Women's Football - Wednesday, May 2
Premier Season Drags On

While the Football and Premier League seasons draw to a neat, uniform close in the mens' game over the next couple of weeks the National Premier League for women still has some mileage left in it.

There is nothing uniform about the division, however. Whereas Sunderland have already completed their fixtures Bristol Academy still have six games to fit in.

Likewise Blackburn, Doncaster and Fulham only have one fixture remaining while Leeds United and Chelsea have five.

This is a really bad thing. Games will be strewn here, there and everywhere in May as teams try to complete their programmes making things as awkward as possible for players, who are not professional of course, and spectators alike.

The situation also increases the chances of teams feeling unfairly treated. Sunderland now have to sit and wait to see if Cardiff can muster the couple of points needed to survive at their expense.

When the league drags on in this way with teams having to squeeze fixtures in and games taking place between sides with nothing to play for and sides with everything at stake it can only lead to an atmosphere of tension, mistrust and possibly even paranoia.

The situation was the same last year with teams finishing their programmes at widely differing times and although it is obviously more difficult to regulate the fixture programme in the womens' game greater efforts must be made to do so.

The Premier Leagues should also surely take priority over the County Cups which intrude on the league programme like an unwanted dinner guest.

With the World Cup to be played in September hopefully something will be done to ensure next season does not end up even worse.

Charlton Ladies are stumbling towards their FA Cup final meeting with Arsenal in worrying fashion. Last week they needed an injury time equaliser to salvage a draw at home to Fulham.

The result provided Fulham with only their 4th point of the season but their joy at the result was tempered by the fact that the game also confirmed their relegation from the top flight.

The club will feel renewed optimism about their chances of rising again from their recent trials as they also went to Blackburn at the weekend and emerged with a draw.

After an Emma Hayes header had given them the lead at Charlton it took a neat injury time header from Natasha Dowie to deny them victory whereas it was Fulham themselves who had to come from behind at Blackburn, Charmaine Benham surging through to score after Caroline Dixon had given Rovers an early lead.

It is a testament to the spirit within the Fulham camp that after such a trying season they are finishing stronger than they started.

Charlton's erratic form looks likely to deny them the opportunity of European football made possible by Arsenal's triumph in the UEFA Cup.

Although they made the chances to win against Fulham there was no getting away from the fact that the overall display had been way below their expected standard.

The Addicks performed much better on Sunday on their visit to Cardiff and were rewarded with a 3-0 victory, although any of their followers looking for the result on Sky Sports News would have been alarmed to see it come through as a 3-0 defeat (as would Sunderland who would have been relegated by such a result).

Charlton will have to pull a performance out of nowhere to deny Arsenal the quadruple in Monday's FA Cup final, however.

The game with relegation haunted Cardiff was open and entertaining but the momentum was always decidedly in Charlton's favour.

Sinead Boyer, a recent addition to the first team pool, headed home the opener to mark an influential display and the game was as good as sewn up when Eni Aluko scored at the second attempt shortly before half time.

Charlton wrapped things up with a contentious Dowie penalty which was given for a foul on Boyer by Jess Fishlock who was also sent off for her protests.

Everton Ladies are now favourites for the runners up spot and their strong finish continued with a comfortable 3-0 home win against Doncaster Belles.

Michelle Evans pounced on a loose ball to open the scoring in the first half while Jody Handley struck from a Fara Williams pass and Williams scored herself from a free kick after the break.

Leeds United gained a good win at Birmingham City where Karen Burke's penalty and a Mel Sutcliffe goal went unanswered while Bristol Academy edged out Chelsea 2-1.

Justine Lorton grabbed both goals for Bristol with Dunia Susi on target for Chelsea.

In the Northern section another one goal victory for Liverpool Ladies, Gill Hart the girl on target against Nottingham Forest, pushed them closer to the promotion which is surely inevitable despite Lincoln City winning their final game of the season 5-2 at Curzon Ashton.

Finally another word of congratulation to Arsenal Ladies for their splendid European triumph. To win this trophy they had to show sides of their character and ability which are rarely called into question in the domestic game but which they answered fully.

Surely the mark of a truly great team.

Womens Football - Saturday, May 5
FA Cup Final Preview

Womens football really is like mens' football used to be in so many ways. One of them is that FA Cup final day is undoubtedly the biggest day in the calendar.

Arsenal, one of the finalists along with Charlton Athletic, have just won the UEFA Cup and the 2nd leg of that final was watched by just over 3,000 fans at Borehamwood with a handful tuning in to British Eurosport to watch it on the tele.

On Monday there could be in excess of 20,000 people at Nottingham Forest's City Ground to watch the game live and a respectable television audience also to be expected with the game being broadcast by the BBC.

With the spotlight turned towards the womens' game for a day it would obviously be nice to think that the game will be an exciting, entertaining one. The Charlton manager Keith Boanas has said so himself in the build up.

My major hope is that the game is competitive.

I said before last years' final that I had yet to see a good FA Cup final. I have seen good performances from sides in the final but the games have been too one-sided to be really enjoyable.

Obviously there is the worry that all conquering Arsenal might steam roller Charlton into the ground on their way to a remarkable quadruple.

Boanas has talked about being positive in the game and his teams' major strengths are in the attacking department so that is understandable.

The trouble is that it is surely impossible to come out on top against Arsenal in an open, attacking game. They have too many options, too many individuals who can hurt you, too much strength and too much skill.

To have any chance Charlton have to ensure they are as tight and organised at the back as possible and likewise tight and competitive in the midfield areas.

If they can do that and limit the Arsenal attack they do have the players who can score for them at the other end. They will not necessarily need to make a lot of chances to actually score.

It is not in the nature of this website to criticise any manager for wanting to play attacking football and to make the game entertaining for those watching, especially in this case where the managers' philosophy is there to see week in and week out throughout the season, but Charlton's biggest responsibility in this game is not to anyone watching, it is to themselves.

To win this game they cannot afford to concede more than two goals. If they come out and trade punches with Arsenal they are almost certain to ship more than that.

Even with their attacking ability this will be too much for them to overcome.

Of course Charlton do know what it takes to beat Arsenal in a cup final, they managed that last season in the League Cup when they triumphed 2-1.

They spent most of that day on the back foot defending two Eni Aluko goals which came out of virtually nothing in the first half and got home thanks to a monumental rearguard action, a bit of luck and some truly inspired goalkeeping.

It will be harder to achieve a repeat, however. The pillar of their display that day, Katie Chapman, now actually plays for Arsenal while the goalkeeper, Pauline Cope, has now retired.

The club have been unable to adequately replace these two players. That is not their fault. There simply aren't any players out there currently who are as good as them.

To win this game Charlton will have to be at their absolute best and Arsenal will have to be below theirs.

You can look at Arsenal's heavy recent workload and perhaps the euphoria of their European triumph and think that, just maybe, they could slip below their top form on this occasion but I think that is unlikely.

The Gunners know that one more victory will give them their historic quadruple, they know that even by their standards this is a massive occasion and they have Kelly Smith fit and raring to go after missing the two legged UEFA Cup final through suspension.

If Smith is more fired up than usual to put on a display then you really are up against it.

Charlton's form this season has been a little erratic with several players not able to find the consistency they would have liked. This is not necessarily a bad thing though coming into a one off game.

If everyone had been on their game all season and Charlton had still finished as far adrift of Arsenal in the league as they have then there would be almost no reason to be hopeful going into this game.

As it is there are several quality players in the Charlton squad who have maybe been storing a big game for when it really matters. Monday is the day for them to bring their A game to the party and then maybe, hopefully, we will have a game on our hands.

Charlton don't need to worry about it being an attacking game. Arsenal will make sure of that by themselves. What the Addicks have to try and do is to stay with Gunners for as long as possible and trust their pacy, dangerous forwards to strike when the opportunities arise.

How The Sides Match Up

Goalkeepers;

Emma Byrne generally has very little to do as the Arsenal keeper and often leads you to believe she is a little bit dodgy but when she was put under intense pressure in the UEFA Cup final she emerged as Arsenal's match winner after keeping two clean sheets. She will go into the final full of confidence.

I would imagine Toni-Anne Wayne will get the nod to start for Charlton and she will certainly be in for a busy afternoon. Wayne is a good shot stopper and has safe hands but, like many keepers in the womens game, she is not the biggest and this is a handicap that no amount of agility and bravery can completely mask.

I have yet to see Wayne prove that she is a worthy replacement for her outstanding predecessor Cope. Monday will offer her the opportunity.

Defence;

Arsenal will go with Alex Scott, Ciara Grant, Anita Asante and Mary Phillip, the defence which has been almost ever present this season in the absence through injury of Faye White. This quartet combines real pace with real power and there are no obvious weaknesses.

This is why Charlton will be best served looking to hit on the break as they have the pace to exploit any gaps left if Arsenal push forward too much and concentration might be the biggest flaw in Arsenal's defensive make up.

Casey Stoney and Karen Hills will provide the cornerstone of the Charlton defence with Boanas having several options of who to put in alongside them.

In an ideal world Stoney would play at right back where I feel she could perhaps dominate Rachel Yankey but her height and power might be deployed in the centre. Whatever combination is chosen the Charlton back four is in for a real examination and how it copes will determine whether they have any chance of lifting the trophy.

Midfield

Arsenal will probably have the daunting duo Jayne Ludlow and Katie Chapman patrolling midfield with the flying wingers Karen Carney and Rachel Yankey on the flanks. Awesome.

This is the area where Charlton might struggle the most. Much will rest on the ability of Katie Holtham to exert an influence in her duel with Chapman and Ludlow.

Holtham, who signed in the summer expecting to be partnering Chapman, has been steady without establishing herself as a truly commanding presence in the Charlton line up. As with so many of the Charlton team Monday offers her the prime opportunity to really step up to another level.

Another player who could be influential is the left winger Jo Potter.

Potter was exceptional last season when she looked likely to emerge as a real contender for Yankey's England place but she has been more fitful this campaign.

She is another player with the perfect stage to show her ability. Her left foot is exceptional and although she cannot go past defenders in the way Yankey does if she gets her radar adjusted properly her crosses can be devastating.

Beyond these two the other positions in the Charlton midfield look to be up for grabs and much will depend on how Boanas wants to set up his side.

Generally Charlton favour the attacking option offered by the likes of Ashlee Hincks but on this occasion a more solid alternative might be preferred.

Forwards

Vic Akers, with his one selection poser, will probably choose between Julie Fleeting and Lianne Sanderson to provide his sides' spearhead with Kelly Smith attacking from a little deeper. What a dilemna!

Whoever gets the nod up front will provide Charlton with problems enough but the biggest task will be to keep control of Smith, a thankless and virtually impossible task.

Leeds United threw a defensive blanket in front of Arsenal in this seasons' League Cup final and managed to keep the Gunners at bay until the very last minute.

Smith, however, was awesome and the longer the game went the more responsibility she took upon herself to engineer an opening, popping up all over the pitch and driving at the defence from all angles when other players might have been feeling a bit tired, sorry for themselves or looking at one of their teammates hoping they would do it for them.

Not Kelly. She never rests, she never gives up and she is blessed with every possible attribute a footballer could want (barring a right foot).

Charlton will have to subdue her if they are to win.

Charlton themselves have Natasha Dowie and Eni Aluko as their spearhead and therein lies their biggest reason for hope. These two are capable of scoring against anyone and can create their own chances as well as finish those provided for them.

Dowie has exceeded expectations in her first season with the club whereas Aluko has not hit the heights she managed last term, the highest of which was her brace in the League Cup final that sent Arsenal tumbling to defeat.

She is another who will need to be at her absolute best if Charlton are to spring a surprise.

Football England's Verdict;

Do I really need to say?

I really hope the game is competitive and if Charlton can contain the Arsenal attack to a reasonable extent then they will have a chance but I simply cannot imagine this Arsenal side allowing any team from these shores to beat them.

They are simply too strong in every area.

Still, if our resident betting expert Minty was to tip them they might be in trouble.

Here's hoping that, whatever the outcome, everyone enjoys the day and both sides can look back on the day with pride.

Womens Football - Monday May 7, 2007; Womens FA Cup Final

Arsenal Ladies 4 Charlton Athletic 1

Arsenal: E.Byrne, A.Scott, C.Grant, A.Asante, M.Phillip, K.Chapman, J.Ludlow, L.Sanderson (K.Carney 62), J.Fleeting (G.Davison 76), K.Smith, R.Yankey.

Charlton: T.Wayne, M.Bertelli, K.Hills, C.Stoney, D.Murphy, S.Boyer, K.Holtham (N.Hughes 82), J.Smith (A.Hincks 69), J.Potter, N.Dowie (A.Heatherson 82), E.Aluko.

Arsenal Ladies completed the final leg of their historic quadruple with this ultimately comfortable victory over Charlton Athletic.

Arsenal had to come from behind after conceding an early goal to a Charlton side that gave an excellent account of themselves in an open, entertaining game.

Their hopes of springing a shock were dashed by a killer third Arsenal goal on the stroke of half time and, overall, by a below par performance from their goalkeeper Toni-Anne Wayne who was culpable for three of Arsenal's goals.

Vic Akers sprang something of a surprise by leaving Karen Carney out of the Arsenal starting line up with Lianne Sanderson operating predominantly from the right hand side and Julie Fleeting up front.

Keith Boanas set Charlton up in a bold 3-5-2 formation with Danielle Murphy and Jo Potter the players patrolling the flanks. Alongside Katie Holtham in the centre Boanas went with Jessica Smith and the youngster Sinead Boyer, neither with much first team football behind them this season.

The game started at a lively pace with the action swinging from end to end and this positive approach led to an early goal for the record breaking crowd at Nottingham Forest's City Ground to enjoy.

Charlton won a throw in down the right hand side from which Natasha Dowie and Murphy worked the ball back to Eni Aluko who saw a gap and accelerated instantly into the box before squaring the to far post where Holtham got ahead of Potter in the race to score.

This was a dream start for the underdogs although it did offer the favourites plenty of time to recover. It was imperative for Charlton to consolidate their advantage but instead they surrendered it almost immediately.

Maria Bertelli took Kelly Smith out crudely some 30 yards from goal and the England star got up to curl the free kick into Toni-Anne Wayne's left hand corner.

It was an excellent strike from Smith but Wayne, who apparently felt the ball was going wide, should have saved. In the event she didn't even offer an attempt.

This instant response gave Arsenal real impetus although Charlton had the glimmer of a chance when a neat ball from Holtham played Dowie in but the forwards' touch was loose and the opportunity vanished.

Arsenal were the team doing most of the pressing now, however, and Rachel Yankey skipped beyond Murphy to present Katie Chapman with a great chance but the midfielder skied over the bar from eight yards out.

Minutes later Murphy went through the back of Yankey to concede a free kick near the left hand corner flag. Lianne Sanderson whipped an inswinger towards the near post where Jayne Ludlow nipped in front of Jess Smith to put Arsenal ahead.

The ball went in through Wayne's legs via a deflection off Smith but the goal was definitely Ludlow's and on this occasion there was no blame attached to the keeper.

Now it was all Arsenal and a spell of intense pressure saw Holtham scramble the ball off the line following a corner and Alex Scott's follow up attempt desperately blocked.

Charlton managed to weather this particular storm and from the half hour mark they enjoyed their best spell of the game.

Potter and Murphy switched wings to good effect, Holtham began to influence the midfield and Aluko was able to test the Arsenal defence with her pace and trickery.

Aluko drifted crossfield to supply Potter on the left again and her centre looked perfect for Dowie but the forward was too anxious and moved under the cross.

Then Charlton's pacy striker wriggled away from Ciara Grant but overran the ball before she could get her cross away.

When Arsenal attacked again it needed a good interception at full stretch from Potter to stop Yankey playing in Sanderson.

Charlton retaliated with a sweet move and only an inadvertant back heel from Mary Phillip broke up a clever interchange between Dowie and Aluko.

Julie Fleeting, largely peripheral, cut inside from the left wing to curl an effort towards the far post but the shot lacked the power to worry Wayne.

Charlton's improved play almost brought them level when Aluko turned sweetly away from Asante and although her shot was blocked the ball fell for Holtham who produced a great first touch before stabbing an instant effort just over the bar from twelve yards out.

There was every reason for Charlton to retain real hope at 2-1 down but with the half time whistle seconds away Ludlow struck a kiiler blow with Arsenal's third goal.

Karen Hills made an excellent headed clearance from a dangerous Sanderson centre but as the ball dropped it was met sweetly on the half volley by Ludlow and the ball flashed into the top corner.

It was a superb shot but the ball had been helped into the roof of the net by Wayne who got a full hand on the ball and should have saved.

Despite playing well Charlton therefore went in 3-1 down and there was no real way of seeing them getting back into the match.

Half Time: Arsenal 3 Charlton Athletic 1

To have any chance Charlton certainly needed to score next and they managed some early pressure after the break.

Jo Potter whipped in a dangerous free kick which was scrambled clear with some difficulty by the Arsenal defence and Emma Byrne had to be alert to clear a long ball forward from Hills before Aluko could reach it.

Arsenal quickly imposed themselves, however, and their football began to assume real authority. Denied the ball Charlton's efforts began to take their toll and Aluko and Dowie became increasingly isolated up front.

Coming deeper in search of possession Aluko was tackled in crunching fashion by Kelly Smith and the ball fell nicely for Fleeting who played in Sanderson. From the angle Sanderson drilled her shot straight at Wayne, however.

Yankey carved out the next chance, cutting inside from the right before reversing a superb ball into Fleeting's path. Again the finish was lashed straight at the keeper at her near post.

Then when her corner came straight back out to her Yankey ghosted past Jess Smith before smacking a shot against the outside of the near post.

Charlton were struggling to stay in the match at this stage and their growing fatigue was highlighted when Bertelli merely poked the ball straight back to Kelly Smith when she had fallen over running into the box.

Smith quickly smacked a shot towards the near post and Wayne was lucky to see the ball drop over the bar as it squirmed from her grasp.

Then with the hour mark approaching Charlton suddenly had the chance to get back into the game.

Murphy sent Aluko racing clear with a long ball but the striker's shot was too close to Byrne who saved with her feet at the expense of a corner.

It was strange that Aluko chose to shoot so early when she was free of the last defender. Charlton would not have another clear cut opportunity.

Charlton were looking a tired team and both Aluko and Jess Smith were now carrying knocks which made a comeback seem even more unlikely.

Arsenal brought on Carney for Sanderson and the impish winger was immediately keen to make her mark on the big occasion.

Charlton almost had another chance when Potter managed to rob Ciara Grant and sent in a cracking ball but Phillip was ideally positioned to clear ahead of Aluko.

Charlton made their first change with just over 20 minutes to go with Ashlee Hincks replacing Jess Smith but the lively attacker would not get many chances to test the Arsenal defence.

Katie Chapman emerged from a challenge to drive over a wonderful centre that just evaded Fleeting at the far post and it needed a brave block from Casey Stoney to deny Chapman after a sweet move involving Carney, Yankey and Scott.

Gemma Davison came on for Fleeting and was immediately offered a chance by Kelly Smith but the sub shot wide from the corner of the six yard box.

Smith then carved out an opening for Yankey whose low shot was sidefooted clear by Wayne in unconventional but effective style.

The keeper was again less convincing with her hands as Arsenal wrapped things up in their next attack.

Chapman robbed Dowie and slipped in Smith who cut inside a defender before scoring with a low right footed shot. Smith's right foot is not the best and this effort was fairly meek and the keeper, who again got a good glove to it, should have saved.

Potter and Dowie combined neatly to give Hincks a half chance as Charlton looked for a consolation but the sub slammed her shot wide of the near post before Natasha Hughes and Ann-Marie Heatherson were introduced in place of Holtham and Dowie.

Kelly Smith won a corner from which Heatherson had to clear off the line from Chapman as Arsenal threatened to make the scoreline even more emphatic.

Kelly Smith played Davison in with a lovely pass. Davison squared for Yankey who had Chapman and Carney in acres of space to her left but went for glory and saw Bertelli charge her drive down.

Very selfish.

The last chance of the game offered Ludlow the chance of her hat trick after Carney played in Alex Scott who found Ludlow with a perfect square ball.

Ludlow had perhaps too much time for her own good. She took plenty of it before sending her shot straight at Wayne.

The Arsenal captain had little chance to dwell on any disappointment she might have felt as she soon afterwards collected the Player of the Match award along with the FA Cup itself.

This had been a good game, truly excellent in the first half, and provided a real advert for the womens game.

Charlton had looked for big performances from their big players and they had not let them down. Karen Hills and Casey Stoney were superb at the back, Katie Holtham had been impressive in midfield before fading after half time, Jo Potter provided moments of quality on the flanks and Eni Aluko played with real pace and invention up front.

The going was harder for some of their younger players, however. Natasha Dowie found it difficult to impose herself on the game and the 16 year old Sinead Boyer never really got into the game.

In the event, though, their real handicap was the goalkeeping of Toni-Anne Wayne who was at fault for three of the Arsenal goals. Arsenal are not a side who need gifts but they were presented with a few here.

Nobody really stood out for Arsenal individually but collectively they were excellent. Chapman and Ludlow are truly formidable in midfield while Yankey, Smith and Sanderson all had their moments in attack.

Defensively Anita Asante and Ciara Grant had their problems containing Aluko but there was little to worry the full backs and Alex Scott was able to get forward to good effect on numerous occasions.

It is a measure of how good Arsenal are that they can win 4-1 against one of their toughest opponents and produce a top notch performance without any one individual producing a truly inspirational display.

Is there any way anyone can stop them completing another domestic clean sweep next season?

Full Time: Arsenal Ladies 4 Charlton Athletic Ladies 1

Player of the Match: Alex Scott

This girl impresses me more and more every time I see her play. She is quick, sharp in the tackle, good positionally and is always eager to get forward and join the attack. She also has the ability to create and score herself when she does so.
In this game Scott more than held her own in her duel with one of Charlton's best performers, Jo Potter, and provided ample evidence of both her defensive and attacking attributes.

Women's Football - Thursday, May 10
Cardiff Grab Crucial Win

There are a lot of loose ends to tie up as games have been going on here, there and everywhere while most of us were just concentrating on the FA Cup final.

The biggest issue resolved during these games was at the bottom of the National Premier League. Cardiff City Ladies needed a victory out of their final two games to stay up and faced their most realistic opportunity when they visited Doncaster Belles on Sunday.

The game was a real thriller.

Cardiff were giving as good as they got in the first half and after Terri Beddows had headed against the bar they took the lead when Charlotte Miller found the top corner from just outside the box.

Cardiff have not been particularly good at holding onto leads, however, and Doncaster came out after half time to turn the game on its' head. Vicky Exley equalised from the spot after Emily Heckler was tumbled by Carla Parfitt and then Carla Cantrell had the Belles ahead after capitalising on a poor clearance by Nicola Cousins.

With nothing to lose Cardiff threw on more attacking options and both sides went looking for further goals.

Laurie Harries levelled for Cardiff with a neat chip after being fed by her namesake Gwennan to set up a grandstand finish.

Rhian Nokes produced a fine save to keep the Welsh side on terms and Cantrell hit a post but when the decisive goal came it was at the other end and provided Cardiff with salvation.

Laurie Harries was again involved with a shot that Cath Beaver could not hold and Loren Dykes was on hand to convert the rebound.

It was a long trip home for Cardiff but it would certainly have been a happy one.

They have obviously struggled to adjust to life in the top flight but perhaps deserve to stay up as they have always looked to be as positive as possible. In the end it was that attitude which gained them this vital win.

To survive next season, however, the side will need to be better organised defensively and two or three players brought in to improve the overall standard of the side.

Hopefully progress will be made as the club undoubtedly have a handful of exciting talents on their hands.

Elsewhere in the Premier League Everton Ladies continue to look a good bet for the runners up spot and almost became the first team to take points off Arsenal this season.

Another Fara Williams goal, in the very last minute, gave them a narrow win at Chelsea and when they then travelled back to the capital in midweek they only lost 3-2 at Arsenal to a late Kelly Smith goal.

The game at Arsenal took place at the Emirates, a first for the ladies, albeit behind closed doors. It was suggested that had the game been an evening kick off then spectators might have been allowed in but as it was an afternoon game this was not the case.

There was no explanation as to why that was, however.

Anyhow, Lianne Sanderson earned herself the distinction of being the first woman to score at the new ground when she volleyed Arsenal ahead but a Rachel Unitt header had Everton on terms by the break.

Arsenal went back in front thanks to a typical piece of Kelly Smith brilliance. Smith surged past two defenders before planting a shot inside the near post.

Everton were again able to respond when Emma Byrne mis-judged a hopeful cross-shot and Jill Scott bundled home.

The Gunners were in danger of losing their 100% league record and went hard in search of the winner which eventually arrived with five minutes to spare. Anita Asante got to the byeline and when she squared back into the middle Smith was on hand to slot home and keep the perfect record intact.

Bristol Academy and Leeds United Ladies met each other twice in the space of three days with each side winning once.

The first game in Bristol was an incident packed affair with Academy winning 4-3 and Sue Smith being shown a red card for deliberate handball.

It was an eventful game for Smith who grabbed two of the Leeds goals while Kerry Bartlett went one better and managed a hat trick for Bristol.

The other scorers were Stef Curtis for Bristol and Amanda Barr for Leeds.

In the return fixture Leeds ran out 2-0 winners with goals from Mel Sutcliffe and Karen Burke.

Birmingham City Ladies' bright end to the season concluded with a resounding 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers. Heather Scheuber opened the scoring with Amy McCann getting the other two. This pair have been two of City's most consistent performers all season.

Liverpool Ladies finally confirmed their promotion from the Northern section with a resounding 5-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Jo Traynor and Gill Hart both scored twice with Channy Parry getting the other.

Women's Football - Tuesday, May 15
England Ladies 4 Northern Ireland Ladies 0

England: R.Brown, S.Houghton (K.Carney 46), A.Asante, M.Phillip, R.Unitt, A.Scott, K.Chapman, F.Williams, S.Smith, K.Smith (F.White 73), L.Sanderson.

It took England until the second half to puncture the resistance of a determined Northern Ireland side in Sunday's European Championship qualifier at Gillingham but once the first goal had gone in there was never any doubt about the eventual outcome.

The Irish were well organised, physical and totally committed. They concentrated all their efforts on defence, however, and left Rachel Brown a virtual spectator in the England goal.

England would have wanted, and perhaps expected, an early goal but they were to be disappointed and frustration appeared to be taking hold of their performance as the first half progressed.

Most of England's early efforts came from distance. Fara Williams tried her luck with a 30 yard free kick in the opening minutes and Kelly Smith sent in two attempts from outside the box in open play.

Emma Higgins in the Ireland goal was not unduly tested, however.

When England finally worked a more clear cut opening Higgins pulled off a far more difficult save. Katie Chapman got forward to cross and her midfield partner Williams was arriving right on cue to send a firm header towards the bottom corner.

Higgins got down superbly to parry and deserved her slice of luck as Alex Scott sent the rebound into the side netting from the angle.

Lianne Sanderson could only head over after a spot of pinball in the area ended with a clear chance inside the six yard box.

The Arsenal forward might also have done better when Kelly Smith drove to the byeline and picked her out with the cut back. Sanderson's shot lacked conviction and was cleared off the line by Kellie Leyland.

The first 45 minutes had been played almost exclusively in the Ireland half but the England efforts had been somewhat laboured and lacking any real spark.

Half Time: England 0 Northern Ireland 0

Hope Powell introduced Karen Carney for Steph Houghton at the break, a switch which saw Alex Scott move to right back.

This change inspired an improved England performance but it can hardly be put down as tactical genius. More a case of simply doing the obvious.

Carney was immediately involved with a series of jinking runs down the right. One Carney centre found Rachel Unitt who brought another save out of Higgins and Sanderson also went close as England started the second half with real purpose.

On 52 minutes the opening goal finally arrived. Carney again got down the right and when her deep centre was headed back across goal by Sue Smith the artillery was arriving in the form of Sanderson and Kelly Smith.

Smith it was who managed to bundle the ball home.

Despite falling behind the Irish were unable to mount a positive response and, as they began to tire, the game became an exercise in damage limitation.

The second goal, midway through the half, was a real body blow to the game visitors. Kelly Smith sent Sanderson racing to the byeline with a smart pass and when the centre came across Una Harkin could only turn the ball into her own net.

Two further goals arrived; Katie Chapman drilled in a neat finish from the edge of the box and Sanderson rounded Higgins to score from a Fara Williams pass to complete the scoring.

England continued pressing against opponents who had given their all but without further success. They could be satisfied with the four they had, however, while more goals would certainly have been harsh on the Irish.

Without really hitting top form this was a case of job done in the first game of the qualifying campaign, a campaign which will now resume after the World Cup finals.

Full Time: England Ladies 4 Northern Ireland Ladies 0

England: R.Brown 5, S.Houghton 5 (K.Carney 8), A.Asante 6, M.Phillip 5, R.Unitt 6, A.Scott 7, K.Chapman 8, F.Williams 8, S.Smith 6, K.Smith 7 (F.White 5), L.Sanderson 5 (A.Barr 4).

Womens Football -Tuesday, May 22

England Ladies 4 Iceland Ladies 0

England: R.Brown, A.Scott (L.Johnson 45), C.Stoney, K.Chapman (S.Houghton 79), A.Asante, M.Phillip (F.White 45), K.Carney (S.Smith 69), F.Williams (J.Scott 45), J.Handley, K.Smith (L.Sanderson 84), R.Yankey (J.Potter 45).

Apologies for the delay with this review, if you weren't aware of this game it took place last Thursday.

Having beaten Northern Ireland 4-0 a few days earlier in their European qualifier England's women repeated the scoreline against Iceland in their friendly at Roots Hall, the home of Southend United.

This was a more impressive, emphatic performance than the one given against Ireland although this is often the case in friendlies.

In front of a good crowd of just under 8,000 England were quickly onto the attack and looking dangerous every time they went forward.

Kelly Smith and Rachel Yankey both went close in the early stages before Fara Williams, winning her 50th cap, sent a header against the inside of a post from Yankey's cross.

The goal which England's bright opening deserved arrived midway through the first half. A spell of sustained pressure ended with Katie Chapman crossing to the far post from the right wing and Yankey got between two defenders to steer a calm, left footed volley into the corner.

Karen Carney, roving to particular effect, made a darting run down the right to cross for Chapman whose header flashed just wide as England's superiority remained complete.

One goal would have been scant reward for their excellent first half display but with the interval looming England put a proper perspective on the scoreline.

Casey Stoney flicked on a Yankey corner at the near post and Chapman scored with a brave header from close range after her initial shot had been blocked.

Half Time: England 2 Iceland 0

With the security of a second goal Hope Powell was able to make four changes at half time and would go on to make another three during the second half.

England's dominance remained unchecked.

Carney showed her appetite for the game was undiminished with another driving run and when she fed Kelly Smith her ball offered Jill Scott, one of the replacements, a clear chance but the finish was weak.

There was a lull in the action only for England to explode into life midway through the half and it was the irrepressible Carney at the centre of everything.

Drifting into midfield Carney sliced the Iceland defence wide open with an inspired through ball that sent Smith running clear inside the area.

There was no necessity to control the perfectly weighted pass and Smith coolly slotted beyond the advancing keeper first time.

Within a minute Smith was face to face with the Iceland keeper again. Carney crossed for Jody Handley whose headed flick struck a defenders' arm and the referee pointed immediately to the spot.

Kelly Smith stepped forward but produced a half hit and badly directed penalty that Thore Helgodottir saved diving to her left.

England's fourth was not long in arriving, however. Handley turned well in midfield to feed Carney whose lofted ball over the top dropped into the run of Chapman who scored with a magnificent first time volley into the top corner.

Sweet.

Jill Scott and Sue Smith went close to increasing England's lead but there would be no further goals.

Iceland produced their one moment of danger when Margret Vidarsdottir reached a long ball ahead of Rachel Brown but, having been forced wide by her touch, the forward could only shoot narrowly wide of the far post as the England keeper tried to regain position.

There was the slightly bizarre sight of a penalty shootout after the final whistle which England, with their most likely penalty takers already removed, lost.

All in all, however, this had been another highly encouraging display.

Full Time: England Ladies 4 Iceland Ladies 0

England: R.Brown 5, A.Scott 6 (L.Johnson 6), C.Stoney 6, K.Chapman 9 (S.Houghton 5), A.Asante 6, M.Phillip 6 (F.White 6), K.Carney 10 (S.Smith 6), F.Williams 7 (J.Scott 7), J.Handley 7, K.Smith 8, R.Yankey 8 (J.Potter 6).

Star Player: Karen Carney

This was a consumate display from England's teenage star. Carney showed her ability as a natural winger as well as her ability to come infield and scheme openings from the middle of the pitch.
What a talent.

Womens Football - Sunday May 20, 2007; Womens National Premier League.

Everton Ladies 4 Chelsea Ladies 0

Everton: R.Brown, B.Easton, R.Unitt, F.Williams, F.Whelan (L.Duffy 64), L.Johnson, A.Kane, J.Scott, J.Handley (F.McCoy 70), K.McDougall, M.Evans (N.Harding 75).

Chelsea: C.Collie (K.Davies 60), J.Morris, S.Perry, E.Delves, K.Davies, K.Loizou (F.Rabson 80), J.Clarke, A.Cook, E.White, S.Lamb, D.Susi.

Everton Ladies needed only a draw from this game to guarantee European football for next season. Charlton Athletic, the other team in contention, needed to win their game at Bristol Academy and hope for an inspired performance from Chelsea.

The first few minutes showed that Everton were, unsurprisingly, the keener of the two sides. Quick into the challenge and pressing forward with real purpose Everton's desire was obvious. Chelsea, with several youngsters in their squad, were immediately off the pace and under pressure.

From the off Everton's full backs were able to venture forward almost at will, they had complete control of the midfield and a striker in Jody Handley who looked hungry and sharp.

Chelsea needed to ride this early storm if they were to have any real chance but were unable to do so, falling behind after ten minutes.

Becky Easton was more committed than Jodian Clarke as the ball dropped between them on the Everton right and from her ball into the box Handley produced a neat headed flick that was prefect for the darting run of Michelle Evans coming in off the left flank and her first time finish was assured.

Everton were keen to press home their advantage and kept coming forward. Jill Scott made a forceful break down the right and her centre found Rachel Unitt, bombing forward constantly, but the England full back could only direct her header straight at Caroline Collie.

With neither Jodian Clarke or Dunia Susi able to get forward to offer meaningful support Ellen White had quickly become a very isolated figure in the Chelsea attack and it was difficult to imagine her getting much change out of the diligent Everton defensive pairing of Fern Whelan and Lindsay Johnson.

There was a moment of encouragement for the Chelsea frontrunner when she charged down a slack clearance from Rachel Brown but the referee came to the keepers' rescue as the pair tussled for the loose ball.

Handley was causing problems for the Chelsea defence every time she gained possession and produced a fine turn to evade Kylie Davies but could then only shoot straight at Collie.

Chelsea did manage their best move so far when Jo Morris, Amber Cook and Dunia Susi combined but their interplay only got them to within 25 yards of the Everton goal and Susi's hopeful shot provided Brown with a comfortable save.

Handley was again proving a handful as she forced her way past two challengers to provide Fara Williams with a shooting chance but the midfielder was wide of the mark with her shot.

This pair combined neatly again moments later in a move that almost carved the Chelsea defence completely open but Morris was able to intercept at the last moment.

The ball rolled back towards Collie who was in two minds whether to pick the ball up or boot clear. Having waited too long to be able to kick clear the keeper was then penalised for picking the ball up as the referee judged Morris's intervention a backpass.

With the entire Chelsea team lined up in front of goal this did not look the clearest opportunity in the world but it was still a surprise to see Williams try to dribble the ball in rather than shoot.

Football England's favourite was robbed by the second Chelsea defender she encountered.

Everton then produced a sweeping move which sent Williams surging to the byeline to cut back a clever ball into the path of Kelly McDougall whose early low centre picked out Unitt but the defender was only able to demonstrate that she could miss them with foot as well as head.

Unitt's adventurous performance did serve to highlight the dominance of the home team, however, as she was seldom called on to do any actual defending.

When Chelsea punted an Everton corner clear there appeared to be the hint of an opportunity. White was in direct competition for the ball with Amy Kane on the right wing and looked both the quicker and the stronger.

Kane tried to shield the ball from White who shrugged her off and was about to set off towards goal when the referee awarded Everton the free kick.

In general the refereeing performance in this game was sound but this was a mistake. If anyone had committed a foul it was Kane. White had just been too strong and should not have been penalised.

Whether she would have been able to outstrip the cover is another matter but it would have been nice to see her allowed the opportunity.

There would be precious few others.

The second goal was obviously going to be vital and it was no surprise when it was Everton who claimed it with half time approaching.

Kelly McDougall fired over a centre from out on the right and Collie was always struggling to get to it as the ball arrowed towards the far corner.

These goals will continue to be a regular feature of womens football until the average height of the goalkeepers is at least three inches taller.

Fara Williams was wide with an ambitious effort with her left foot from fully 30 yards but there seemed nothing to concern Everton at the interval as they looked to grab that European place.

Half Time: Everton 2 Chelsea 0

The second half got under way in relaxed fashion with Everton continuing to dominate possession but apparently lacking their earlier intensity.

In their first serious attack of the half, however, they stretched their lead to end any possible doubt about the outcome.

Evans found Kane with a fine crossfield ball and her deep cross was retrieved by Williams beyond the side of the penalty area. Williams sent the ball back from where it had come, Kane knocked it back across the area again and found Handley unmarked in front of goal.

The goal was gaping but Handley's shot was not cleanly struck and needed the help of a deflection before finding the net.

With an hour gone Chelsea decided to take Collie off and bring on a replacement keeper in Kate Davies (I think).

Collie did not look a happy bunny as she discarded her gloves in passing the bench but the performance of her replacement might have cheered her up over the remaining half an hour.

The replacement keeper immediately put her side under pressure with a needless and badly judged throw out to Sophie Perry. Becky Easton crunched into the challenge and Handley was able to find McDougall from the loose ball.

Davies actually managed to block McDougall's effort with a foot but as the ball lobbed back into the box Easton had followed up and was able to score with an athletic effort.

Shortly afterwards Davies came close to repeating the error with a drop kicked clearance straight into the back of her centre half. This time, however, there were no lurking Everton forwards to profit.

Both teams now began to make changes and Everton relaxed noticably with their four goal cushion.

Ellen White managed a looping header from a free kick but the effort did not tax Rachel Brown while at the other end the sub keeper had hearts in mouths yet again with a totally miskicked attempted clearance.

Everton had replaced Whelan with Leanne Duffy and the change saw Fara Williams drop back alongside Lindsay Johnson. This did not look to be a tactic that would be advisable in a tight game against stronger opposition.

The strong running Ellen White immediately began to make more of an impression, albeit in a lost cause.

White surged past Williams and also forced her way past Johnson to send in a telling low cross but Amber Cook was just unable to get on the end of it and then a long ball forward saw Susi outpace Unitt but without support she had to shoot from wide and the effort was well over.

Kyp Loizou produced a good interception to deny Everton after McDougall had sprayed a lovely first time ball out to Amy Kane.

The game ended in a flurry of action at either end as the action opened out in the closing minutes.

Jill Scott reversed a good return ball into Faye McCoy after the lumbering substitute had showed good strength to start the move but her shot was denied by a scrambling save from Davies.

Then McCoy got her head to Nicky Harding's free kick but flicked her effort just wide. Harding then sent in another free kick from almost the same spot to the far post where Becky Easton sent a dangerous header back across goal but there were no takers.

In response a long ball over the top gave Jodian Clarke a sudden chance and although the shot was not strong it was well directed and Rachel Brown was at full stretch to pull off the save.

Then Fara Williams managed to take her partner Johnson out of the game to give Chelsea another opportunity but White was unable to get a shot away and when she looked to supply Clarke with a chance Easton arrived on cue to boot clear.

The last and perhaps strangest action of the game came when Kelly McDougall sent in a well struck but extremely hopeful shot from outside the box that Davies managed to save in a ridiculously acrobatic style despite the shot being straight at her all the way.

One for the cameramen.

Full Time: Everton Ladies 4 Chelsea Ladies 0

Star Player: Jody Handley

Handley's movement, touch and strength were all excellent as she led the Everton line in determined yet intelligent fashion.
Nobody epitomised the contrast in the desire shown by these two teams better than the Everton centre forward who never allowed the Chelsea defence a moments peace before being rested for the last twenty minutes.

Women's Football - Wednesday, May 23
Perfection

It had seemed inevitable for quite a while and Arsenal Ladies duly completed their flawless season on Sunday with a 6-0 victory over Leeds United, Kelly Smith scoring a hat trick.

We can now finally stop counting the goal difference which finished at a staggering +109 after their 22 game league programme.

Blimey!

Can anyone stop them next season? At this moment in time the answer to that one can only be no.

Everton Ladies finished runners up behind them and at this time look their most likely challengers. Everton actually only conceded five more goals than Arsenal over the course of the season and look to have a defence and midfield to compete with the Gunners.

Both teams play the in vogue 4-3-3 systems, however, and the combination of Amy Kane and Michelle Evans as the wide attackers for Everton does not inspire the same sort of fear as Karen Carney and Rachel Yankey, with the option of Lianne Sanderson, Kelly Smith and Gemma Davison if required, that Arsenal possess.

If Everton can increase their firepower, however, they might be able to get closer to Arsenal.

Charlton Athletic Ladies, who finished 3rd after their 2-0 win at Bristol Academy, appear to have more work to do. They have perhaps the most strength in depth of anyone at the moment but they could almost pick two teams of the same standard.

They will require individuals to make significant progress next season and really command their places in the side. They certainly possess the attacking ability to hurt teams but must find more resilience and consistency.

With a young and relatively newly assembled squad they can expect progress, however.

Bristol Academy finished the season strongly, despite their defeat to Charlton, to grab an excellent 4th place.

They secured this position with a 5-0 win at Chelsea thanks mainly to a Stef Curtis hat trick.

Leeds United will be disappointed to have faded and finished 5th whereas Blackburn Rovers can congratulate themselves on a splendid first season in the top flight and a 6th placed finish.

None of these sides look capable of breaking the monopoly of the top three at present, however.

Birmingham City and Doncaster Belles treaded water at best this season whereas Chelsea, despite a weak finish, certainly improved on last season and will hope their young squad can continue getting better.

Cardiff City did just enough to survive their first season at this level and will have to improve further next season to survive with the newly promoted teams, Watford and Liverpool, looking capable of picking up points.

At this moment, and a lot can happen over the summer months in the womens game, next seasons' Premier League promises to be another highly competitive section.

Except for Arsenal of course.

All the Womens National Premier League club pages have been updated to include Football England's appraisal of the good and bad of their season, and here is our very own Womens Team of the Season.
Although I am not a huge fan of the 4-3-3 formation which dominates the womens' game at present the best players on view this season do actually fit into it so the 4-4-2 had to bite the dust, I'm afraid.
There are four survivors from last seasons' team, Lindsay Johnson in defence and the entire midfield. You've got to go some to disturb the Ludlow, Williams, Smith combination.

Substitutes:
E.Byrne (Arsenal)
K.Hills (Charlton Athletic)
N.Preston (Leeds United)
K.Carney (Arsenal)
N.Dowie (Charlton Athletic)

Manager: Adam Lakeland (Blackburn Rovers)

Gk: Kay Hawke (Blackburn Rovers)

Hawke has good stature and is a very athletic keeper. She played a full part in Blackburn's excellent introduction to the National Premier League and was also outstanding in the clubs' progress to the FA Cup semi finals.
If she can become slightly more commanding in dealing with crosses then Hawke could well end up challenging Rachel Brown for the England goalkeepers' jersey.

RB: Alex Scott (Arsenal)

Scott is my player of the year in the womens game. Not content to perform her defensive duties thoroughly she has made sure her attacking talents were put to good use as well.
This was not only as Arsenal were sweeping all before them on the domestic front, Scott scored several vital goals for England as well as the only goal of the UEFA Cup final.
Quick, sharp into the tackle and always at her winger Scott has made real progress this season and looks a cert for a starting place in the World Cup.

CH: Lindsay Johnson (Everton)

For me Johnson is the most consistent defender in the English game. She is big, strong and imposing but quick across the ground, assured in the tackle and comfortable with the ball at her feet.
She is the cornerstone of a miserly Everton defence and hardly ever has so much as an average game.
She can never quite convince Hope Powell, however.

CH: Anita Asante (Arsenal)

Faye White's long term injury saw Asante shifted full time into central defence and she took to the role like a duck to water.
Extremely pacy and strong Asante is almost impossible to run past with the ball. Her positioning and awareness improved all the time and she turned in consistently excellent performances for England, most notably in the crucial qualifier in France where she was absolutely outstanding.

LB: Corinne Yorston (Bristol Academy)

Now Bristol placed me in a bit of a jam here because I actually favour Yorston's teammate Shelley Cox for this position but she was mainly employed in midfield this season just inside Yorston and Stef Curtis, who both make this side, and together form a formidable left flank for the Gas Girls.
Yorston played her part in making this a real strength of the side as Bristol managed an impressive 4th placed finish and also earned England recognition.
Quick and with sound basic attributes, both as a defender and going forward, Yorston looks a real star of the near future.

CM: Jayne Ludlow (Arsenal)

Ludlow is magnificent in all honesty. She is a real, honest battler who never shirks a challenge but she offers Arsenal so much more with her sound distribution, unstinting work ethic and goalscoring knack.
Everybody scores their fair share playing for Arsenal but Ludlow comes up trumps when the going gets that bit tougher and was in the right place at the right time yet again to clinch the League Cup with a last minute winner against Leeds United.
One you'd definitely want on your side.

CM: Fara Williams (Everton)

Fara may well be the acknowledged Football England favourite but she gets in this side absolutely on merit.
Not only did Fara run the Everton midfield in her usual no nonsense, tidy fashion she piled in with a truck load of goals as well which eventually ensured her sides' 2nd placed finish.
Just about the complete midfield player and a vital part of the England set up to boot.
Go Fara!

AM: Kelly Smith (Arsenal)

Another tour de force from Smith this season as she spearheaded Arsenal's historic clean sweep. Not just too strong but simply too good for the Premier League Smith was also pivotal in the Gunners' European campaign until a savage three match suspension ruled her out of the 2nd leg of the semi final and both legs of the final.
Smith is also England's obvious crown jewel and we can only hope she is able to really make her mark in the forthcoming World Cup.

RW: Jody Handley (Everton)

Handley may not be the most naturally gifted forward around but she is good enough to trouble any defence.
Quick, without being express, Handley is strong, turns well and is clever in her movement. She is also a born competitor who never gives in and is running and chasing every bit as enthusiastically in the last game of the season as she would have been in the first.

CF: Katie Anderton (Blackburn Rovers)

Anderton was a revelation for Blackburn as she scored for fun and ensured her team enjoyed a superb first season at the top level.
A rangy runner and extremely clever in the timing of her runs she is hard to mark and usually makes her defender pay for any lapse of concentration.

LW: Stef Curtis (Bristol Academy)

Curtis was dogged by injury last season and although it took her a little while to find her best form she was a constant source of danger as Bristol enjoyed a good season.
Very quick and with a cultured left foot Curtis not only managed a healthy goalscoring return herself she was the main source of supply for the other Academy forwards.
If she remains injury free this potent attacker will get even better.

Manager: Adam Lakeland (Blackburn Rovers)

It might seem perverse not to give this accolade to Vic Akers after he led Arsenal to a domestic treble and also the UEFA Cup, not dropping a point in the league in the process, but his work has been done over many years and his success this year made certain after his pre-season activity in the transfer market.
Having beefed up his already frightening squad all Akers needed to do was send a side out onto the field.
Lakeland, on the other hand, is another story.
At the start of the season he was simply the assistant to Andy McNally, the award winning manager who had led Blackburn through the lower leagues and into the National Premier League for the first time.
Blackburn had made a reasonable start to the campaign when McNally was suspended after a turbulent cup tie with Chelsea in which Rovers had two players sent off.
The fall out from this game led to McNally leaving the club and the England centre forward Amanda Barr also, eventually, departing without playing for the club again.
Lakeland was eventually placed in charge amidst confusion and unrest and managed to move the club onwards and upwards immediately.
Rovers climbed up the league with fine wins against the likes of Charlton and Leeds and also negotiated a tough FA Cup draw to reach the semi finals where Charlton proved just too strong.
All in all the rookie can look back with real pride on his efforts.

Womens Football - Wednesday, May 30
Stronger Than Ever Or Dying A Death?

When the BBC introduced their coverage of this years' Womens FA Cup final the presenter, who I would imagine was attending his first ever womens' football game, immediately announced that the womens game had never had it so good.

To back this opinion up he pointed out the record attendance present in Nottingham for the fixture and England's qualification for this years' World Cup finals in China.

Both factually correct but do they combine to make the original statement a fact?

The trouble with FA Cup and World Cup finals is that these events will always generate a level of interest inordinately higher than the week in week out grind of the season as a whole.

These are also, however, the only events the heavyweights of the media can be bothered with.

It is easy for the BBC to produce such a bland statement. For all the interest they take in womens football, the FA Cup final and certain England internationals, they probably do think everything in the garden is rosy.

Over 20,000 turn up for the cup final and England have a team that does not embarrass the broadcaster the odd times they deign to put them on our screens.

So no wonder the BBC believe everything is fine and dandy as far as womens' football is concerned.

The truth of the matter may be somewhat different, however. The real strength of womens football is not really to be measured by national and international finals. It is to be measured in the health and vitality of the clubs operating at all levels of the game throughout the country throughout the year.

At grassroots, a favoutite word of the games' ruling bodies, things still look good. There are more players, clubs and leagues than ever before.

Boundaries are being broken down all the time thereby making access to the game and acceptability in playing it far more widespread for girls.

This is all that is needed to ensure the sports' popularity. Once girls are playing football to any degree this is the game that will become the most popular.

It is simply the most enjoyable to play.

So local clubs can expect to continue to flourish. At that level interest is more important than money and with interest at an all time high everything is set fair.

Ultimately, however, if the game is going to progress and really thrive then it needs to truly establish itself on a secure footing higher up the structure and this is where the signs are ominous.

Feeding players to the England side that is currently doing so well is the National Premier League.

As the title says this is a league with teams spanning the length and breadth of the country and at this level running costs are significant.

The clubs, however, have none of the sources of revenue that their counterparts in the mens' game have.

Crowds tend to hover around the 200 mark, charged at a few quid each, so there is no meaningful income from gate receipts.

Sponsorship is devilishly difficult to come by and usually only of a short term duration.

Crucially there is absolutely no interest from television regarding the run of the mill league season.

Denied money from these sources the game at the top level is basically a reflection of which of the mens clubs give most support to the womens teams affiliated to them.

Arsenal give the most support and have given it the longest and this is highlighted by Arsenal Ladies' dominance of the game.

Charlton Athletic come next with Everton also benefitting from decent support from their "parent" club.

This situation brings its' own pitfalls, however. All womens' clubs that receive significant support in this way are in constant danger of finding the support removed. Obviously when this happened the consequences are severe.

In the summer of 2005 Birmingham City pulled the plug on financial support to Birmingham City Ladies and the latter was immediately in danger of extinction.

The team lost almost an entire team that summer and faced the prospect of rebuilding hastily on dramatically reduced income before the start of the following season.

The club bounced back superbly from this setback but when the same thing happened, even more dramatically, to Fulham WFC last summer the fallout was more damaging.

Fulham had even made their ladies team professional at one point but, frustrated at the lack of progress towards making the game as a whole professional, they decided to withdraw their backing completely.

Fulham WFC had to start completely from scratch and although they managed to patch together a team for the start of this season they suffered an emphatic relegation. It remains to be seen if the club can consolidate at the next level down and then re-establish themselves.

This summer it is the turn of Leeds United Ladies who, obviously, no longer get any backing from Leeds United.

To be fair nobody gets any money from Leeds United, do they?

With the sponsorship deal Leeds United Ladies had struck running out the club immediately found itself in serious difficulties.

The club has instigated all manner of fundraising ventures, basically of the kind your local village cricket club survives on, in the hope of a stay of execution and a more permanent solution turning up.

Of course Sue Smith, Leeds' highest profile player, was sitting in the studio at the FA Cup final listening to the "fact" that womens' football is in such great shape faced with the possibility that the team she represents might not exist come the start of next season.

A little lower down the league structure Southampton Saints, one of the great names from the 1970's and 80's, have also been abandoned by Southampton FC and ended the season relegated and barely able to field a first team.

Perversely even being successful can be damaging in womens football. The Arsenal manager, Vic Akers, bemoaned the fact that competing in the UEFA Cup had cost the club around £30,000 this season.

Whether this figure was offset to any great degree by his side winning the competition I don't know but his words sound a real warning to Everton Ladies who have also qualified for next years' competition due to Arsenal's success.

Mo Marley was quick to hope that Everton FC will help her side out if there is an additional expense attached to playing in Europe but there are never any guarantees.

It is hard to hold out any genuine hope that any mens club will continue to support womens' football if their own status is under threat.

Even though it might only cost around £90,000 to fund a team in the Womens Premier League for a full season, a weeks wages for plenty of male footballers, this will be viewed as vital money by a club facing relegation from the mens Premier League.

My major interest in the relegation battle in the Premier League this season was in contemplating how the possible relegation of Charlton Athletic might affect their womens' team.

Of course Charlton did bite the bullet and we shall have to wait and see if this has any major effects on Charlton Ladies.

We must hope not. Charlton have a greater sense of involving the community than most clubs and have invested in a solid infrastructure for the womens team which would make reduced support for the ladies a genuine waste.

If the club cannot secure a quick return to the Premier League, however, who knows?

Therefore the state of womens football in England does not look quite so rosy as a first glance might suggest.

I have banged on about tv time and again on this site and to some extent I cannot comprehend the continued absence of regular coverage somewhere on the myriad channels in operation.

After all everything else seems to get covered. No matter how stupid, pointless or complete a minority the sport may be.

Until something in this line is secured and a regular, reliable source of income generated for the top flight clubs then there will always be this uncertainty concerning the survival of these clubs.

More needs to be done to make womens football attractive to television, and potential sponsors who operate on the same principles as tv companies when contemplating investment, however.

The biggest drawback for womens' football is probably the venues.

Shunted out to various non league grounds the facilities are generally poor and the pitches dreadful.

Not only do the surroundings give the games a feeling of lacking quality before they start they are hardly designed to encourage people to actually go and watch.

They do not lend themselves to outside broadcast units either.

The pitches can also be of such a poor standard that they make a decent game of football basically impossible.

I went with a friend to watch Everton play Charlton Ladies at the end of last season for a game that would decide who finished runners up in the league.

Everton won 1-0 but the game was extremely poor. My friend was not impressed but made the pertinent observation that Argentina and Brazil would have been hard pressed to do any better on the pitch that the game was played on.

This season when Everton clinched their place in Europe they did so on what amounted to a park in Widnes.

The pitch was not bad but the venue was still baffling. With the mens' season over and Goodison Park doing nothing for the next couple of months why couldn't the game have been played there?

With any kind of promotion a game at Goodison would surely have attracted a decent crowd. This would have made the club some money and also provided the womens' game as a whole with better exposure.

And even if it didn't it would at least have allowed some of the countries' best players the opportunity to play at one of the countries' top grounds rather than a park in Widnes.

Similarly when Arsenal Ladies played a game at the Emirates recently they did so behind closed doors.

What was that all about?

It's as though they don't want the game to catch on.

Lastly the FA need to be more pro-active in securing greater financial support and exposure for the womens' game.

At least all the England Ladies internationals will be shown on tv after the latest round of bidding for the rights to show domestic football but it is unlikely the clubs will feel much benefit from the deal.

The FA will no doubt argue that the money will help support the various England womens teams now in existence but it is the clubs who produce the players for these sides and many of them need help.

All in all the future of the womens' game in England remains somewhat precarious. If the England team was to enjoy a successful World Cup this would surely help raise the profile of the game still further.

Even if England were to win the World Cup in China, however, the players would still be coming back to play their football on a collection of non-league grounds and none of them would be seen on a tv screen, actually playing, until the next England international came around.

So once again we are back to where we started, really.

****This article produced an interesting response, printed below, from one of our readers which elaborates on a couple of issues raised and for which we would like to thank Pat Higgins****

"I travel all over in support of the womens game from Prem to County Div 3- at regional and county level the game is healthy although even there signs are increasing that the boom may have peaked as some teams struggle to find players-but turnover of teams is natural, I suppose.

For me, the problems you highlighted are very real in the National league. One point of accuracy-Southampton abandoned the Saints 2 years ago although they gave a small grant as a one off for 2 years-a sort of parachute payment. Gradually the fine team from 3/4 years ago disintegrated as players were attracted by more successful and/or lucrative stints at other clubs.

The most ironic point was how Fulham lured several Saints away then had the same thing happen to them. Almost every National league team now has ex-Saints in it. Ironically while Saints were turning out teams of 8/9 after Symon was sacked and yet another mid season exodus happened the two youth sides were having successful seasons in the County leagues, the reserves winning Hampshire 3.

I saw the youth team plus one or two loyal seniors hold Pompey (another home for 5-6 ex-Saints)to a very creditable 2-0 result in late April. The problem was that the youth teams were often playing at the same time as the seniors and the National league team suffered on these occasions.

Hopefully Saints will recover in the Combination with the cream of those fine youth teams plus one or two loyal seniors. Fulham will thrive if they can hold on to their players as their committee and staff are hugely committed and good people who built a club from nothing to conduct an honourable campaign against all odds."