As we reach Christmas and near the halfway point of the season, now is the time, with the teams having a couple of weeks without a game, to look back at the opening few months of the season and see how everyone is doing. I have collated all of the results that have taken place so far and used them to see not only how the teams are stacking up among the other 11 sides in their division but also in comparison to other teams in their respective tiers and in the FAWNL as a whole. Thanks must go to Nick from the Wolves Women Podcast for alerting me to the stats compiled by NonLeagueHQ on X, which inspired me for the stats you’ll see below. 351 games have been played so far this season, so we are still 45 shy of the halfway point, but now is as good a time as any to see how things are shaping up. To make the information more accessible for you to read, I have split the article into six parts, one for each division, so you may need to flick between a couple for comparisons between specific teams across the leagues. One note: teams with tied statistics all have the ‘highest’ ranking; for example, Wolves, Ipswich, Portsmouth, Loughborough, Peterborough, Bournemouth and Exeter, who have all won every home game, all have an FAWNL rank of 1 for home win percentage.
AFC Fylde
Following a mid-table finish last season, AFC Fylde have struggled so far this campaign and have relied entirely on their home performances for points with three draws from their seven home games, drawing a higher percentage of games at home than anyone else in Tier 3. Their away form of four losses from four, conceding 23 goals (including 11 to Newcastle), is the worst in the division and joint worst in the tier. If this form continues and only four home games are remaining, two of which are against Forest and Wolves, things could get tricky if they are to survive in the Northern Premier Division.
Burnley
One of the sides in the conversation for league winners on the final day of the season last year, Burnley are once again putting in a strong performance in 23/24. As yet undefeated in the league, they rank among the best in the FAWNL. Their away form has been imposing, conceding less than a goal a game and placing them 6th amongst the 72 FAWNL clubs. Certainly, a side which, in current form, will be in the conversation again come April.
Derby County
One of the worst-performing sides at home in the whole of the FAWNL, Derby have been relying on an excellent away form to steer them clear of danger this season. With an 80% points return on their travels, including an excellent 2-1 win at the City Ground to rival Nottingham Forest, Derby ranks 3rd in the FAWNL for away goals scored, away goals scored per game, and away goal difference. With a nine-point gap to the drop, they will probably be okay in the division this season, but the East Midlands side will be disappointed with how things have gone at Mickleover to date.
Liverpool Feds
Currently in fifth in the Northern Premier Division, a league position perhaps slightly elevated due to having played more games than the sides immediately below them, Liverpool Feds are a side whom rank pretty much in the middle in every category. Ranking seventh in home point percentage and away points percentage, it’s unsurprising that Feds are a mid-table side, but sitting just below the expected top four at the start of the season, Feds have certainly had a campaign they can be pleased with so far.
Halifax
After moving home and changing to Halifax for this season, the biggest problem the side has had has been simply playing games. With only seven in the books, their league position of 10th perhaps doesn’t do them justice; with four games in hand over some sides and only a six-point gap to fifth, expect to see them climb the table in the second half of the season. Three draws from their seven games does mean that they rank second in the FAWNL for draws, and they have drawn a higher percentage of games away from home than anyone else.
Huddersfield Town
Currently six points from safety, but with such an inferior goal difference that it may as well be seven points, Huddersfield need a significant turnaround in form if they are to survive in the Northern Premier Division for another year. Without a single point on the road and just one win at home, which came against the other side in the bottom two AFC Fylde on opening day, they rank lowest in the division for home goals against per game and lowest on away goals for per game. One crumb of comfort that they can hold on to is that they still have seven home games to go, so they have plenty more opportunities to get a couple more wins.
Newcastle United
The FAWNL’s only entirely professional side have met expectations following their promotion from Division One North last season. With nine wins out of ten and just one draw as the blemish on their record, it’s unsurprising that they rank among the very best in the FAWNL. They’re yet to concede away from home and rank in the top ten in the FAWNL for goals scored both home and away. Currently five points clear at the top of the table and showing no signs of slowing down, I sense we may see Newcastle in the Championship next year, and other FAWNL sides may follow suit in the years to come, becoming fully professional with the hope of reaching the second tier.
Nottingham Forest
Last season’s champions have not had the best of times since losing to Watford in the playoff final in May, but they are still in third place in the Northern Premier Division. The downside is that they are 10 points behind leaders Newcastle with only one game in hand and are currently four games back from the league leaders. With no defeats for the Magpies in their first ten games, asking them to lose a handful in the second half of the season is a tall order, and Forest will be relying on other teams to help them out while being perfect themselves in 2024. One thing which Forest has done well so far this season is their defence at home, conceding only four goals in six games, and that will have to continue if they are to stand a chance. January will be crucial to their season, with back-to-back games against Newcastle and Burnley before the month is out.
Stoke City
Surviving last season in 10th last season, Stoke have built from that campaign and are currently an established mid-table side. With a ten-point gap to the bottom two, there’s no immediate danger for Stoke, but they must guard against complacency in the second half of the season. The stats show the middle-of-the-table nature of the side, ranking pretty much in the middle across the board.
Stourbridge
One of only three sides to have already played half of their games this season, Stourbridge have started to become more accustomed to life in Tier 3. After a 7-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season, a few may have been slightly concerned about how the side would fare in 23/24, but three wins and three draws since then means Stourbridge are in 8th in the table, and nine points clear of the bottom two. The only real concern is the number of goals being conceded on their travels, but the aforementioned defeat to Forest does skew that figure somewhat.
West Bromwich Albion
Eighth last season and currently in ninth, it seems as though it’s de ja vu for West Brom. Had it not been for their victory away at Derby in the final game before Christmas, you would say that their away form is a big concern, but that win gives them a three-game gap to the bottom two, and with a 50% win record at home, they should be fine if they can keep that up in the second half of the campaign.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
After missing out on a second consecutive chance at promotion on last year’s final day of the season, Wolves find themselves firmly in the conversation once again. They may be 12 points behind Newcastle as it stands, but with two games in hand and a perfect home record, they certainly have the opportunity to threaten in the second half of the season. Having only played three games at home and yet to concede a goal in those three games, you could argue Wolves are in the best position of the chasing pack. The next few weeks will be critical, with games against Burnley and Newcastle before Valentine’s Day.
It’s taken several days, and just over 7000 words to collate all of the stats from the season so far and write them up, so I hope you enjoyed it! It will be interesting to see come the end of the season how the rankings have changed. Who will continue their momentum and be rewarded with promotion? Who will falter and be left peering over the edge at the tier below? One thing is for certain is that there will be stories along the way. The remaining leagues will be posted in the coming days. If you have enjoyed this article then please do share it among your friends, and don’t forget the Women’s Football Chat is here every Thursday at 6pm on my YouTube channel, taking you through the latest news, results and fixtures from across the FAWNL.
Happy Christmas if you are celebrating, and bring on 2024!
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