“Our aim has to be WSL,” said Jay Bradford ambitiously on her appointment as Coventry United manager ahead of the 2016-17 season. Three years later, and after third and fourth place finishes in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division, Bradford led her team up to the FA WSL Championship in an outstanding 2018-19 campaign that saw United beaten only once in the league.
Bradford, whose own playing career ended through injury at 21, was Coventry’s youngest and first female manager. And after those first two seasons in charge, she was quietly confident that her team could make a sustained challenge for the 2018-19 title and with it, promotion.
As she looked back at the successful campaign, she said: “I felt that we’d recruited really well in the lead-up to that season. We had some very good additions come into the club and it was a really good squad in terms of depth, which we probably hadn't had before.”
United kicked off the season with a dull goalless draw at Gillingham but then won 14 successive league fixtures to make themselves title favourites. They had been run close in the first half of the campaign by Chichester City, who won 10 of their first 13 matches but then fell away, and by Cardiff City as the Bluebirds ran up 10 victories on the bounce ahead of a crunch meeting with Coventry in mid-April.
Ahead of that outing Coventry had lost for the only time, at home to Chichester at the end of March, but had bounced back immediately to put themselves 10 points clear of Cardiff at the top of the table.
That points-gap perhaps looked unbridgeable; but the Bluebirds had two games in hand and were set to face Bradford’s team twice in the run-in to the end of the campaign - so it was game on when the two teams faced off at Coventry on 14 April.
It wasn’t necessarily a must-win for United, but Bradford recalled: “Between myself and the staff I was saying we very much needed to win. Getting the three points would mean we’d won the league and I wanted us to get that done as early as possible.
“But in the team talk before the match I told the players, ‘don’t worry if we don’t win today, we’ll just win it in the next couple of weeks. So just play the game, it doesn’t matter if we don’t win, and if we don’t it will just be prolonging the inevitable.’ That’s how I sold it to the players - and it worked!”
It did indeed work, Coventry winning 4-1 to seal the title with two games to spare and a month before they would face Northern Premier Division winners Blackburn Rovers in the promotion play-off - though the word ‘promotion’ was not part of the equation by the day the game arrived.
FAWNL PROMOTION PLAY-OFF 2018-19
Blackburn Rovers 3 (Jordan 41, Flint 54, Fenton 71)
Coventry United 0
Valley Parade, Bradford
18 May 2019
Attendance: 539
With both teams already promoted through successful applications to become part of the FA Women’s Championship for the 2019-20 season, there was little more than pride and the title of FAWNL champions to be played for when Coventry faced Blackburn in the play-off at Bradford City’s Valley Parade stadium.
Coventry boss Bradford said: “It was a bit of a strange game to have to go and play. It was a fortnight after the end of the season and it didn’t really mean anything because both teams knew we already promoted - we’d been given confirmation about a week after we’d won our division. But we obviously went into the play-off game wanting to win it.”
As much as Bradford’s players wanted to win the match, however, they were well beaten by a Blackburn side who proved themselves to be clearly the best team in the whole of the FAWNL.
Strike partners Saffron Jordan and Natasha Flint scored either side of half-time to put the Lancashire outfit in control, and a late goal by Natasha Fenton wrapped up victory.
Bradford admitted: “To be honest, Blackburn were just much better than us on the day. They probably had more quality in their team and they were worthy winners.”
Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2): Gibbons, Jukes, Shepherd, Fletcher (Walsh 84), McDonald, Fenton, Holbrook, Davies (Taylor 80), Makin, Flint, Jordan.
Substitutes not used: Size, Stewart, Charlton.
Coventry United (4-5-1): Wood, Austin, McDonnell, Brook, Miles (Riden 63), Merritt (Klucis 63), Hughes, Dermody, Jefferies, Wathan, Merrick.
Substitutes not used: Gauntlett, White, Roberts.
Referee: R. Welch
FAWNL SOUTHERN PREMIER DIVISION UPS AND DOWNS
Coventry’s move up to the FA WSL Championship was one of four departures from the Southern Premier Division at the end of the 2018-19 season.
Bottom club C & K Basildon were relegated to Division One South East, where they would play as AFC Basildon before being merged into Hashtag United ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.
Second bottom Queens Park Rangers were set for a major restructure, with a two-way split. Under the umbrella of the QPR men’s club they stepped down to the London & South East Regional League, returning to the FAWNL two seasons later. Independently of the men’s club, the team changed its name to Hounslow and continued in the Southern Premier but were to fold in 2023.
Loughborough Foxes, who had finished seventh in the Southern Premier, were realigned to the Northern Premier. Taking their place in the Southern section would be Yeovil Town, who had finished 2018-19 at the bottom of the FA WSL and were subsequently unable to gain a Tier Two licence that would have seen them playing in the Championship rather than dropping down to the third tier.
Climbing up to Tier Three to complete the 12-team structure of the Southern Premier would be Keynsham Town and Crawley Wasps, respectively winners of Division One South West and Division One South East.
FINAL TABLE
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry United | 22 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 80 | 14 | 57 | 66 |
| 2 | Cardiff City | 22 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 58 | 26 | 50 | 32 |
| 3 | Chichester City | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 48 | 27 | 46 | 21 |
| 4 | Oxford United | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 56 | 24 | 41 | 32 |
| 5 | Watford | 22 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 43 | 40 | 40 | 3 |
| 6 | Plymouth Argyle | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 50 | 54 | 35 | -4 |
| 7 | Loughborough Foxes | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 48 | 32 | 34 | 16 |
| 8 | Portsmouth | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 41 | 38 | 28 | 3 |
| 9 | Milton Keynes Dons | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 28 | 52 | 19 | -24 |
| 10 | Gillingham | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 24 | 54 | 19 | -30 |
| 11 | Queens Park Rangers | 22 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 28 | 69 | 11 | -41 |
| 12 | C & K Basildon | 22 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 17 | 91 | 2 | -74 |
FA WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTHERN PREMIER DIVISION RESULTS 2018-19
19/8/2018
Gillingham 0-0 Coventry United
C & K Basildon 0-6 Portsmouth
Loughborough Foxes 7-0 Queens Park Rangers
Milton Keynes Dons 3-4 Plymouth Argyle
Chichester City 2-1 Oxford United
Watford 5-2 Cardiff City
26/8/2018
Queens Park Rangers 0-3 Oxford United
Milton Keynes Dons 0-3 Coventry United
Plymouth Argyle 0-3 Chichester City
Portsmouth 4-1 Gillingham
Watford 1-3 Loughborough Foxes
C & K Basildon 0-5 Cardiff City
8/9/2018
Oxford United 1-2 Watford
9/9/2018
Cardiff City 5-1 Queens Park Rangers
Loughborough Foxes 1-1 C & K Basildon
Milton Keynes Dons 0-1 Chichester City
Portsmouth 1-2 Coventry United
Gillingham 1-4 Plymouth Argyle
11/9/2018
Oxford United 1-3 Milton Keynes Dons
12/9/2018
Coventry United 4-0 Loughborough Foxes
C & K Basildon 1-3 Gillingham
Chichester City 2-1 Portsmouth
Watford 2-1 Queens Park Rangers
16/9/2018
Cardiff City 3-1 Loughborough Foxes
Gillingham 0-5 Oxford United
Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Milton Keynes Dons
Plymouth Argyle 5-3 C & K Basildon
Portsmouth 2-4 Watford
Chichester City 1-2 Coventry United
23/9/2018
Milton Keynes Dons 1-3 Portsmouth
Oxford United 4-2 Loughborough Foxes
Watford 6-2 Gillingham
30/9/2018
Coventry United 4-1 C & K Basildon
Queens Park Rangers 2-3 Plymouth Argyle
Loughborough Foxes 0-1 Chichester City
Milton Keynes Dons 1-0 Gillingham
2/10/2018
Oxford United 1-2 Coventry United
3/10/2018
C & K Basildon 0-1 Watford
4/10/2018
Gillingham 2-0 Queens Park Rangers
7/10/2018
C & K Basildon 3-3 Queens Park Rangers
Portsmouth 0-3 Plymouth Argyle
21/10/2018
Coventry United 4-0 Watford
Queens Park Rangers 2-3 Chichester City
28/10/2018
C & K Basildon 0-2 Oxford United
Loughborough Foxes 6-0 Milton Keynes Dons
Chichester City 1-0 Cardiff City
4/11/2018
Cardiff City 1-1 Oxford United
Chichester City 2-0 Gillingham
Plymouth Argyle 0-4 Loughborough Foxes
11/11/2018
Watford 0-3 Milton Keynes Dons
Queens Park Rangers 1-7 Coventry United
Loughborough Foxes 2-1 Portsmouth
Oxford United 2-1 Plymouth Argyle
Chichester City 4-2 C & K Basildon
18/11/2018
Watford 1-0 Chichester City
Loughborough Foxes 1-0 Cardiff City
25/11/2018
Cardiff City 2-1 Portsmouth
Gillingham 2-2 Loughborough Foxes
Coventry United 9-1 Plymouth Argyle
C & K Basildon 1-2 Milton Keynes Dons
16/12/2018
Cardiff City 7-0 C & K Basildon
6/1/2019
Portsmouth 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
Chichester City 2-1 Plymouth Argyle
13/1/2019
Cardiff City 1-0 Watford
Gillingham 2-0 Milton Keynes Dons
Portsmouth 2-0 C & K Basildon
20/1/2019
Oxford United 7-1 Queens Park Rangers
Plymouth Argyle 3-2 Watford
27/1/2019
C & K Basildon 0-2 Loughborough Foxes
Queens Park Rangers 0-6 Cardiff City
Chichester City 5-2 Milton Keynes Dons
10/2/2019
Watford 5-4 Portsmouth
Oxford United 1-0 Chichester City
13/2/2019
Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Watford
Milton Keynes Dons 0-3 Oxford United
14/2/2019
Gillingham 5-3 C & K Basildon
Loughborough Foxes 0-2 Coventry United
17/2/2019
Gillingham 0-2 Cardiff City
24/2/2019
Cardiff City 4-2 Chichester City
Loughborough Foxes 1-2 Watford
Oxford United 1-0 Gillingham
Plymouth Argyle 4-3 Queens Park Rangers
3/3/2019
Coventry United 4-0 Portsmouth
C & K Basildon 0-2 Plymouth Argyle
10/3/2019
C & K Basildon 0-6 Coventry United
Plymouth Argyle 2-3 Cardiff City
Portsmouth 4-0 Milton Keynes Dons
Chichester City 1-3 Loughborough Foxes
13/3/2019
Queens Park Rangers 1-3 Gillingham
Milton Keynes Dons 1-3 Loughborough Foxes
17/3/2019
Watford 2-4 Oxford United
Cardiff City 2-1 Milton Keynes Dons
Coventry United 9-0 Gillingham
C & K Basildon 0-8 Chichester City
Queens Park Rangers 2-2 Loughborough Foxes
Plymouth Argyle 2-2 Portsmouth
24/3/2019
Watford 0-3 Coventry United
Milton Keynes Dons 3-2 Queens Park Rangers
Oxford United 12-0 C & K Basildon
Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Gillingham
Portsmouth 0-3 Cardiff City
27/3/2019
Portsmouth 3-1 Chichester City
31/3/2019
Cardiff City 2-0 Gillingham
Coventry United 2-3 Chichester City
Milton Keynes Dons 1-2 Watford
Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Oxford United
Portsmouth 2-0 Loughborough Foxes
3/4/2019
Coventry United 2-0 Oxford United
7/4/2019
Gillingham 0-2 Portsmouth
Coventry United 1-1 Queens Park Rangers
Plymouth Argyle 3-1 Milton Keynes Dons
10/4/2019
Coventry United 4-0 Milton Keynes Dons
14/4/2019
Coventry United 4-1 Cardiff City
Queens Park Rangers 4-1 C & K Basildon
Loughborough Foxes 2-4 Plymouth Argyle
Oxford United 2-1 Portsmouth
Chichester City 1-0 Watford
21/4/2019
Cardiff City 3-2 Plymouth Argyle
Gillingham 0-1 Watford
23/4/2019
Oxford United 2-3 Cardiff City
28/4/2019
Chichester City 3-0 Queens Park Rangers
Watford 3-1 C & K Basildon
Loughborough Foxes 5-0 Gillingham
Milton Keynes Dons 1-2 Cardiff City
Plymouth Argyle 2-5 Coventry United
Portsmouth 0-2 Oxford United
5/5/2019
Watford 3-2 Plymouth Argyle
Cardiff City 1-1 Coventry United
Gillingham 2-2 Chichester City
Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Portsmouth
Loughborough Foxes 1-1 Oxford United
Milton Keynes Dons 4-0 C & K Basildon
