The FA

Spring Series fixtures

Champions Man City face Chelsea in FA WSL Spring Series opener

Tuesday 10 Jan 2017

Champions Manchester City will face last season’s runners-up Chelsea in the opening weekend of the FA Women’s Super League (FA WSL) 1 Spring Series.

The Spring Series is a one-off competition which has been created to bridge the gap between seasons, while the FA WSL transitions from a summer league to a more traditional football calendar.

Each club will play each other once with a trophy awarded to each division’s winners. The Spring Series will finish before this summer’s Euros.

FA WSL 1 fixtures start on 22 April, with newly-promoted Bristol City facing Reading.

Last season’s FA WSL 2 title winners Yeovil Town will host Liverpool the following day, while Sunderland travel to Birmingham City.

Yeovil celebrate after winning the FA WSL 2 title
FA WSL 2 clubs will return to action two months earlier, from Saturday 11 February.

League newcomers Brighton & Hove Albion, who won promotion from The FA Women's Premier League, will open their account away to London Bees.

The next day Doncaster Rovers Belles, who were relegated from FA WSL 1 last season, will travel to Sheffield FC while Durham will host Millwall Lionesses.

In the remaining fixtures, Aston Villa will play Watford and Oxford United take on Everton.

FA director of football participation and development Kelly Simmons said: “When it was decided to move The FA WSL to traditional football calendar, we knew it was crucial to find a way to give clubs, players and supporters a competition that provided quality matches.

“The clubs have worked hard to build their squads and establish fanbases and the Spring Series will allow them to keep developing on and off the pitch.

“It will also provide our international players with the competitive game-time that they need before heading to the Euros in July.

“It's set to be an exciting few months for the domestic women's game with clubs competing for this one-off trophy and the SSE Women's FA Cup Final back at Wembley Stadium in May.

"It's important that we keep building this momentum ahead of the Euros and for the return of The FA WSL in September.”

FA WSL 1

Round 1

Saturday 22 April

Bristol City v Reading (6pm)

Sunday 23 April

Birmingham City v Sunderland (2pm)
Manchester City v Chelsea (2pm)
Yeovil Town v Liverpool (2pm)

TBC (22 or 23 April)
Arsenal v Notts County *

Round 2

Friday 28 April
Liverpool v Reading (7pm)

Saturday 29 April
Bristol City v Manchester City (6pm)

Sunday 30 April
Chelsea v Yeovil Town (2pm)
Notts County v Birmingham City (2pm)
Sunderland v Arsenal (2pm)

Round 3

Wednesday 3 May
Manchester City v Birmingham City (7pm)
Notts County v Sunderland (7pm)
Yeovil Town v Bristol City (7pm)
Reading v Chelsea (7.30pm)

TBC (3 or 4 May)
Arsenal v Liverpool *

Round 4

Saturday 6 May
Sunderland v Bristol City (6pm)

Sunday 7 May 

Birmingham City v Liverpool (2pm)
Chelsea v Notts County (2pm)
Reading v Manchester City (2pm)

TBC (6 or 7 May)
Arsenal v Yeovil Town*

Round 5

Wednesday 17 May
Liverpool v Sunderland (7pm)
Yeovil Town v Reading (7pm)
Chelsea v Arsenal (7.30pm)
Birmingham City v Bristol City (7.45pm)

Thursday 18 May
Notts County v Manchester City (7pm)

Round 6

Saturday 20 May
Bristol City v Liverpool (6pm)

Sunday 21 May
Manchester City v Yeovil Town (2pm)
Reading v Notts County (2pm)
Sunderland v Chelsea (2pm)

TBC (20 or 21 May)
Arsenal v Birmingham*

Round 7

Sunday 28 May
Chelsea v Liverpool (2pm)
Manchester City v Arsenal (2pm)
Notts County v Bristol City (2pm)
Reading v Birmingham City (2pm)
Yeovil Town v Sunderland (2pm)

Round 8

Wednesday 31 May
Bristol City v Chelsea (7pm)
Liverpool v Notts County (7pm)
Sunderland v Manchester City (7pm)
Birmingham City v Yeovil Town (7.45pm)

TBC (31 May or 1 June)
Arsenal v Reading*

Round 9

Saturday 3 June 

Birmingham City v Chelsea (2pm)
Bristol City v Arsenal (2pm)
Liverpool v Manchester City (2pm)
Sunderland v Reading (2pm)
Yeovil Town v Notts County (2pm)

*Arsenal’s home fixtures details are venue-dependent and will be agreed shortly. The venue of Arsenal’s home matches will be confirmed on the Arsenal website as soon as possible.

FA WSL 2

Round 1

Saturday 11 February
London Bees v Brighton & Hove Albion (2pm)

Sunday 12 February
Durham v Millwall Lionesses (12pm)
Aston Villa v Watford (2pm)
Oxford United v Everton (2pm)
Sheffield FC v Doncaster Rover Belles (2pm)

Round 2

Saturday 18 February
Doncaster Rovers Belles v Aston Villa (6.30pm)

Sunday 19 February
Everton v Durham (2pm)

Sunday 26 February
Brighton & Hove Albion v Oxford United (2pm)
Millwall Lionesses v Sheffield FC (2pm)
Watford v London Bees (2pm)

Round 3

Saturday 4 March
London Bees v Oxford United (2pm)

Sunday 5 March
Durham v Sheffield FC (12pm)
Aston Villa v Millwall Lionesses (2pm)
Brighton & Hove Albion v Doncaster Rovers Belles (2pm)
Everton v Watford (2pm)

Round 4

Sunday 12 March
Watford v Durham (12pm)
Doncaster Rovers Belles v London Bees (2pm)
Millwall Lionesses v Brighton & Hove Albion (2pm)
Oxford United v Aston Villa (2pm)
Sheffield FC v Everton (2pm)

Round 5

Saturday 1 April
London Bees v Sheffield FC (6pm)

Sunday 2 April
Durham v Oxford United (12pm)
Aston Villa v Brighton & Hove Albion (2pm)
Millwall Lionesses v Everton (2pm)
Watford v Doncaster Rovers Belles (2pm)

Round 6

 Saturday 15 April 
London Bees v Millwall Lionesses (2pm)
Sheffield FC v Oxford United (4pm)

Sunday 16 April
Brighton & Hove Albion v Watford (2pm)
Doncaster Rovers Belles v Durham (2pm)
Everton v Aston Villa (2pm)

Round 7

Saturday 22 April
Aston Villa v London Bees (2pm)

Sunday 23 April
Durham v Brighton & Hove Albion (12pm)
Doncaster Rovers Belles v Everton (2pm)
Millwall Lionesses v Oxford United (2pm)
Watford v Sheffield FC (2pm)

Round 8

Sunday 30 April
Durham v London Bees (12pm)
Everton v Brighton & Hove Albion (2pm)
Millwall Lionesses v Doncaster Rovers Belles (2pm)
Oxford United v Watford (2pm)
Sheffield FC v Aston Villa (2pm)

Round 9

Saturday 20 May
London Bees v Everton (2pm)

Sunday 21 May
Brighton & Hove Albion v Sheffield FC (1pm)
Aston Villa v Durham (2pm)
Oxford United v Doncaster Rovers Belles (2pm)
Watford v Millwall Lionesses (2pm)

By FA Staff