenged defeats by the same opponents in both the League and FA Cup.
That win kept alive the 100 per cent record of Mo Marley’s Merseysiders, who remained unbeaten and were three points ahead of Arsenal as the two teams prepared to face off in the final game of a fascinating season.
Ironically in the circumstances, Akers was not present himself for the match at the Halton Stadium in Widnes. His full-time job as kit man to the Gunners’ men’s team meant that he had to be at the club’s Emirates Stadium for a Premiership clash with Chelsea. But he was able to keep in touch by telephone with the women’s team’s progress.
They went into the game, unusually, as underdogs with Everton needing only a draw to claim the title. But Arsenal had a superior goal difference, so a win for the visitors would give them a sixth successive League crown.
And a win it was, Scotland striker Suzanne Grant stabbing the ball home from a 13th minute Kim Little corner to give her team a 1-0 win in a closely fought contest that saw lots of Everton pressure.
Toffees boss Marley said: “Overall I thought we were the better team and we couldn’t have done much more. To lose the league on goal difference is bitterly disappointing, but we took it to the wire and we’ll be bigger and stronger for the experience come next season.”
Arsenal’s dominance of the League continued despite having to re-build their side after losing seven key players in 12 months. Captain Faye White, who had watched the title-clinching game from the bench as she was recovering from a knee injury, said: “That’s the 10th time we’ve won the league, but this is the most satisfying because we’ve lost so many big players.
“It proves you can’t keep a good club down and it’s a great send-off for Vic. He had a vision for the women’s game and he’s worked 24/7 at making it happen. He developed the links with the men’s club and always fought for the backing that we’ve now got - and he made us the best team in the country.”
FINAL TABLE
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 22 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 89 | 14 | 61 | +75 |
| 2 | Everton | 22 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 68 | 10 | 61 | +58 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 22 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 55 | 23 | 32 | +50 |
| 4 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 43 | 36 | 33 | +7 |
| 5 | Birmingham City | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 39 | 43 | 33 | -4 |
| 6 | Leeds Carnegie | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 32 | 40 | 28 | -8 |
| 7 | Watford | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 31 | 40 | 25 | -9 |
| 8 | Bristol Academy | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 49 | 23 | -10 |
| 9 | Blackburn Rovers | 22 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 27 | 52 | 18 | -25 |
| 10 | Nottingham Forest | 22 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 25 | 59 | 17 | -34 |
| 11 | Liverpool | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 28 | 63 | 16 | -35 |
| 12 | Fulham | 22 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 17 | 64 | 9 | -47 |
RESULTS
17/08/2008
Arsenal 4-0 Blackburn Rovers
Bristol Academy 2-2 Watford
Chelsea 5-0 Liverpool
Everton 1-0 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Leeds 2-1 Fulham
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Birmingham City
24/08/2008
Birmingham City 3-2 Leeds
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Chelsea
Doncaster Rovers Belles 4-0 Bristol Academy
Liverpool 2-11 Arsenal
Watford 3-2 Nottingham Forest
Fulham 1-4 Everton
27/08/2008
Bristol Academy 4-2 Birmingham City
Liverpool 1-2 Everton
Nottingham Forest 1-4 Doncaster Rovers Belles
28/08/2008
Fulham 0-5 Chelsea
Arsenal 6-1 Watford
Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Leeds
31/08/2008
Bristol Academy 6-0 Liverpool
Chelsea 3-3 Birmingham City
Doncaster Rovers Belles 7-0 Fulham
Everton 3-1 Watford
Leeds 1-6 Arsenal
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Blackburn Rovers
07/09/2008
Arsenal 6-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Chelsea 3-0 Bristol Academy
Liverpool 2-2 Fulham
Watford 1-0 Leeds
17/09/2008
Doncaster Rovers Belles 0-3 Leeds
Liverpool 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
Watford 1-5 Chelsea
18/09/2008
Nottingham Forest 1-5 Arsenal
21/09/2008
Arsenal 6-2 Birmingham City
Blackburn Rovers 1-3 Everton
Leeds 1-1 Bristol Academy
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Liverpool
Fulham 0-0 Watford
28/09/2008
Fulham 3-4 Blackburn Rovers
Birmingham City 3-2 Watford
Bristol Academy 4-2 Nottingham Forest
Liverpool 2-5 Doncaster Rovers Belles
12/10/2008
Birmingham City 0-1 Chelsea
Leeds 4-1 Liverpool
Watford 4-1 Blackburn Rovers
19/10/2008
Arsenal 4-0 Leeds
Birmingham City 0-1 Liverpool
Chelsea 0-4 Everton
Watford 2-2 Doncaster Rovers Belles
22/10/2008
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Everton 5-0 Liverpool
23/10/2008
Birmingham City 2-1 Bristol Academy
Leeds 0-2 Blackburn Rovers
26/10/2008
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-0 Blackburn Rovers
Leeds 0-2 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Watford
02/11/2008
Everton 5-0 Leeds
05/11/2008
Bristol Academy 1-1 Fulham
Everton 4-2 Birmingham City
06/11/2008
Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Liverpool
Chelsea 1-0 Watford
Leeds 3-3 Doncaster Rovers Belles
09/11/2008
Fulham 1-3 Nottingham Forest
16/11/2008
Arsenal 5-0 Nottingham Forest
Watford 3-3 Bristol Academy
23/11/2008
Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool
Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Bristol Academy
30/11/2008
Bristol Academy 1-4 Arsenal
07/12/2008
Everton 4-2 Blackburn Rovers
10/12/2008
Chelsea 4-1 Fulham
14/12/2008
Liverpool 2-3 Birmingham City
18/12/2008
Arsenal 7-0 Fulham
21/12/2008
Blackburn Rovers 1-4 Watford
11/01/2009
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-3 Liverpool
18/01/2009
Arsenal 4-1 Chelsea
Leeds 4-1 Nottingham Forest
01/02/2009
Everton 7-0 Nottingham Forest
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-1 Watford
15/02/2009
Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea
Blackburn Rovers 0-4 Arsenal
Bristol Academy 1-3 Everton
Fulham 0-2 Leeds
22/02/2009
Liverpool 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Watford 1-2 Birmingham City
Fulham 0-0 Doncaster Rovers Belles
01/03/2009
Everton 1-0 Chelsea
Liverpool 1-3 Leeds
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Bristol Academy
Watford 2-0 Fulham
08/03/2009
Blackburn Rovers 4-1 Birmingham City
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Fulham
15/03/2009
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Bristol Academy 1-2 Chelsea
Leeds 1-2 Birmingham City
19/03/2009
Fulham 0-5 Arsenal
22/03/2009
Birmingham City 3-1 Fulham
Bristol Academy 1-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Liverpool 0-1 Watford
26/03/2009
Watford 0-1 Arsenal
Birmingham City 4-0 Nottingham Forest
29/03/2009
Arsenal 0-3 Everton
Blackburn Rovers 0-3 Nottingham Forest
Chelsea 4-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Leeds 1-0 Watford
Liverpool 2-3 Bristol Academy
Fulham 0-1 Birmingham City
02/04/2009
Birmingham City 1-3 Arsenal
Leeds 0-0 Everton
05/04/2009
Arsenal 3-0 Bristol Academy
Birmingham City 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Belles 0-1 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Leeds
Watford 0-1 Everton
Fulham 2-2 Liverpool
12/04/2009
Bristol Academy 1-2 Leeds
Chelsea 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Doncaster Rovers Belles 0-0 Arsenal
Everton 6-0 Fulham
15/04/2009
Birmingham City 0-1 Everton
19/04/2009
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Fulham
Chelsea 3-1 Leeds
Everton 5-0 Bristol Academy
26/04/2009
Bristol Academy 3-1 Blackburn Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Belles 3-1 Birmingham City
Nottingham Forest 1-5 Chelsea
30/04/2009
Chelsea 0-2 Arsenal
03/05/2009
Birmingham City 2-2 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Chelsea 4-0 Blackburn Rovers
Nottingham Forest 0-3 Everton
06/05/2009
Doncaster Rovers Belles 0-3 Everton
10/05/2009
Everton 0-1 Arsenal
