FA WSL 2 Spring Series
{{Infobox football league season
| image =
| caption = FA WSL 2 Spring Series trophy
| competition = FA WSL 2
| season = 2017 Spring Series
| winners =
| league topscorer = Courtney Sweetman-Kirk (9 goals)
| biggest home win = {{nobreak|Everton 5–0 Brighton & Hove Albion}}
(30 April 2017)
| biggest away win = {{nobreak|London Bees 0–4 Everton}}
(20 May 2017)
{{nobreak|Oxford United 0–4 Doncaster Rovers Belles}}
(21 May 2017)
| highest scoring = {{nobreak|Aston Villa 5–4 Durham}}
(21 May 2017)
| matches = 45
| total goals = 138
| prevseason = 2016
| nextseason = 2017–18
| updated =
}}
The FA WSL 2 Spring Series was an interim edition of the FA WSL 2 between the fourth and fifth full seasons. The Spring Series ran from February to May 2017 to bridge the gap from the 2016 season which ran from March to September as a summer tournament, and the 2017–18 season which started in September 2017.{{cite web|title=New calendar for FA WSL|url=http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2016/07/new-calendar-for-fa-wsl.html|access-date=12 October 2016|archive-date=13 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013013010/http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2016/07/new-calendar-for-fa-wsl.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Women's Super League to switch to winter season in 2017|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36774563|access-date=9 October 2016|archive-date=3 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703045037/https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36774563|url-status=live}}
Teams played each other once, with no promotion or relegation before the full 2017–18 season.{{cite web|title=Spring Series Fixtures|url=http://www.thefa.com/news/2017/jan/10/fa-wsl-spring-series-fixtures|publisher=FA|access-date=24 January 2017|archive-date=21 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321100512/https://www.thefa.com/news/2017/jan/10/fa-wsl-spring-series-fixtures|url-status=live}}
Teams
{{location map+ |England |width=300 |caption=Locations of the Spring Series WSL 2 teams |places=
{{location map~ |England |lat=52.628449 |long=-1.688942 |label=
|position=right}}{{location map~ |England |lat=51.646158 |long=-0.191733 |label=
|position=right}}{{location map~ |England |lat=50.829864 |long=-0.324137 |label=
|position=left}}{{location map~ |England |lat=53.509722 |long=-1.113889 |label=
|position=right}}{{location map~ |England |lat=54.767184 |long=-1.558688 |label=
|position=right}}{{location map~ |England |lat=53.4872 |long=-3.0343 |label=
|position=left}}{{location map~ |England |lat=51.506285 |long=-0.040282 |label=
|position=bottom}}{{location map~ |England |lat=51.681305 |long=-1.274641 |label=
|position=left}}{{location map~ |England |lat=53.3098 |long= -1.4783 |label=
|position=left}}{{location map~ |England |lat=51.722118 |long=-0.450800 |label=
|position=top}}}}
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||
| Team | Location | Ground | Capacity | data-sort-type="number"|2016 season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | Tamworth | The Lamb Ground | style="text-align:center"| 4,000 | style="text-align:center"| 7th |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Lancing | Culver Road | style="text-align:center"| 2,000 | style="text-align:center"| {{hs|22}}1st, 2015–16 WPL |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | Doncaster | Keepmoat Stadium | style="text-align:center"| 15,231 | style="text-align:center"| {{hs|1.0}}9th, WSL 1 |
| Durham | Durham | New Ferens Park | style="text-align:center"| 3,000 | style="text-align:center"| 4th |
| Everton | Widnes | Select Security Stadium | style="text-align:center"| 13,350 | style="text-align:center"| 3rd |
| London Bees | Canons Park | The Hive Stadium | style="text-align:center"| 5,176 | style="text-align:center"| 6th |
| Millwall Lionesses | Bermondsey | St. Paul's Sports Ground | style="text-align:center"| 2,500 | style="text-align:center"| 8th |
| Oxford United | Abingdon | Northcourt Road | style="text-align:center"| 2,000 | style="text-align:center"| 9th |
| Sheffield | Dronfield | Coach and Horses | style="text-align:center"| 2,000 | style="text-align:center"| 5th |
| Watford | Kings Langley | Global Metcorp Stadium | style="text-align:center"| 1,000 | style="text-align:center"| 10th |
Ten teams competed in this season. Brighton & Hove Albion was promoted after beating Sporting Club Albion in the 2015–16 FA Women's Premier League Championship play-off.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36409891 |title=Women's Premier League: Brighton beat Sporting Club Albion in play-off |date=29 May 2016 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=6 June 2016 |archive-date=4 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104154953/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36409891 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36436141 |title=Brighton & Hove Albion Women promotion to Women's Super League approved |date=2 June 2016 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=6 June 2016 |archive-date=14 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414094025/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36436141 |url-status=live }} Following the closure of Notts County Ladies in April 2017, one team was promoted at the end of the Spring Series to the WSL1 for the 2017–18 season, based on an evaluation by the FA of applicant clubs' business plans, budget, youth development, facilities and on-pitch performance.{{cite web|last1=Garry|first1=Tom|title=Women's Super League: WSL 2 clubs invited to apply to replace Notts County Ladies|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39934711|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=17 May 2017|archive-date=26 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126051413/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39934711|url-status=live}}
=Table=
File:London Bees v Everton LFC, 20 May 2017 (002).jpg
|section=2
|update=complete
|source=[http://www.fawsl.com/stats.html FA WSL]
|team1=EVE|team2=DON|team3=MIL|team4=AST|team5=DUR|team6=BRI|team7=LON|team8=WAT|team9=SHE|team10=OXF
|win_AST=5|draw_AST=2|loss_AST=2|gf_AST=19|ga_AST=16
|win_BRI=2|draw_BRI=4|loss_BRI=3|gf_BRI=8|ga_BRI=13
|win_DON=5|draw_DON=3|loss_DON=1|gf_DON=19|ga_DON=9
|win_DUR=5|draw_DUR=1|loss_DUR=3|gf_DUR=14|ga_DUR=10
|win_EVE=7|draw_EVE=1|loss_EVE=1|gf_EVE=25|ga_EVE=7
|win_LON=3|draw_LON=1|loss_LON=5|gf_LON=13|ga_LON=21
|win_MIL=5|draw_MIL=2|loss_MIL=2|gf_MIL=12|ga_MIL=8
|win_SHE=2|draw_SHE=|loss_SHE=7|gf_SHE=9|ga_SHE=18
|win_OXF=|draw_OXF=2|loss_OXF=7|gf_OXF=7|ga_OXF=19
|win_WAT=2|draw_WAT=2|loss_WAT=5|gf_WAT=12|ga_WAT=17
|result1=P |result2=A
|name_AST=Aston Villa
|name_BRI=Brighton & Hove Albion
|name_DON=Doncaster Rovers Belles
|name_DUR=Durham
|name_EVE=Everton
|name_LON=London Bees
|name_MIL=Millwall Lionesses
|name_OXF=Oxford United
|name_SHE=Sheffield
|name_WAT=Watford
|col_P=green1 |text_P=Applied for promotion to the 2017–18 FA WSL. Promotion approved.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40200972|title=Everton Ladies chosen for vacant spot in WSL 1|date=9 June 2017|website=BBC Sport|access-date=9 June 2017|archive-date=28 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528095605/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40200972|url-status=live}}
|text_A=Applied for promotion to the 2017–18 FA WSL.
|class_rules = 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
}}
=Results=
{{#invoke:sports results|main
|matches_style=FBR|solid_cell=grey
|team1=AST|team2=BRH|team3=DON|team4=DUR|team5=EVE
|team6=LON|team7=MIL|team8=OXF|team9=SHE|team10=WAT
|name_AST=Aston Villa
|match_AST_BRH=3–1
|match_AST_DON=null
|match_AST_DUR=5–4
|match_AST_EVE=null
|match_AST_LON=3–2
|match_AST_MIL=1–1
|match_AST_OXF=null
|match_AST_SHE=null
|match_AST_WAT=3–2
|name_BRH=Brighton & Hove Albion
|match_BRH_AST=null
|match_BRH_DON=0–0
|match_BRH_DUR=null
|match_BRH_EVE=null
|match_BRH_LON=null
|match_BRH_MIL=null
|match_BRH_OXF=1–1
|match_BRH_SHE=3–1
|match_BRH_WAT=2–1
|name_DON=Doncaster Rovers Belles
|match_DON_AST=2–1
|match_DON_BRH=null
|match_DON_DUR=2–1
|match_DON_EVE=3–3
|match_DON_LON=4–1
|match_DON_MIL=null
|match_DON_OXF=null
|match_DON_SHE=null
|match_DON_WAT=null
|name_DUR=Durham
|match_DUR_AST=null
|match_DUR_BRH=1–0
|match_DUR_DON=null
|match_DUR_EVE=null
|match_DUR_LON=3–0
|match_DUR_MIL=1–0
|match_DUR_OXF=2–1
|match_DUR_SHE=1–0
|match_DUR_WAT=null
|name_EVE=Everton
|match_EVE_AST=3–0
|match_EVE_BRH=5–0
|match_EVE_DON=null
|match_EVE_DUR=1–0
|match_EVE_LON=null
|match_EVE_MIL=null
|match_EVE_OXF=null
|match_EVE_SHE=null
|match_EVE_WAT=4–0
|name_LON=London Bees
|match_LON_AST=null
|match_LON_BRH=1–1
|match_LON_DON=null
|match_LON_DUR=null
|match_LON_EVE=0–4
|match_LON_MIL=1–2
|match_LON_OXF=3–1
|match_LON_SHE=2–1
|match_LON_WAT=null
|name_MIL=Millwall Lionesses
|match_MIL_AST=null
|match_MIL_BRH=0–0
|match_MIL_DON=2–1
|match_MIL_DUR=null
|match_MIL_EVE=2–1
|match_MIL_LON=null
|match_MIL_OXF=2–0
|match_MIL_SHE=1–2
|match_MIL_WAT=null
|name_OXF=Oxford United
|match_OXF_AST=0–0
|match_OXF_BRH=null
|match_OXF_DON=0–4
|match_OXF_DUR=null
|match_OXF_EVE=1–2
|match_OXF_LON=null
|match_OXF_MIL=null
|match_OXF_SHE=null
|match_OXF_WAT=1–2
|name_SHE=Sheffield
|match_SHE_AST=1–3
|match_SHE_BRH=null
|match_SHE_DON=0–2
|match_SHE_DUR=null
|match_SHE_EVE=1–2
|match_SHE_LON=null
|match_SHE_MIL=null
|match_SHE_OXF=3–2
|match_SHE_WAT=null
|name_WAT=Watford
|match_WAT_AST=null
|match_WAT_BRH=null
|match_WAT_DON=1–1
|match_WAT_DUR=1–1
|match_WAT_EVE=null
|match_WAT_LON=2–3
|match_WAT_MIL=1–2
|match_WAT_OXF=null
|match_WAT_SHE=2–0
|update=complete
|source=[http://www.fawsl.com/matches.html FA WSL]
}}
=Top goalscorers=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
| Rank
!Player !Team !Goals |
|---|
| 1
|align="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Courtney Sweetman-Kirk |align="left"|Doncaster Rovers Belles |9 |
| 2
|align="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Claudia Walker |align="left"|Everton |7 |
| rowspan=2|3
|align="left"|{{flagicon|NIR}} Simone Magill |align="left"|Everton |rowspan=2|5 |
| align="left"|{{flagicon|SCO}} Zoe Ness
|align="left"|Durham |
| rowspan=4|5
|align="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Natasha Baptiste |align="left"|Aston Villa |rowspan=4|4 |
| align="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Ashleigh Goddard
|align="left"|London Bees |
| align="left"|{{flagicon|NGA}} Ini-Abasi Umotong
|align="left"|Oxford United |
| align="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Jo Wilson
|align="left"|London Bees |
References
{{reflist}}
{{FA Women's Super League}}
{{2016–17 in English women's football}}
{{2016–17 in European women's football (UEFA)}}