The 2015 season was Doncaster Rovers Belles' fifth season in the FA WSL, and their second season in the second tier of English women's football.
| 2015 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Teresa Aitken | ||
| Manager | Glen Harris | ||
| Stadium | Keepmoat Stadium | ||
| WSL 2 | 2nd (promoted) | ||
| FA Cup | Fifth Round | ||
| WSL Cup | Group stage | ||
|
| |||
After the Belles narrowly missed out on promotion in the previous season, Gordon Staniforth resigned on 30 October 2014.[1] Former Lincoln Ladies manager Glen Harris was appointed on December 8, 2014, beating competition from all over Europe; including Belgium, Croatia, Italy and the UK.[2]
This season also saw the introduction of a new club crest, combining the old-style Doncaster Belles badge, with the more recently used Doncaster Rovers badge.[3]
Squad edit
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Transfers edit
In edit
| No. | Pos. | Name | Country | Transfer From | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | MF | Sophie Barker |  ENG |
Sheffield | 13 January 2015 | [1] |
| 10 | MF | Emily Roberts | ENG |
Notts County (loan) | 26 January 2015 | [2] |
| — | FW | Jody Handley | ENG |
Everton | 28 January 2015 | [3] Archived 2015-06-14 at the Wayback Machine |
| 22 | GK | Danielle Hill | ENG |
Durham | 29 January 2015 | [4] |
Out edit
| No. | Pos. | Name | Country | Transfer To | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | MF | Millie Bright | ENG |
Chelsea | 27 November 2014 | [5] |
| 5 | FW | Jessica Sigsworth | ENG |
Notts County | 6 January 2015 | [6] |
| 15 | DF | Victoria Williams | ENG |
Sunderland | February 2015 | [7][permanent dead link] |
| 14 | FW | Lucy Sowerby | ENG |
Bradford City | March 2015 | [8] Archived 14 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine |
| — | FW | Jody Handley | ENG |
Retired | 6 May 2015 | [9] |
Statistics edit
- As of 12 June 2015
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | WSL 2 | FA Cup | WSL Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||
| 1 | GK | ENG
|
Nicola Hobbs | 11 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2 | DF | ENG
|
Lyndsey Cunningham | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3 | DF | ENG
|
Samantha Tierney | 4 | 0 | 0+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | DF | ENG
|
Leandra Little | 11 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 5 | DF | ENG
|
Rhiannon Roberts | 11 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 6 | MF | ENG
|
Kasia Lipka | 11 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 7 | DF | ENG
|
Molly Johnson | 4 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 | MF | ENG
|
Sue Smith | 11 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 9 | FW | ENG
|
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 10 | MF | ENG
|
Emily Roberts (on loan from Notts County) | 9 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 11 | MF | ENG
|
Bethany England | 10 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 | MF | ENG
|
Reanne Thomas | 7 | 0 | 1+5 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 13 | MF | ENG
|
Sophie Stamp | 5 | 0 | 0+5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 14 | FW | ENG
|
Lucy Sowerby | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 16 | MF | ENG
|
Ashleigh Mills | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 17 | FW | ENG
|
Nicole Dale | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 18 | MF | ENG
|
Sophie Barker | 11 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | GK | ENG
|
Danielle Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | DF | ENG
|
Lauren Cresswell | 9 | 0 | 4+3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | MF | ENG
|
Hope Knight | 8 | 0 | 5+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| – | GK | ENG
|
Megan Govier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| – | FW | ENG
|
Jody Handley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Players who left the club during the season: | |||||||||||||
Goals record edit
- As of 12 June 2015
| Rank | No. | Po. | Name | WSL 2 | FA Cup | WSL Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | FW | Courtney Sweetman-Kirk | 7 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | 8 | MF | Sue Smith | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | 11 | MF | Bethany England | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | 10 | MF | Emily Roberts | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | 18 | MF | Sophie Barker | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | DF | Leandra Little | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 5 | DF | Rhiannon Roberts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Own Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 23 | 5 | 0 | 28 | |||
Matches edit
Pre-Season Friendlies edit
On 15 January 2015 Arsenal Ladies announced that they would play a friendly against the Belles, in a clash of two former heavyweights.[4] On 28 January, Liverpool Ladies became the second club to announce a friendly against Doncaster.[5]
| 15 February 2015 Friendly | Arsenal Ladies | 4–1 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | Hatfield |
| 14:00 GMT | Nobbs  53', 80'Sanderson 64'Sampson 83' |
Report | Barker 60' |
Stadium: Hertfordshire Sports Village |
| 14 March 2015 Friendly | Liverpool Ladies | v | Doncaster Rovers Belles | Widnes |
| 19:00 GMT | Stadium: Halton Stadium |
FA Cup edit
On 12 January 2015 the draw for the Third Round Proper of the FA Women's Cup was made. The Belles were drawn at home to London Bees, with the match to be played on 1 February 2015.[6] This fixture was then rearranged to be played a day earlier on 31 January.[7] In the Fourth Round, Doncaster were drawn away to either Bradford City Women or FC Reedswood, depending on who won the postponed tie.[8] The postponed match was won by Bradford, with the Fourth Round tie to be played on 8 March.[9]
| 31 January 2015 Third Round | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 3–0 | London Bees | Doncaster |
| 18:30 GMT | England 53' Sweetman-Kirk 62'Smith 79' |
Report | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium |
| 8 March 2015 Fourth Round | Bradford City Women | 1–2 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | Bradford |
| 14:00 GMT | Stadium: Dennyfield |
| 22 March 2015 Fifth Round | Manchester City | 3–1 | Doncaster Rovers Belles |
FA WSL Cup edit
Rovers were drawn in Group 2. They play 5 matches in the group.
| Group Stage | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 0–3 | Manchester City |
| 30 July 2015 Group Stage | Doncaster Rovers Belles | v | Liverpool |
| 16 August 2015 Group Stage | Everton | v | Doncaster Rovers Belles |
| 27 August 2015 Group Stage | Doncaster Rovers Belles | v | Durham |
| 30 August 2015 Group Stage | Sunderland | v | Doncaster Rovers Belles |
FA WSL 2 edit
On 26 January 2015, the fixtures for the coming season's WSL were released, with the Belles starting their fixtures at home to Durham Women.[10]
| 19 March 2015 1 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 3-0 | Durham Women | Doncaster |
| 19:45 GMT | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium |
| 28 March 2015 2 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 2-1 | Yeovil Town Ladies | Doncaster |
| 18:30 GMT | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium |
| 5 April 2015 3 | Aston Villa Ladies | 0-5 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | Sutton Coldfield |
| 14:00 BST | Stadium: Sutton Coldfield Central Ground |
| 18 April 2015 4 | Everton Ladies | 1-1 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | Widnes |
| 18:30 BST | Stadium: Halton Stadium |
| 25 April 2015 5 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 2-1 | Aston Villa Ladies | Doncaster |
| 18:30 BST | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium |
| 9 May 2015 6 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 5-1 | London Bees | Doncaster |
| 18:30 BST | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium |
| 16 May 2015 7 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 0-3 | Reading Women | Doncaster |
| 18:30 BST | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium |
| 21 May 2015 8 | Durham Women | 0-2 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | Durham |
| 19:30 BST | Stadium: New Ferens Park |
| 31 May 2015 9 | Yeovil Town Ladies | 0-3 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | Sherborne |
| 14:00 BST | Stadium: Raleigh Grove |
| 11 July 2015 10 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 5-0 | Watford Ladies | Doncaster |
| 18:30 BST | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium |
| 19 July 2015 11 | Oxford United Women | 2-5 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | Abingdon-on-Thames |
| 14:00 BST | Stadium: Northcourt Road |
| 26 July 2015 12 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | v | Everton Ladies | Doncaster |
| 14:00 BST | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium |
| 9 August 2015 13 | Watford Ladies | v | Doncaster Rovers Belles | Berkhamsted |
| 14:00 BST | Stadium: Broadwater |
| 23 August 2015 14 | Millwall Lionesses | v | Doncaster Rovers Belles | London |
| 14:00 BST | Stadium: The Den |
| 5 September 2015 15 | Reading Women | v | Doncaster Rovers Belles | Farnborough |
| 18:00 BST | Stadium: Cherrywood Road |
| 27 September 2015 16 | London Bees | v | Doncaster Rovers Belles | London |
| 14:00 BST | Stadium: The Hive Stadium |
| 3 October 2015 17 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | v | Oxford United Women | Doncaster |
| 18:30 BST | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium |
| 18 October 2015 18 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | v | Millwall Lionesses | Doncaster |
| 14:00 BST | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium |
References edit
- ^ "CLUB STATEMENT: Staniforth Resigns". Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C. 30 October 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ "STATEMENT: Harris Appointed". Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C. 8 December 2014. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ "CLUB: New Badge Unveiled". Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C. 27 January 2015. Archived from the original on 29 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^ "Pre-season schedule announced". Arsenal Ladies F.C. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 27 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ "Reigning champions to play Belles". Liverpool Ladies F.C. 28 January 2015. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^ "The draw for The FA Women's Cup was made at Wembley". The FA. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ "FIXTURES: London Bees Date Change". Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C. 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ "Villa will meet Yeovil in FA Women's Cup Fourth Round". The FA. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ "FA CUP: Bradford Trip Up Next". 8 February 2015. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ "Belles begin promotion push at home". Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.