Birmingham City Women FC- Looking Ahead to 2022/23 Season

 

                    Photo from @BCFCWomen 

Birmingham City Women fans have had more experience of the Champions League than the Championship. However, despite giving their all throughout last season, the Blues found themselves relegated from the WSL, so what will life in the Championship entail?

Well, it won’t be easy. Take Liverpool as an example. They were one of the founding teams of the WSL, along with Birmingham, and won the WSL in 2013 and 2014 (we don’t speak about 2014). However, they found themselves relegated in an unorthodox way in the 2019/20 season. The league followed the ‘points per game’ system following the first Covid lockdown meaning that Liverpool were relegated as the league wrapped up following a number of postponements. It took Liverpool a couple of seasons to make their way back to the WSL, meaning that the Championship is not an easy league. Bristol are also a team who experienced Champions League football (as Bristol Academy) and are still in the Championship, following their relegation in 2020/21, hoping to get back into the WSL. Not if we have anything to do with it!

Whilst Bristol may prove to be tricky opponents, other teams will no doubt like to have their say too. Crystal Palace have made their intentions clear by making no less than 15 signings in pre-season. Newcomers Southampton have also made a few good signings and will be looking to make their mark in the league. Sunderland, who were controversially displaced after the WSL/Championship reshuffle, will also be tough opponents. Despite having a very young squad, they took us to extra time in the FA Cup last season in which Lucy Whipp scored a looping header to send us up to Durham. It was a tough test, against a physical side, but we showed we could get the job done on a very windy afternoon up north. 

Although we may have some adjusting to do, the team have had a good amount of time to prepare. Blues legends Darren Carter and Jo Potter have had pre-season to bring in players to strengthen the squad and apply their management style and tactics afresh. The additions of Siobhan Wilson, Martha Harris, Lucy Thomas, Mollie Green, Tara Bourne (loan), Fran Stenson (loan), Ashley Hodson (loan), Charlie Devlin (loan) have provided a good depth to the squad. We also managed to retain players with an abundance of experience in the WSL with the likes of Louise and Lucy Quinn, Christie Murray and Harriet Scott who will undoubtedly remain key players. With Libby Smith on fire in pre-season scoring five goals, it looks as though the Blues have the firepower to go all the way. One of those five goals made sure that the Blues finished off pre-season with a 1-0 win over WSL side Reading. A well worked goal, scored on the counter attack, is what us Bluenoses will be hoping to see more of throughout the season.

 

Of course, being relegated was a sad day as a long-time fan of Birmingham City Women, but I’m thoroughly looking forward to seeing what this season brings. As we know, it’s a long, long road and there’ll be joys and sorrows too, but we’ll journey on. We’ll keep right on ‘til the end of the road and hopefully at the end of that road will be the Championship trophy!

 

If you are new to BCFC Women and are thinking of coming to a game, please get in touch with @BluesWomenSG on Twitter. We are a friendly bunch and can’t wait to see you! KRO

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