2020–21 Birmingham City W.F.C. season explained

Club:Birmingham City
Season:2020–21
Manager:Carla Ward
Mgrtitle:Head Coach
Chairman:Edward Cheng
Stadium:Damson Park, Solihull
League:FA WSL
League Result:11th
Cup1:FA Cup
Cup1 Result:Quarter-final
Cup2:League Cup
Cup2 Result:Group stage
League Topscorer:Claudia Walker (5)
Season Topscorer:Claudia Walker (8)
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Prevseason:2019–20
Nextseason:2021–22

The 2020–21 Birmingham City W.F.C. season was the club's 53rd season in existence and their 10th in the FA Women's Super League, the highest level of the football pyramid, having been founding members of the league in 2011. Along with competing in the WSL, the club will contested two domestic cup competitions: the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Carla Ward was appointed manager ahead of the new season on 13 August 2020, taking over from Charlie Baxter who had been put in charge on an interim basis following the departure of Marta Tejedor during the previous campaign.[1]

On 5 April 2021, it was revealed a formal letter signed by all Birmingham City players had been sent to the club's board with a list of complaints including concerns about working conditions, lack of gym facilities, medical support, travel provisions, squad size and part-time coaching staff which would contradict WSL licensing rules. Numerous requests by the squad to meet with the board had previously been rejected and there was a fear that the club was not committed to funding a full-time team for the following season with only three players under contract past June 2021.[2] The letter received support from the PFA as well as mass social media coverage from former and current players around the WSL.[3] On 8 April, the letter was addressed in a club statement with the board expressing their disappointment an internal issue was made public, refuting the factual accuracy of many of the points reported and citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as context for both the financial strain and practical difficulties with regards to providing adequate facilities but reaffirming they were still committed to supporting the team. The statement also confirmed a deal had been agreed to host the women's team's home games at the club's main St Andrew's stadium for the 2021–22 season.[4]

On 14 May 2021, Ward announced her resignation effective as of the team's final game of the season on 16 May.[5]

Squad

[6]

FA Women's Super League

See main article: article and 2020–21 FA WSL.

League table

Women's FA Cup

See main article: 2020–21 Women's FA Cup.

As a member of the top two tiers, Birmingham City will enter the FA Cup in the fourth round proper. Originally scheduled to take place on 31 January 2021, it was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.[7] [8] Due to the delay, the competition only reached the fifth round before the end of the season. It resumed at the quarter-final stage the following season on 29 September 2021, at which point Scott Booth was Birmingham City manager.

FA Women's League Cup

See main article: 2020–21 FA Women's League Cup.

Group E

Ranking of second-placed teams

Squad statistics

Appearances

Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances after the + symbol where applicable.|-|colspan="14"|Joined during 2021–22 season but competed in the postponed 2020–21 FA Cup:|-|colspan="14"|Players who appeared for the club but left during the season:|}

Transfers

Transfers in

DatePositionNationalityNameFromRef.
21 August 2020MFChristie Murray Liverpool[9]
28 August 2020MFChloe McCarron Linfield[10]
6 September 2020MFDestiney Toussaint London Bees[11]
7 September 2020MFMollie Green Manchester United[12]
7 January 2021FWVeatriki Sarri Sheffield United[13]
16 January 2021FWRuesha Littlejohn Leicester City[14]
30 January 2021GKSophie Whitehouse Tottenham Hotspur[15]

Loans in

DatePositionNationalityNameToUntilRef.
28 August 2020DFRachel Corsie Utah Royals15 January 2021[16] [17]
4 September 2020DFGeorgia Brougham EvertonEnd of season[18]
4 September 2020DFJamie-Lee Napier ChelseaEnd of season[19]
7 October 2020GKDaniela Kosinska[20] Stoke CityEnd of season[21]
16 January 2021FWEmily Murphy ChelseaEnd of season[22]
2 February 2021MFRuby Mace ArsenalEnd of season[23]

Transfers out

DatePositionNationalityNameToRef.
28 May 2020MFBrianna Visalli Houston Dash[24]
1 June 2020DFAdrienne Jordan OL Reign[25]
4 June 2020DFFreya Gregory Aston Villa[26] [27]
MFAbbey Jones Aston Villa
7 June 2020MFOlivia Rabjohn Aston Villa
10 June 2020GKAlexandra Brooks Blackburn Rovers[28] [29]
19 June 2020MFChloe Arthur Aston Villa[30] [31]
MFLucy Staniforth Manchester United[32]
30 June 2020DFKerys Harrop Tottenham Hotspur[33] [34]
MFLaura Brown Aston Villa[35]
FWMissy Goodwin Aston Villa[36]
1 July 2020FWRachel Williams Tottenham Hotspur[37] [38]
15 January 2021MFDestiney Toussaint Coventry United[39]
23 April 2021MFChloe McCarron Glentoran[40] [41]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Carla Ward appointed Women's Head Coach . Birmingham City Football Club . 13 August 2020 . 13 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200913052600/https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2020/carla-ward-appointed-womens-head-coach/ . dead .
  2. Web site: Garry . Tom . Special WSL report: Birmingham Women hit out at club for 'preventing us doing our jobs' . The Telegraph . 5 April 2021.
  3. Web site: Birmingham City Women: PFA supports players over complaints to club board . Sky Sports.
  4. Web site: Club Statement: Blues Women . Birmingham City Football Club.
  5. Web site: Garry . Tom . Carla Ward resigns as Birmingham City Women manager . The Telegraph . 14 May 2021.
  6. Web site: Women's Team . Birmingham City Football Club . 15 August 2018 . 15 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180815164427/https://www.bcfc.com/birmingham-city-women/ . dead .
  7. Web site: The Women's FA Cup Season 2020–21 List of Exemptions. thefa.com. The Football Association. PDF. 10 August 2020.
  8. Web site: Women's FA Cup to remain suspended during coronavirus lockdown . Sky Sports.
  9. Web site: Christie Murray joins Blues Women . Birmingham City Football Club . 21 August 2020 . 22 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200822131406/https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2020/christie-murray-joins-blues-women/ . dead .
  10. Web site: Blues bag McCarron . Birmingham City Football Club . 28 August 2020 . 23 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210423184021/https://bcfc.com/news/articles/2020/blues-bag-mccarron/ . dead .
  11. Web site: Toussaint in at Blues Women . Birmingham City Football Club . 6 September 2020 . 22 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210122145417/https://bcfc.com/news/articles/2020/toussaint-in-at-blues-women/ . dead .
  12. Web site: Mollie Green signs for Blues . Birmingham City Football Club . 7 September 2020 . 13 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200913050655/https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2020/mollie-green-signs-for-blues/ . dead .
  13. Web site: Veatriki Sarri signs for Blues . Birmingham City Football Club . 7 January 2021 . 23 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210623152958/https://bcfc.com/news/articles/2021/veatriki-sarri-signs-for-blues/ . dead .
  14. Web site: Ruesha Littlejohn Signs . Birmingham City Football Club . 16 January 2021 . 13 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210613083433/https://bcfc.com/news/articles/2021/ruesha-littlejohn-signs/ . dead .
  15. Web site: Sophie Whitehouse Signs . Birmingham City Football Club . 30 January 2021 . 19 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210619184009/https://bcfc.com/news/articles/2021/sophie-whitehouse-signs/ . dead .
  16. Web site: Rachel Corsie joins Blues Women . Birmingham City Football Club . 28 August 2020 . 11 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210411004436/https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2020/rachel-corsie-joins-blues-women/ . dead .
  17. Web site: Corsie's Birmingham City loan cut short . BBC Sport.
  18. Web site: Brougham returns to Blues Women . Birmingham City Football Club . 4 September 2020 . 24 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210524151052/https://bcfc.com/news/articles/2020/brougham-returns-to-blues-women/ . dead .
  19. Web site: Napier signs for Blues Women . Birmingham City Football Club.
  20. Dual registration
  21. Web site: Birmingham City confirm signing of former Villa goalkeeper on dual registration terms . FAWSL Full-Time . 8 October 2020.
  22. Web site: Birmingham loan Chelsea's Murphy . BBC Sport.
  23. Web site: Ruby Mace joins Blues . Birmingham City Football Club.
  24. Web site: Dash sign free agent midfielder Brianna Visalli . www.houstondynamo.com . en . 5 June 2020 . 30 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201030052019/https://www.houstondynamo.com/houstondash/post/2020/05/28/dash-sign-free-agent-mf-brianna-visalli . dead .
  25. Web site: Jordan leaves Blues Women . Birmingham City Football Club . en . 5 June 2020 . 22 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200622102050/https://bcfc.com/news/articles/2020/jordan-leaves-blues-women/ . dead .
  26. Web site: Gregory leaves City . www.newschain.uk . en.
  27. Web site: Freya Gregory joins Aston Villa . Freya Gregory. 4 July 2020. 4 July 2020.
  28. Web site: Brooks to leave Blues . Birmingham City Football Club . en.
  29. Web site: Brooks makes Rovers return! . www.rovers.co.uk.
  30. Web site: Lucy Staniforth and Chloe Arthur to leave Blues Women . Birmingham City Football Club . en . 19 June 2020 . 22 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200622041400/https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2020/midfield-pair-to-leave-blues/ . dead .
  31. Web site: Chloë Arthur signs for Villa Women . www.avfc.co.uk . en.
  32. Web site: Man Utd Women sign midfielder Lucy Staniforth . www.manutd.com.
  33. Web site: Kerys Harrop set to leave the Club . Birmingham City Football Club . en.
  34. Web site: Kerys Harrop completes move to Spurs Women . Tottenham Hotspur . en.
  35. Web site: Frith . Wilf . Laura Blindkilde Brown commits to Aston Villa Women until 2025 . SheKicks . 9 February 2022.
  36. Web site: Goodwin: I Could Not Wait To Join The Foxes . www.lcfc.com.
  37. Web site: Williams leaves Blues . Birmingham City Football Club . en.
  38. Web site: Rachel Williams signs for Spurs Women . Tottenham Hotspur . en.
  39. Web site: Destiney Toussaint Departs . Birmingham City Football Club . 15 January 2021 . 19 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210619193927/https://bcfc.com/news/articles/2021/destiney-toussaint-departs/ . dead .
  40. Web site: Chloe McCarron departs . Birmingham City Football Club . 23 April 2021 . 23 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210423111903/https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2021/chloe-mccarron-departs/ . dead .
  41. Web site: NI midfielder McCarron joins Glentoran . BBC Sport.