Everton Ladies FC 2008-09 Season

National Premier League: Runners Up
League Cup: 3rd round; Arsenal a. 1-3
FA Cup: Semi Finals; lost 3-1 to Arsenal

Highlight:
3-0 win at Arsenal, 29/3/09

Low Spot:
0-1 defeat at home to Arsenal to miss out on league title, 10/5/09

Good:
Fara Williams
Fara was again the fulcrum of the Everton side, linking play intelligently and scoring freely from midfield. Bafflingly seemed to slip under the Pro League radar.
Lindsay Johnson
An absolute giant at the centre of the Everton defence. Dominant in the air, fiercely competitive in the tackle and good on the ball she has everything a centre half needs and more besides. Cuts an inspirational figure to her team-mates.

In Brief:
Having beaten Arsenal in the previous seasons’ League Cup Everton were hoping to claim further honours this time around but ended the season hugely disappointed. They lost tamely to Arsenal in the Community Shield, League Cup and FA Cup but looked all set to snatch the biggest prize of all when they defeated their arch rivals away from home in the league. Needing a draw to clinch the title when the teams met again in an end of season showdown they slipped to a 1-0 defeat and ended up missing out on goal difference.
This was a massive anti-climax for a club that simply cannot seem to take that last step and replace Arsenal as the nations’ top club. Everton remain comparatively weak up front where Natasha Dowie was too often the lone attacking threat and this is a deficiency for which an outstanding midfield cannot always make amends.

Everton Ladies FC have been threatening to become a real dominant force in womens football for the past decade without ever quite managing to really break through.

The club started life as Leasowe Pacific and shot to national prominence by reaching successive FA Cup finals in 1988 and 89.

They lost the first of these games to Doncaster Belles 3-2 but were victorious a year later, defeating Friends of Fulham, also 3-2.

The club became known as Everton Ladies in the mid 1990's and instantly made their mark.

In 1997 they reached the final of the Premier League Cup only to lose to Millwall Lionesses, 1-2.

The following year, however, Everton Ladies were crowned National Premier League Champions.

This success might have been expected to herald a new dawn in the womens game but this did not materialise.

In 1999 the club again lost in the League Cup final, 1-3 to Arsenal Ladies, and last season reached the FA Womens Cup final only to lose 0-1 to Charlton Athletic Ladies after a disappointing display.

At present the club is one of the top three sides in the country and boasts an enviable spine in England internationals Rachel Brown (goalkeeper), Lindsay Johnson (centre half), Rachel Unitt (left back) and Fara Williams (central midfield).

It would be nice to think the club will receive the support it needs to maintain its standing and offer a consistent challenge to Arsenal Ladies, Charlton Ladies and hopefully a few others as well.

The Ladies do recieve some coverage on Everton's official website although not, perhaps, as much as a fine side deserves.