FA Women's Championship
Season2021–22
ChampionsLiverpool
RelegatedWatford
Matches played126
Goals scored355 (2.82 per match)
Top goalscorerAbi Harrison
(17 goals)
Biggest home winLiverpool 6–1 Sheffield United (24 April 2022)
Biggest away winBlackburn Rovers 0–6 Liverpool (9 January 2022)
Highest scoringCrystal Palace 4–3 Bristol City (29 August 2021)
Liverpool 6–1 Sheffield United (24 April 2022)
Longest winning run7 matches
Liverpool
Longest unbeaten run20 matches
Liverpool
Longest winless run9 matches
Coventry United
Watford
Longest losing run6 matches
Watford

The 2021–22 FA Women's Championship was the fourth season of the rebranded FA Women's Championship, the second tier of women's football in England. It was renamed from the FA WSL 2 which was founded in 2014.

On 3 April 2022, Liverpool clinched the league title with a 4–2 win over Bristol City, their 19th consecutive league match unbeaten dating back to a 1–0 defeat at the hands of London City Lionesses on 29 August 2021, the opening game of the season. The result earned Liverpool promotion to the top-flight FA WSL after a two season absence.[1]

On 1 May 2022, the final day of the season, Watford were relegated to the FA Women's National League after only one season in the Championship following a 1–0 defeat at home to relegation rivals Coventry United. Watford started the day two points ahead of Coventry knowing a draw would secure their Championship status. Coventry had not been off the bottom of the table since they were handed a 10 point deduction on 6 January 2022. A 90+7 minute free kick from Mollie Green was the only goal of the game at Vicarage Road as Coventry United finished the season on an eight-game unbeaten streak to remain in the second tier.[2]

Teams

Twelve teams competed in the Championship for the 2021–22 season, an increase of one team from the previous season. This was a planned progression of the restructuring of the English women's game, a move prompted to provide for a fully professional Women's Super League (WSL) starting with the 2018–19 season. The expansion was originally scheduled from the 2019–20 season but the demotion of Yeovil Town directly from the WSL to the third-tier in 2019 and then the season's curtailment the following year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic had twice delayed this.

Movement between the WSL and Championship was granted on purely sporting merit as both the 2020–21 FA WSL and Championship seasons were completed in full. Leicester City earned promotion and their place was taken by Bristol City who were relegated after finishing bottom of the WSL. London Bees finished bottom of the 2020–21 Championship and were relegated to the National League. Upward movement from the National League was granted via application based on a set criteria including points-per-game over the previous two seasons in order to support the stability and integrity of the women's football pyramid after the previous two National League seasons had both been curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4] As a result, Sunderland were promoted from the National League North and Watford were promoted from the National League South.[5][6]

On 24 December 2021, directors at Coventry United confirmed the club was going into voluntary liquidation. They had accelerated the team into becoming fully-professional prior to the start of the season.[7] With a formal deadline set for 4 January 2022, investor Lewis Taylor made a bid to acquire the club and clear the debts to ensure the club could complete the season.[8] The offer was accepted and the club was rescued although the FA handed down a 10 points deduction for triggering an insolvency event.[9]

TeamLocationGroundCapacity2020–21 season
Blackburn RoversBamber BridgeSir Tom Finney Stadium3,0009th
Bristol CityFailandRobins High Performance CentreWSL, 12th
Charlton AthleticBexleyThe Oakwood1,1808th
Coventry UnitedCoventryButts Park Arena4,00010th
Crystal PalaceBromleyHayes Lane5,0007th
DurhamDurhamMaiden Castle3,0002nd
LiverpoolBirkenheadPrenton Park16,5473rd
LewesLewesThe Dripping Pan3,0005th
London City LionessesDartfordPrinces Park4,1006th
Sheffield UnitedChesterfieldTechnique Stadium10,5044th
SunderlandHetton-le-HoleEppleton CW2,500WNL North, N/A
WatfordKings LangleyThe Orbital Fasteners Stadium1,500WNL South, N/A

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment
Bristol City England Matt Beard (interim) End of interim period 13 May 2021 End of season (FA WSL, 12th) Wales Lauren Smith[lower-alpha 1] 21 June 2021[11]
Liverpool England Amber Whiteley (interim) End of interim period 13 May 2021[12] End of season (3rd) England Matt Beard 13 May 2021[12]
Lewes England Simon Parker Sacked 12 October 2021[13] 8th Wales Craig Gill (interim) 13 October 2021[14]
Watford England Clinton Lancaster Sacked 31 December 2021[15] 12th England Gifton Noel-Williams (interim) 31 December 2021[16]
  1. ↑ Smith was initially appointed as interim manager, but the move was made permanent on 6 October 2021.[10]

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Liverpool (C, P) 22 16 4 2 49 11 +38 52 Promotion to the WSL[lower-alpha 1]
2 London City Lionesses 22 13 2 7 35 22 +13 41
3 Bristol City 22 11 4 7 43 28 +15 37
4 Crystal Palace 22 11 4 7 35 39 −4 37
5 Charlton Athletic 22 10 4 8 27 18 +9 34
6 Durham 22 10 4 8 30 28 +2 34
7 Sheffield United 22 9 6 7 34 31 +3 33
8 Lewes 22 9 2 11 23 24 −1 29
9 Sunderland 22 6 6 10 23 32 −9 24
10 Blackburn Rovers 22 5 2 15 17 41 −24 17
11 Coventry United 22 5 7 10 18 32 −14 12[lower-alpha 2]
12 Watford (R) 22 2 5 15 18 46 −28 11 Relegation to the National League
Source: FA WSL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ↑ Dependent on obtaining a licence.
  2. ↑ Coventry United were deducted 10 points on 6 January 2022 for triggering an insolvency event.[17]

Results

Home \ Away BLB BRI CHA COV CRY DUR LEW LIV LCL SHU SUN WAT
Blackburn Rovers — 0–1 0–3 3–2 1–2 1–2 1–0 0–6 1–2 2–0 2–1 3–1
Bristol City 3–0 — 0–2 1–1 4–0 0–2 2–1 2–4 1–3 5–1 2–1 3–1
Charlton Athletic 2–0 2–1 — 3–1 0–1 2–1 1–0 0–1 2–0 0–0 0–1 3–0
Coventry United 1–0 1–1 1–1 — 2–3 1–0 1–0 0–2 0–1 0–3 0–1 1–1
Crystal Palace 2–1 4–3 3–2 0–1 — 3–1 3–1 0–4 1–5 0–0 1–1 2–1
Durham 3–1 0–3 2–0 0–0 2–3 — 2–0 0–2 1–0 1–1 3–0 2–1
Lewes 1–0 0–3 2–0 4–1 2–0 0–0 — 2–1 1–0 0–2 2–0 1–2
Liverpool 0–0 0–0 0–0 3–0 2–1 3–0 2–0 — 0–1 6–1 3–0 1–0
London City Lionesses 3–1 2–3 2–0 2–2 2–1 1–2 1–0 1–1 — 1–0 3–1 2–1
Sheffield United 4–0 1–0 0–0 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3 0–2 2–1 — 1–4 3–0
Sunderland 2–0 2–2 2–0 0–0 0–1 0–2 1–1 1–3 0–2 2–2 — 2–1
Watford 0–0 0–3 0–4 0–1 2–2 3–3 0–2 2–3 1–0 0–4 1–1 —
Source: FA WSL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Season statistics

Top scorers

As of 1 May 2022
RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Scotland Abi Harrison Bristol City 17
2 Republic of Ireland Leanne Kiernan Liverpool 13
3 England Courtney Sweetman-Kirk Sheffield United 11
4 England Beth Hepple Durham 10
5 United States Katie Stengel Liverpool 8
England Lucy Watson Sheffield United
7 England Amy Rodgers London City Lionesses 7
England Katie Wilkinson Coventry United
9 England Rio Hardy Coventry United 6
England Molly Sharpe Crystal Palace

Awards

Annual awards

Award Winner Club
Golden boot Scotland Abi Harrison Bristol City
Golden glove England Rachael Laws Liverpool

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Liverpool promoted to WSL after clinching title". BBC Sport.
  2. ↑ "Coventry United score in 97th minute to avoid drop". BBC Sport.
  3. ↑ "FA provides update on tiers 3-6 of the Women's Football Pyramid". TheFA.com. The Football Association.
  4. ↑ "Women's football: FA ends 2020-21 season for tiers three to six". BBC Sport. 15 March 2021.
  5. ↑ "Sunderland handed major boost as bid for promotion to the Women's Championship is successful". Sunderland Echo.
  6. ↑ "Oxford United Women miss out on Championship spot". Oxford Mail.
  7. ↑ "Coventry United to enter liquidation". BBC Sport.
  8. ↑ Garry, Tom (3 January 2022). "Investor facing race against time to save Coventry United from liquidation says takeover is 'right thing to do'". The Telegraph.
  9. ↑ "Coventry United: Women's Championship club handed 10-point penalty by FA after entering voluntary liquidation". Sky Sports.
  10. ↑ Frith, Wilf (6 October 2021). "Bristol City Women Head Coach Lauren Smith signs new three-year deal". SheKicks.
  11. ↑ "Smith returns as Interim Head Coach". Bristol City.
  12. 1 2 "Matt Beard appointed Liverpool FC Women manager". Liverpool F.C. 13 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "Rooks part company with Simon Parker". Lewes FC.
  14. ↑ "Craig Gill to join the Rooks as Interim Women's First Team Manager". Lewes FC.
  15. ↑ "Women: Lancaster & Watford To Part Ways". Watford FC.
  16. ↑ "Watford Women: London City Lionesses Preview - Jan 9". Watford FC.
  17. ↑ "Coventry United: Women's Championship club handed 10-point penalty by FA after entering voluntary liquidation". Sky Sports.
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