Crystal Palace and Charlton ready to kick off new campaigns in FA Women’s Championship

Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic women both kick off their FA Women’s Championship campaigns this weekend.

The Eagles take on London City Lionesses on Sunday, while the Addicks make the trip down south to face newly-promoted Southampton tomorrow.

Dean Davenport’s Palace side will be looking to build on their record-breaking campaign last time around. They finished fourth, just four points from second place, notched up the most wins and scored the most goals in their Championship history.

Karen Hills’ Addicks recorded a better goal tally than the Eagles, but they finished fifth and just three points off Palace.

There has been a massive summer overhaul at Hayes Lane for Palace. Davenport has made 15 signings after losing the likes of Bianca Baptiste, Siobhan Wilson, Millie Farrow and Hannah Churchill. Goalkeeper Chole Morgan also announced her retirement from football.

They have signed three players from Charlton – Elise Hughes, Natalia Negri and Anna Filbey. They have also bolstered their forward ranks by bringing in Rianna Dean from last season’s Championship winners, Liverpool.

Full-back Polly Doran joins from Melbourne Victory in Australia, and 21-year-old midfielder Shauna Guyatt swaps Chelsea’s academy for Palace.

The Eagles have also retained the services of top goalscorer from last season, Molly Sharpe, Player of the Season winner Aimee Everett, and captain Annabel Johnson.
Davenport was also able to keep hold of former Tottenham Hostpur midfielder Coral Haines, who recorded the most assists for the side last campaign.

New signings Negri and Guyatt have already been named in two England youth training camps.

Following the departure of nine first-team players, the big summer signing for the Addicks comes from Chelsea, with Hills convincing
18-year-old forward Lucy Watson to join on a season-long loan.

Watson joined the Blues in July after netting eight goals last season for Sheffield United in 22 Championship games.

They have also added experience to their ranks by snapping up midfielder Emily Simpkins on a one-year deal following her release from WSL side Brighton.

Former England U21 international Angela Addison was the first signing of the summer, with the forward released by Tottenham Hotspur in the summer after four years with the club.

Freda Ayisi, Sian Rogers, Corinne Henson, Heidi Logan, Tegan McGowan, Poppy Soper and Elisha N’Dow have also arrived at The Oakwood.

Goalkeeper Eartha Cumings, one of Charlton’s star performers in the past two campaigns, signed for Liverpool in July.

Hills said: “It’s been a very busy pre-season – lots of new faces in the door. It’s another opportunity to reset, go again and work out what our objectives are going to be this season.

“It’s been a long summer – very challenging. But at the same time, I’m super pleased with what we have been able to achieve.

“We have brought some fantastic players in, across all different positions, and it will strengthen us from where we were last year.

“The expectation is that we need to be better than what we were last year. I do believe that we have the squad to do that.

“We want to go out, and we want to showcase what Charlton is about. We have worked really hard over the pre-season. Players have come in at all different times, so that has been challenging, but we’re now in a position where I’m really comfortable and confident with the squad of players that we have got.

“I believe that we’re going to be a good team this season.”

The two South London sides will face each other this season on November 20 at Hayes Lane, with Charlton then hosting Palace on the final day of the season on April 30.