# 2021–22 Birmingham City W.F.C. season

The 2021–22 Birmingham City W.F.C. season was the club's 54th season in existence and their 11th 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 also contested two domestic cup competitions: the FA Cup and the League Cup.
Ahead of the 2021–22 season the team moved from Damson Park, where they had been based since 2014, to St Andrew's, the club's main stadium.
Manager Carla Ward resigned at the end of the previous campaign after only one season in charge having kept the team up with an 11th-place finish. Ward was replaced by Scott Booth who ended a six-year spell as manager of Glasgow City to take the role. Having only picked up one point from the opening seven league games and losing both League Cup games, Booth was sacked on 18 November 2021 after five months in charge. Tony Elliott took caretaker control for the WSL game against Chelsea on 21 November before Darren Carter was appointed interim manager later that day having left a coaching role at West Bromwich Albion to take the job.
On 4 May 2022, Birmingham City were relegated following a 6–0 defeat away at Manchester City with one game remaining. Members of the WSL since it was founded in 2011, it ended Birmingham's 20-year stint as a top-flight club having last been promoted as 2001–02 FA Women's Premier League Northern Division champions.

## Squad

    As of 31 March 2022
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | IRL | Marie Hourihan |
| 2 | DF | DEN | Cecilie Sandvej |
| 3 | DF | IRL | Harriet Scott |
| 4 | FW | IRL | Lucy Quinn |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Lily Simkin |
| 7 | FW | GRE | Veatriki Sarri |
| 8 | MF | SCO | Lisa Robertson (on loan from Celtic) |
| 9 | FW | SCO | Sarah Ewens |
| 10 | MF | SCO | Christie Murray |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Jade Pennock |
| 12 | FW | ENG | Libby Smith |
| 14 | MF | IRL | Jamie Finn |
| 17 | DF | IRL | Louise Quinn (captain) |
| 19 | FW | ENG | Lucy Whipp |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 21 | GK | ENG | Emily Ramsey (on loan from Manchester United) |
| 22 | FW | IRL | Eleanor Ryan-Doyle |
| 23 | FW | IRL | Emily Whelan |
| 26 | DF | ENG | Arabella Suttie |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Abbi Jenner |
| 28 | DF | ENG | Lucy Hepburn |
| 29 | GK | ENG | Lucy Jones |
| 30 | DF | ENG | Gemma Lawley |
| 31 | FW | ENG | Angelina Nixon |
| 32 | MF | ENG | Abi Cowie |
| 34 | MF | WAL | Sophie Phillips |
| 36 | FW | ENG | Louanne Worsey |
| 37 | DF | WAL | Taylor Reynolds |
| 40 | FW | ENG | Delphi Cole |

## FA Women's Super League
### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 8 May 2022. Source: FA WSL

### Results by matchday

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A |
| Result | L | L | L | L | D | L | L | L | L | L | W | L | L | L | L | L | L | D | W | L | L | W |
| Position | 9 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |

### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 8 | Reading | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 21 | 40 | −19 | 25 | |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 40 | −27 | 21 | |
| 10 | Everton | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 41 | −23 | 20 | |
| 11 | Leicester City | 22 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 14 | 53 | −39 | 13 | |
| 12 | Birmingham City (R) | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 15 | 51 | −36 | 11 | Relegation to the Championship |

## Women's FA Cup

As a member of the first tier, Birmingham City entered the FA Cup in the fourth round proper.

## FA Women's League Cup
### Group stage

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | West Ham United | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 | 9 | Advances to knock-out stage |
| 2 | London City Lionesses | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking |
| 3 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 3 | |
| 4 | Birmingham City | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 1 | |

## Squad statistics
### Appearances

    As of 8 May 2022
Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances after the + symbol where applicable.
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | FA WSL | FA WSL | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | IRL | Marie Hourihan | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | DEN | Cecilie Sandvej | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | IRL | Harriet Scott | 24 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | IRL | Louise Quinn | 27 | 6 | 22 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Lily Simkin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | GRE | Veatriki Sarri | 26 | 4 | 19+2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | SCO | Lisa Robertson | 22 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | SCO | Sarah Ewens | 15 | 0 | 4+7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | SCO | Christie Murray | 21 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Jade Pennock | 23 | 2 | 17+2 | 2 | 1+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | ENG | Libby Smith | 25 | 2 | 14+6 | 2 | 2+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | IRL | Jamie Finn | 26 | 0 | 18+2 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | IRL | Lucy Quinn | 28 | 1 | 19+3 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | ENG | Lucy Whipp | 15 | 1 | 4+7 | 0 | 0+1 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 21 | GK | ENG | Emily Ramsey | 17 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | IRL | Eleanor Ryan-Doyle | 16 | 2 | 3+9 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 2 |
| 23 | FW | IRL | Emily Whelan | 24 | 0 | 3+16 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 |
| 26 | DF | ENG | Arabella Suttie | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Abbi Jenner | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | ENG | Lucy Hepburn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | GK | ENG | Lucy Jones | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | DF | ENG | Gemma Lawley | 25 | 1 | 18+1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 31 | FW | ENG | Angelina Nixon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | ENG | Abi Cowie | 9 | 0 | 5+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 34 | MF | WAL | Sophie Phillips | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | FW | ENG | Louanne Worsey | 5 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 37 | DF | WAL | Taylor Reynolds | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 40 | FW | ENG | Delphi Cole | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players who appeared for the club but left during the season: ||||||||||||
| 25 | DF | NIR | Rebecca Holloway | 21 | 0 | 16+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Position | Name | From |
| 17 July 2021 | FW | Jade Pennock | Sheffield United |
| 23 July 2021 | DF | Louise Quinn | Fiorentina |
| 27 July 2021 | FW | Sarah Ewens | Celtic |
| 27 July 2021 | FW | Lucy Quinn | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 28 July 2021 | FW | Libby Smith | Leicester City |
| 4 August 2021 | DF | Cecilie Sandvej | FC Fleury 91 |
| 27 August 2021 | MF | Jamie Finn | Shelbourne |
| 28 August 2021 | GK | Marie Hourihan | Braga |
| 2 September 2021 | DF | Arabella Suttie | Chelsea |
| 3 September 2021 | FW | Eleanor Ryan-Doyle | Peamount United |
| 3 September 2021 | FW | Emily Whelan | Shelbourne |

### Loans in

| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Until | Ref. |
| 6 August 2021 | GK | | Emily Ramsey | Manchester United | 30 June 2022 | |
| 6 August 2021 | MF | | Lisa Robertson | Celtic | 30 June 2022 | |

### Transfers out

| Date | Position | Name | To |
| 15 June 2021 | MF | Heidi Logan | Lewes |
| 26 June 2021 | GK | Hannah Hampton | Aston Villa |
| 29 June 2021 | MF | Sarah Mayling | Aston Villa |
| 30 June 2021 | MF | Ella Powell | Loughborough Lightning |
| 1 July 2021 | FW | Claudia Walker | West Ham United |
| 1 July 2021 | MF | Mollie Green | Coventry United |
| 16 July 2021 | FW | Abbi Grant | Leicester City |
| 27 July 2021 | FW | Emma Kelly | Sunderland |
| 6 August 2021 | GK | Sophie Whitehouse | Bristol City |
| 19 August 2021 | MF | Connie Scofield | Leicester City |
| 23 August 2021 | FW | Ruesha Littlejohn | Aston Villa |
| 31 March 2022 | DF | Rebecca Holloway | Racing Louisville |