By Aston Villa FC

Aston Villa Women have been promoted from the FA Women’s Championship as champions of the 2019/20 season.

 

After the season was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The FA announced on Friday that Gemma Davies’ team had been awarded the title and a place in the Women’s Super League for the 2020/21 season.

 

Villa were unbeaten when the season was halted, winning 13 and drawing one of their league fixtures as they sat six points clear at the top of the table, with a basic points-per-game formula used to determine the final outcome with sporting merit determining promotion and relegation. You can read the full FA statement here.

 

Head Coach Davies was keen to play the remaining fixtures, but she was thankful her team’s endeavours had been rewarded.

 

She said: “We wanted to finish the season on the pitch and win the league by showcasing the work that players and staff had put in to get us to this point.

 

“We put so many hours, so much hard graft and so much passion into this season that it’s fantastic to have been rewarded for that.

 

“For every player, staff member and supporter, promotion to the Super League is the realisation of a dream that we’ve all worked so hard to achieve.”

 

General Manager Amber Wildgust has overseen Villa’s growth over the past three seasons, and she was quick to praise the club’s hierarchy for their backing.  

 

She said: “Since Christian Purslow arrived at Aston Villa, he has provided the support that we needed to make the club a force in the women’s game.

 

“We have come such a long way in a very short space of time and promotion to the Super League is reward for the strides that have been made.

 

“As a club, we’re ambitious and we want to kick-on again and compete with the biggest clubs in the women’s game.”

 

Eniola Aluko joined as Women's Sporting Director earlier this year and is delighted to be working towards a bright future for the team.

 

"I am delighted with the news that we have been crowned Champions and achieved promotion to the WSL," she said. 

 

"After joining the club recently as Sporting Director, I am very proud to be working with such a committed and hard working group of players and staff who went an entire season unbeaten up to this point, who deserve the positive news today.

 

"I thank Christian Purslow and the ownership group for their continued and sustained support of Aston Villa women and I looking forward to further progress and success for the club in the WSL."