The semi-professional FA WSL debuted after two years of planning with Chelsea facing Arsenal at its home ground of Imperial Fields, a seventh-tier men's club ground, on 13 April 2011. The match was broadcast live on ESPN.[1] out of the 16 that applied.[2][3] The pre-match featured mascots, amusements, a performance by the band Parade, and a brief fight among spectators within the stands. While the new league's summer schedule was meant to avoid pitch quality concerns encountered by the incumbent winter-schedule FA Women's Premier League, the dry Imperial Fields pitch caused problems during the debut. The match was also the first domestic league action for players since the end of the 2009–10 FA Women's Premier League season 11 months prior.[4] The opening-match attendance of 2,510 was the season's and league's best,[5] and broke the club's all-time record.[6]
Signings
On 9 January 2011, Chelsea signed New Zealand captain Hayley Moorwood.[7] The foreign signing was one of several in the league that raised concerns from other clubs' managers that the acquisitions could come at the expense of developing domestic players.[8]
Chelsea entered the competition in the fifth round as an FA WSL team. They were knocked out of the competition after being defeated 1–0 by the Belles.[9]