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| Manchester City Women celebrating winning the Continental Cup Final |
On the face of it not much has changed for this years competition there is still a group stage with the 18 teams over the 2 leagues divided into 3 groups of 6 teams which are exactly the same as last season albeit Everton Ladies and Sunderland Ladies have swapped leagues. The main difference this season is that there will be a quarter final stage meaning 8 teams will go on to contest the knock out stages of the competition. Therefore it will be the 1st and 2nd placed teams in the 3 groups along with the 2 best positioned 3rd placed teams.
This is something I felt the competition lacked last season with only the group winners assured a place in the semi finals last season it meant several teams were out of it early on and several matches were dead rubbers now knowing 3rd place could see you through there is a lot more incentive and certainly a better chance for a team from FAWSL 2 to reach the knock out stages.
That being said had we had a quarter final stage in last season's competition then the 8 teams that would have progressed out of the groups would have been the 8 FAWSL 1 teams as they were last season. This time round though I think it will be different the FAWSL 2 teams were finding their feet in a new league last season and are better placed to have a crack at the Continental Tyres Cup this time around.
The other change to the competition this year is its start date most of the group games were out of the way before the mid season break last season this time around they are starting after the mid season break meant very little football was played before the break clearly to aid England Women's World Cup preparations which was a good thing, however it does mean there is a lot of football to now be crammed into the next 3 and a half months. Will FAWSL managers take the opportunity to rest players especially their England stars during the group stages?
The Groups
The groups as I've said are exactly the same as they were last season. Group One listed on the left is the 'London' group with just 2 FAWSL 1 clubs and 4 from FAWSL 2. Both Chelsea Ladies and Arsenal Ladies progressed from this group last season as group winners and the best placed runners up.
Expect both to progress to the knock out stages this time as well. Reading FC Women may fancy their chances of getting out of the group to riding high in FAWSL 2 will need to make sure they don't field any ineligible players this time around though. The other 3 teams, Millwall, London Bees and Watford are all struggling for form at the wrong end of FAWSL 2
Group One Fixtures
22/07 - Reading FC Women v Chelsea Ladies 7:45pm
22/07 - Millwall Lionesses v London Bees 7:45pm
23/07 - Arsenal Ladies v Watford Ladies 7:45pm
29/07 - London Bees v Arsenal Ladies 7:30pm
29/07 - Millwall Lionesses v Reading FC Women 7:45pm
29/07 - Watford Ladies v Chelsea Ladies 7:45pm
12/08 - Watford Ladies v Millwall Lionesses 7:45pm
15/08 - Reading FC Women v London Bees 5:00pm
16/08 - Chelsea Ladies v Arsenal Ladies 2:00pm
26/08 - Chelsea Ladies v Millwall Lionesses 7:30pm
26/08 - London Bees v Watford Ladies 7:30pm
27/08 - Arsenal Ladies v Reading FC Women 7:45pm
30/08 - Chelsea Ladies v London Bees 2:00pm
30/08 - Millwall Lionesses v Arsenal Ladies 2:00pm
30/08 - Watford Ladies v Reading FC Women 2:00pm
Group Two is the 'Northern' group and probably the hardest one to predict when looking to see who might progress to the knock out stages. Manchester City Women are defending the Continental Tyres Cup and will be amongst the favourites to progress. Sunderland Ladies are riding on the crest of a wave having been newly promoted to the top tier of women's football will fancy their chances.
Liverpool Ladies are searching for form and a good run in this competition would do them the
world of good. Doncaster Rovers Belles are top of
FAWSL 2 and will be confident they can beat
anyone else in the group on their day, think it will be
between those 4 to progress.
Group Two Fixtures
22/07 - Durham Women FC v Sunderland AFC Ladies 7:30pm
23/07 - Doncaster Rovers Belles v Manchester City Women 7:45pm
23/07 - Everton Ladies v Liverpool Ladies 7:30pm
29/07 - Manchester City Women v Durham Women FC 7:00pm
29/07 - Sunderland AFC Ladies v Everton Ladies 7:30pm
30/07 - Doncaster Rovers Belles v Liverpool Ladies 7:45pm
15/08 - Liverpool Ladies v Durham Women FC 5:30pm
15/08 - Sunderland AFC Ladies v Manchester City Women 6:30pm
16/08 - Everton Ladies v Doncaster Rovers Belles 2:00pm
26/08 - Liverpool Ladies v Sunderland AFC Ladies 6:30pm
27/08 - Everton Ladies v Manchester City Women 7:30pm
27/08 - Doncaster Rovers Belles v Durham Women FC 7:45pm
30/08 - Durham Women FC v Everton Ladies 12:00pm
30/08 - Manchester City Women v Liverpool Ladies 2:00pm
30/08 - Sunderland AFC Ladies v Doncaster Rovers Belles 2:00pm
although the folks over in Nottingham don't like that particular term. Notts County Ladies though I think are the team most likely to win the group are doing well in the league when compared to their fellow FAWSL 1 sides Birmingham City Ladies and Bristol Academy who are both involved in the relegation battle at the bottom of the table the Continental Tyres Cup will either be a welcome distraction or unwelcome hindrance to both.
This group I feel is the most likely to see a FAWSL 2 team muscle their way into the knock
out stage of the competition, Yeovil Town Ladies are fast improving may cause an upset or two, likewise Aston Villa Ladies and Oxford United Women can't be taken lightly.
Group Three fixtures
21/07 - Aston Villa Ladies v Bristol Academy 7:30pm
22/07 - Notts County Ladies v Birmingham City Ladies 7:30pm
23/07 - Oxford United Women v Yeovil Town Ladies 7:45pm
30/07 - Aston Villa Ladies v Birmingham City Ladies 7:30pm
30/07 - Yeovil Town Ladies v Bristo Academy 7:45pm
16/08 - Birmingham City Ladies v Oxford United Women 2:00pm
16/08 - Notts County Ladies v Bristol Academy 2:00pm
16/08 - Yeovil Town Ladies v Aston Villa Ladies 2:00pm
19/08 - Oxford United Women v Notts County Ladies 7:45pm
26/08 - Aston Villa Ladies v Notts County Ladies 7:45pm
26/08 - Birmingham City Ladies v Yeovil Town Ladies 7:45pm
27/08 - Bristol Academy v Oxford United Women 7:00pm
29/08 - Bristol Academy v Birmingham City Ladies 6:30pm
30/08 - Notts County Ladies v Yeovil Town Ladies 2:00pm
30/08 - Oxford United Women v Aston Villa Ladies 2:00pm
All to play for then in this years Continental Tyres Cup the group stages coming to a close at the end of August plenty of football to be played before we see who will make the quarter finals with the action kicking off this Tuesday night with Aston Villa Ladies taking on Bristol Academy having nearly gotten over the bug that knocked me out over the weekend I will be there.
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