10 Years On: The Untold Stories of the WSL's most dramatic final day
On 12th October, 2014, Chelsea, Birmingham City and Liverpool could all win the Women's Super League on the final day, before a dramatic day unfolded live on BT Sport...
“I’d have never thought 10 years on I’d be sat here at Melwood, still at Liverpool,” says Gemma Bonner, 10 years on from the most dramatic final day the Women’s Super League has thrown up in its fourteen year existence.
On the final day of the 2014 season, on 12th October, Liverpool sat third in what was then just an eight-team league - the lack of games ensuring close finishes - but on this occasion any of the top three could still win the title going into the final round of games.
Even the build-up had set up the tension, with Fara Williams’ brilliant and bizzarre halfway line winner against rivals Birmingham City sealing a late win, while Liverpool had kept themselves in it by coming back to draw 3-3 in stoppage time against Arsenal a week earlier.
"There were lots of little things in the melting pot,” recalls Birmingham manager at the time, David Parker. “We drew 0-0 with Everton a month before and it really cost us. We were huge rivals because they were the big club with Arsenal before the WSL and we sort of took that second spot for that first few years.
“We went to them at Widnes and drew 0-0 and Everton went down without winning a game, that ultimately cost us the title. Fara's goal cost us a Champions League spot, it won Liverpool the league, stopped Chelsea and put us third. Even before the final day drama, Fara won the league that day with that goal."
Matt Beard’s Liverpool side, looking to defend their first title won 12 months earlier, were rank outsiders, with Chelsea leading the way and Birmingham City the main chasers.
Liverpool were at home to Bristol Academy, while Chelsea and Birmingham City faced banana skin clashes against Manchester City and Notts County respectively.
“No one expected us to win the league,” adds Bonner. “We started the morning in third and needed all the other results to go our way, plus a goal difference swing. We could only control our result and see what happened elsewhere.”
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It was, in the end, a day which would put the WSL on the wider map, pre the initial boom of the Lionesses which would follow less than 12 months later at the 2015 World Cup.
A TV deal with BT Sports was well utilised, with the channel showing Manchester City vs Chelsea as its main game, given the latter were favourites to win a first title, but had cameras in both Liverpool and Nottingham to cut to immediately if goals went in elsewhere.
Three teams being in with a shout also presented challenges for those behind the scenes, with key FA staff positioned at each venue, all in communication with each other, nobody any the wiser as to where the trophy would be heading.
“From a football point of view, it was the most exhilarating, crazy day,” recalls Kelly Simmons, former Director of Women’s Football at the FA. “5 Live covered it, BT covered it, the title changed hands almost by the minute and it was probably one of the most high-profile days because three teams could win it and so much could happen.
“It was fantastic for the league, but operationally it was a nightmare. We had two trophies, three clubs, all in three different parts of the country!”
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