2011 Chelsea L.F.C. season

Chelsea L.F.C.'s 2011 season was the club's first season in the FA Women's Super League (FA WSL) and sixth in the top flight of English women's football, in its 19th year.

Chelsea
2011 season
ManagerEngland Matt Beard
StadiumWheatsheaf Park
FA WSL6th
FA Women's Cup5th round
FA WSL Continental CupQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerEngland Danielle Buet (3)
Highest home attendance2,510
(13 Apr v ARS)
Lowest home attendance95
(18 Aug v BRI)
Biggest winDON 1–4 CHE
(24 Apr)
Biggest defeatARS 3–0 CHE
(28 July)
← 2010
2012 →

Review and events

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The semi-professional FA WSL debuted after two years of planning with Chelsea facing Arsenal at its home ground of Imperial Fields, a seventh-tier men's club ground, on 13 April 2011. The match was broadcast live on ESPN.[1] out of the 16 that applied.[2][3] The pre-match featured mascots, amusements, a performance by the band Parade, and a brief fight among spectators within the stands. While the new league's summer schedule was meant to avoid pitch quality concerns encountered by the incumbent winter-schedule FA Women's Premier League, the dry Imperial Fields pitch caused problems during the debut. The match was also the first domestic league action for players since the end of the 2009–10 FA Women's Premier League season 11 months prior.[4] The opening-match attendance of 2,510 was the season's and league's best,[5] and broke the club's all-time record.[6]

Signings

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On 9 January 2011, Chelsea signed New Zealand captain Hayley Moorwood.[7] The foreign signing was one of several in the league that raised concerns from other clubs' managers that the acquisitions could come at the expense of developing domestic players.[8]

Match results

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FA Women's Super League

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13 April 2011 (2011-04-13) 1 Chelsea 0–1 Arsenal Morden
17:30 CHE Report
WSL report
FA Report
BBC report
Guardian report
  • Flaherty   37' v
Stadium: Imperial Fields
Attendance: 2,510
Referee: Saša Ihringová
21 April 2011 (2011-04-21) 2 Chelsea 1–1 Lincoln Ladies Morden
19:45
CHE report
WSL report
FA Report
Stadium: Imperial Fields
Attendance: 273
Referee: T.J. Robinson
24 April 2011 (2011-04-24) 3 Doncaster Rovers Belles 1–4 Chelsea Doncaster
14:00 Exley   24' CHE report
WSL report
FA report
Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium
Attendance: 578
Referee: Shaun Hudson
1 May 2011 (2011-05-01) 4 Liverpool 1–2 Chelsea Skelmersdale
14:00
CHE report
WSL Report
FA report
Stadium: West Lancashire College Stadium
Attendance: 406
Referee: Natalie Walker
4 May 2011 (2011-05-04) 5 Chelsea 0–0 Bristol Academy Bristol
19:45 CHE report
WSL report
FA report
Stadium: Stoke Gifford Stadium
Attendance: 371
Referee: Rob Ellis
8 May 2011 (2011-05-08) 6 Chelsea 1–1 Birmingham City Morden
CHE report
WSL report
Stadium: Imperial Fields
Attendance: 441
Referee: Ade Mead
12 May 2011 (2011-05-12) 7 Lincoln Ladies 0–1 Chelsea Lincoln
19:45 CHE report
WSL report
Stadium: Sincil Bank
Attendance: 493
Referee: Neil Pratt
24 July 2011 (2011-07-24) 8 Everton 2–0 Chelsea Merseyside
CHE report
WSL report
Stadium: The Arriva Stadium
Attendance: 503
Referee: Saša Ihringová
28 July 2011 (2011-07-28) 9 Arsenal 3–0 Chelsea Borehamwood
19:45
CHE report
WSL report
FA report
Stadium: Meadow Park
Attendance: 608
Referee: Ade Mead
31 July 2011 (2011-07-31) 10 Chelsea 2–1 Doncaster Rovers Belles Morden
14:00
CHE report
WSL report
Stadium: Imperial Fields
Attendance: 300
Referee: Shaun Hudson
7 August 2011 (2011-08-07) 11 Chelsea 0–1 Liverpool Morden
CHE report
WSL report
  24' C. Jones Stadium: Imperial Fields
Attendance: 297
Referee: John Burridge
14 August 2011 (2011-08-14) 12 Birmingham City 3–2 Chelsea Stratford upon Avon
14:00
CHE report
WSL report
Box
Stadium: The DCS Stadium
Attendance: 413
18 August 2011 (2011-08-18) 13 Chelsea 0–1 Bristol Academy Morden
CHE report
WSL report
Stadium: Imperial Fields
Attendance: 95
28 August 2011 (2011-08-28) 14 Chelsea 1–3 Everton Morden
14:00
CHE report
WSL report
Stadium: Imperial Fields
Attendance: 369

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4 Lincoln Ladies 14 6 3 5 18 16 +2 21
5 Bristol Academy 14 4 4 6 14 20 −6 16
6 Chelsea 14 4 3 7 14 19 −5 15
7 Doncaster Rovers Belles 14 2 3 9 9 26 −17 9
8 Liverpool 14 1 4 9 10 26 −16 7
Source: FA WSL results
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored

Results summary

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Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
14 4 3 7 14 19  −5 15 1 2 4 5 9  −4 3 1 3 9 10  −1

Last updated: 28 August 2011.
Source: FA WSL results

FA Women's Cup

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Chelsea entered the competition in the fifth round as an FA WSL team. They were knocked out of the competition after being defeated 1–0 by the Belles.[9]

13 March 2011 (2011-03-13) 5th round Chelsea 0–1 Doncaster Rovers Belles Morden
Report
Stadium: Imperial Fields

FA WSL Continental Cup

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Chelsea were drawn with Everton in the quarter-finals and lost the match 4–0.[10]

4 September 2011 (2011-09-04) 1/4 Finals Chelsea 0–4 Everton Morden
14:00 CHE report
EVE report
BBC report
WSU report
Stadium: Imperial Fields

Squad statistics

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As of match played 4 September 2011[11]
No. Pos Nat Player Total WSL FA Cup League Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK   ENG Carly Telford 12 0 12 0 0 0 0 0
2 MF   ENG Lara Fay 7 0 6 0 1 0 0 0
3 DF   IRL Sophie Perry 15 2 13 2 1 0 1 0
4 MF   ENG Drew Spence 11 1 9 1 1 0 1 0
5 DF   ENG Gemma Bonner 16 0 14 0 1 0 1 0
6 DF   ENG Naomi Cole 5 0 5 0 0 0 0 0
7 DF   ENG Leanne Champ 15 0 13 0 1 0 1 0
8 MF   ENG Danielle Buet 15 3 13 3 1 0 1 0
9 MF   ENG Danielle Bird 6 1 6 1 0 0 0 0
10 FW   WAL Helen Lander 16 2 14 2 1 0 1 0
11 MF   ENG Claire Rafferty 10 1 9 1 1 0 0 0
12 MF   NZL Hayley Moorwood 15 1 13 1 1 0 1 0
13 DF   ENG Shelby Hills 5 0 4 0 1 0 0 0
14 DF   WAL Kylie Davies 15 0 13 0 1 0 1 0
15 FW   WAL Emma Plewa 9 1 8 1 1 0 0 0
16 GK   ENG Sarah Quantrill 5 0 3 0 1 0 1 0
17 MF   ENG Laura Coombs 7 0 6 0 0 0 1 0
18 FW   ENG Kate Longhurst 6 0 5 0 0 0 1 0
19 DF   ENG Rebecca Jane 11 0 9 0 1 0 1 0
20 FW   ENG Ashlee Hincks 15 2 13 2 1 0 1 0
30 GK   ENG Francesca Gibbs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

References

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  1. ^ Conn, David (7 April 2011). "Women's Super League aims to step out of men's shadow". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  2. ^ "A Moment in Women's Football History". The Football Association. April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Whole new ball game: How Chelsea Women kicked off WSL era 10 years ago today". Chelsea F.C. 13 April 2021. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  4. ^ Ronay, Barney (13 April 2011). "Women's Super League opens with less than pitch perfect display". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  5. ^ Frith, Will (13 April 2020). "#FAWSL: First season kicked off nine years ago today". She Kicks. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  6. ^ Dunn, Carrie; Welford, Joanna (2015). Football and the FA Women’s Super League. Palgrave Pivot London. doi:10.1057/9781137480323. ISBN 9781137480316.
  7. ^ Leighton, Tony (9 January 2011). "Chelsea Ladies sign New Zealand captain Hayley Moorwood". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  8. ^ Leighton, Tony (6 February 2011). "Women's Super League concerned about influx of foreign internationals". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  9. ^ "CHELSEA 0 DONCASTER ROVERS BELLES 1". Chelsea L.F.C. 13 March 2011. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  10. ^ "Chelsea Ladies 0 Everton 4". Chelsea L.F.C. 4 September 2011. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  11. ^ "The Team". Chelsea L.F.C. Archived from the original on 12 December 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2023.