2015 FA WSL 1

The 2015 FA WSL 1 was the fifth season of the FA WSL, the top-level women's football league of England. The season was played from 25 March to 4 October.

Liverpool were the defending champions from the 2014 FA WSL. Chelsea became the title winners and together with Manchester City (who finished as runners-up) qualified for the 2016–17 UEFA Women's Champions League.

This was the second season since the WSL 2 was introduced. As part of a two-year expansion plan, the WSL 1 will increase to nine teams for the 2016 season. By the end of the 2015 season two teams (Reading and Doncaster Rovers Belles) were promoted from WSL 2 to WSL 1 and only one team (Bristol Academy) relegated to WSL 2, with one team being promoted from Premier League to WSL 2.

Sunderland earned promotion last season after they won WSL 2 and met off-field licensing requirements. Everton were relegated.

Background In December 2014, the FA WSL announced a two-year plan to expand WSL 1 from an eight to 10-team league. Two teams will be promoted from WSL 2, while one team will be relegated to WSL 2. Also, for the first time, a team from the FA Women's Premier League earned promotion to WSL 2, effectively connecting the WSL to the rest of the English women's football pyramid.

This will leave WSL 1 with nine teams and WSL 2 with 10 teams for the 2016 season, and with the process repeated the following year, both WSL 1 and WSL 2 will have 10 teams each for the 2017 season.

Teams

Team Location Ground Capacity 2014 WSL 1 finish Arsenal Borehamwood Meadow Park 4,502 (1,400 seated) 4th Birmingham City Solihull Damson Park 3,050 (280 seated) 3rd Bristol Academy Filton Stoke Gifford Stadium 1,500 7th Chelsea Staines Wheatsheaf Park 3,009 (300 seated and 800 covered) 2nd Manchester City Manchester Academy Stadium 7,000 (5,000 seated) 5th Liverpool Widnes Halton Stadium 13,350 1st Notts County Nottingham Meadow Lane 20,229 6th Sunderland Hetton-le-Hole Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground 2,500 1st (WSL 2)

Transfers

Arrivals Arsenal Player Position From Ref. Lianne Sanderson FW Boston Breakers Natalia Pablos FW Bristol Academy Jemma Rose DF Bristol Academy Vicky Losada MF Barcelona Chioma Ubogagu FW Stanford University Marta Corredera MF Barcelona Dominique Janssen DF SGS Essen Sari van Veenendaal GK FC Twente Birmingham City Player Position From Ref. Alex Windell MF Bristol Academy Freda Ayisi FW Arsenal Bristol Academy Player Position From Ref. Isobel Dalton MF Brisbane Roar Hayley Ladd MF Coventry United Nadia Lawrence FW ÍBV Sharla Passariello FW South Florida Bulls Lauren Townsend DF Cardiff City Ladies Christie Murray MF unattached Caroline Weir MF Arsenal Hannah Short DF East Tennessee State University Hannah Reid GK Hibernian Evdokiya Popadiynova FW NSA Sofia Jade Boho FW Rayo Vallecano Marije Brummel DF Apollon Limassol Tatiana Pinto MF SC Sand Chelsea Player Position From Ref. Gemma Davison MF Liverpool Millie Bright MF Doncaster Rovers Belles Niamh Fahey DF Arsenal Hedvig Lindahl GK Kristianstads DFF Marija Banušić FW Kristianstads DFF Fran Kirby FW Reading Liverpool Player Position From Ref. Satara Murray DF University of North Carolina Ingrid Ryland DF Arna-Bjørnar Line Krogedal Smørsgård FW Klepp IL Asisat Oshoala FW Rivers Angels Rosie White FW University of California LA Manchester City Player Position From Ref. Lucy Bronze DF Liverpool Jen Beattie DF Montpellier Nikita Parris FW Everton (on loan) Demi Stokes DF University of South Florida Sarah Wiltshire FW Yeovil Town Natasha Harding* FW Bristol Academy Daphne Corboz MF Georgetown University Notts County Player Position From Ref. Rachel Williams FW Chelsea Laura Bassett DF Chelsea Alex Greenwood DF Everton Jessica Sigsworth FW Doncaster Rovers Belles Fern Whelan DF Everton Danielle Buet MF Chelsea Leanne Crichton MF Glasgow City Siobhan Chamberlain GK Arsenal (on loan) Danielle Hill GK Doncaster Rovers Belles Sunderland Player Position From Ref. Alice Harkness GK Glentoran Belfast United Victoria Williams DF Doncaster Rovers Belles Suzanne Mulvey FW Rangers Brooke Chaplen MF Everton Stephanie Roche FW unattached Hilde Gunn Olsen GK Arna-Bjørnar

Departures Arsenal Player Position To Ref. Christie Murray MF end of contract Yukari Kinga DF INAC Kobe Leonessa Shinobu Ohno FW INAC Kobe Leonessa Freda Ayisi FW Birmingham City Lianne Sanderson FW unattached Niamh Fahey DF Chelsea Caroline Weir MF Bristol Academy Siobhan Chamberlain GK Notts County (on loan) Birmingham City Player Position To Ref. Abbeyleigh Stringer DF Aston Villa Bristol Academy Player Position To Ref. Corinne Yorston DF Yeovil Town Natalia Pablos FW Arsenal Jemma Rose DF Arsenal Alex Windell MF Birmingham City Natasha Harding* FW Manchester City Laura del Río FW Washington Spirit Isobel Dalton MF Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky, USA) Alexandra Hurst MF Swindon Town Alice Evans GK Yeovil Town Nicola Watts FW Reading Chelsea Player Position To Ref. Yūki Ōgimi FW Wolfsburg Rachel Williams FW Notts County Laura Bassett DF Notts County Danielle Buet MF Notts County Rosella Ayane FW Millwall Lionesses (on loan) Jackie Groenen MF 1. FFC Frankfurt Liverpool Player Position To Ref. Amanda DaCosta MF Washington Spirit Nina Frausing Pedersen DF 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam Megan Alexander DF Everton Ellie Stewart DF Everton Gemma Davison MF Chelsea Lucy Bronze DF Manchester City Nicole Rolser MF Bayern Munich Manchester City Player Position To Ref. Danielle Young FW Everton Danielle Lea DF Everton Sarah Wiltshire FW Yeovil Town Notts County Player Position To Ref. Danielle Brogan DF Adelaide United Rachel Corsie DF Seattle Reign Emily Roberts MF Doncaster Rovers Belles (on loan) Katie Duncan-Hoyle MF FC Zürich Sunderland Player Position To Ref. Helen Alderson GK Durham Natalie Gutteridge FW Durham

* Natasha Harding was supposed to join American team Washington Spirit, as she was denied a visa, she joined Manchester City instead.

Table

Results

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerTeamGoals 1 Beth MeadSunderland 122 Jess ClarkeNotts County7 Natalia PablosArsenal4 Eniola AlukoChelsea6 Isobel ChristiansenManchester City Gemma DavisonChelsea Toni DugganManchester City Chioma UbogaguArsenal Rachel WilliamsNotts County10 Karen CarneyBirmingham City5 Ji So-yunChelsea

2015 FA WSL 1

Bron en licentie