Chelsea midfielder Ji So-Yun has been named FA WSL 1 Players’ Player of the Year at The FA Women’s Awards.
The awards, which are an annual event that celebrate the best of domestic women’s football, were held this evening at Madame Tussauds.
The South Korean international was chosen by her fellow players, ahead of Karen Carney (Birmingham City) and Jess Clarke (Notts County) after an impressive season at Chelsea, who finished second in FA WSL 1.
Reading’s Fran Kirby scooped the FA WSL 2 Players’ award, after enjoying a breakthrough season where she scored 29 goals and earned regular call-ups to Mark Sampson’s England squad.
Toni Duggan's Goal of the Season
Toni Duggan won Goal of the Season, in a fan-voted award, for her spectacular strike against Chelsea on the dramatic final day of the FA WSL 1 season. Birmingham City’s David Parker, who saw his team finish a close third, won Manager of the Year.
In The FA Women’s Premier League (WPL), Helen Mitchell was named Manager of the Year after leading her Sheffield FC Ladies team to the Northern League title and FA WPL Cup.
Title-winning Liverpool were named FA WSL 1 Club of the Year and Yeovil Town won the FA WSL 2 award. Sheffield FC scooped the FA WPL award.
In the final award of the night, Sheila Rollinson was recognised for her outstanding contribution to women’s football.
Kelly Simmons, FA director of national game and women’s football, said: “This has been another fantastic season of women’s football and an evening like this really showcases how much quality there is across the leagues, from players to managers and the staff working behind the scenes.
“Introducing FA WSL 2, along with promotion and relegation between FA WSL 1, has really driven the competition forward as we saw on those particularly dramatic last days in both divisions.
“The formation new FA WPL is another important development for the women’s game and there are now clear pathways for girls and women anywhere across the country to play at the highest level.
“There’s a real excitement in the room ahead of next week’s big England game against Germany, which is set to be a landmark occasion, and hopefully we’ll see the impact of this across next season’s football in terms of crowds and awareness.”
The awards took place nine days before England’s historic match against Germany at Wembley Stadium connected by EE on Sunday 23 November, which is live on BBC Two (3pm KO).
More information about The FA WSL and FA WPL can be found at www.TheFA.com/Womens.
Full list of winners
FA WSL 1 Players’ Player of the Year
Ji So-Yun, Chelsea
FA WSL 2 Players’ Player of the Year
Fran Kirby, Reading
FA WSL Manager of the Year
David Parker, Birmingham City
FA WPL Manager of the Year
Helen Mitchell, Sheffield FC Ladies
Goal of the Season
Toni Duggan, Manchester City
FA WSL 1 Club of the Year
Liverpool
FA WSL 2 Club of the Year
Yeovil Town
FA WPL Club of the Year
Sheffield FC Ladies
FA WSL Development League Players’ Player of the Year
Carla Humphrey, Arsenal
FA WSL Development League Players’ Player of the Year
Natasha Baptiste, Aston Villa
FA WPL Northern Division Players’ Player of the Year
Jodie Michalska, Sheffield FC Ladies
FA WPL Southern Division Players’ Player of the Year
Sam Pittuck, Charlton Athletic
FA WSL 1 Top Goalscorer
Karen Carney, Birmingham City
FA WSL 2 Top Goalscorer
Fran Kirby, Reading
FA WSL Development League Top Goalscorer
Natasha Baptiste, Aston Villa
FA WPL Northern Division Top Goalscorer
Jodie Michalska, Sheffield FC Ladies
FA WPL Southern Division Top Goalscorer
Charlotte Gurr, Gillingham
'Love Football Play Football' Participation Award
Merseyrail
Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Football
Sheila Rollinson
