Season Five: Season Review
An Overview Of Whitehawk FC In Season 2020/2021
Ryan Ferguson: English media had taken notice of us. Four consecutive league titles and promotions, along with our route to the FA Cup semi finals last season, had given the press plenty of reason to talk about us. We had come a long way from playing in the Vanarama National League South, in such a short time. We had progressed to the Sky Bet Championship, the second highest division in English football, and we were ready to mix it with the big guns.
![]()
A number of important Whitehawk players departed from the club over the course of the season, including club captain Ramón Marimón (DC), for a fee of £78K. Theo Wharton (MC) left to MK Dons for £275K, while Southend United acquired Anton Rodgers for £200K. The biggest sale of the season, however, was Tyler Walker's (ST) move to Motherwell. The move cost an initial fee of £750K, with £200K potentially moving along in other clauses.
A number of very experienced players were signed to add plenty of know-how of the Sky Bet Championship. Alex Baptiste (DC), Shane Ferguson (AML), Marcus Olsson (DL), Stephen Darby (DR), Tom Aldred (DC), Tyler Blackett (DC), Nicolo Fazzi (MC), Ashley Fletcher (ST), Jeremie Boga (AMC/R) and Jack Barmby (AML) all signed for free throughout the season. The majority of these players had plenty of experience at the top level. Big fees were paid for Mitchell Beeney (GK) and Callum Saunders (ST), while Jack Taylor (AMR/ST) and Sean Welsh (MC) also commanded small fees.
Defence had always been my priority, as Whitehawk coach, and Andrea Punzi found himself a new partner in the middle of it, in the shape of former Manchester United player Tyler Blackett. With experience on either side of them in the form of new club captain Stephen Darby and Marcus Olsson, with Mitchell Beeney in goals behind them, our defence was set for a long season in the Championship.
![]()
![]()
![]()
It took a while for us to start finding the back of the net regularly, as goal scoring was certainly an issue for us at times. Luckily, our defensive performances were top notch as we held strong, and we often didn't require more than one goal to win games. As the team became more fluent with my demands, we hit form, displayed by a twenty nine game unbeaten run from September until March. We finished the season with a 24-18-4 run.
![]()
Once again, a strong defensive display came out on top, as we put the other Championship sides to shame. Conceding just twenty seven goals over the course of the season saw us top the table by two points, earning promotion to the Premier League. Our progress was sensational.
Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town and Coventry City faced relegation to the Sky Bet League One. Alongside ourselves, Bristol City and Middlesbrough had found ourselves earning passage to the Premier League; the pinnacle of domestic football. It was a dream-come-true.
![]()
Well, it was nowhere near as spectacular as the previous FA Cup campaign. We defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers in the third round, but Tottenham Hotspur proved too strong in the fourth.
![]()
Why did we struggle so much in this competition? For the life of me, I could not figure out this dilemma. We did not put out weaker teams, and we tried to take it as seriously as possible, but continued to struggle none-the-less. Credit had to go to Crawley Town for knocking us out.
![]()
No surprise, as it was Andrea Punzi & Tyler Blackett who shone for Whitehawk. The two defenders were relentless in their defensive duties, and proved too difficult for opposition attackers to pass at times. The midfield performed very well too, especially Niccolo Fazzi and Jeremie Boga, while the attack disappointed somewhat. We didn't score enough goals to be happy with, but luckily our defensive play more than made up for it.
![]()
José Mourinho's Manchester United were relentless in their pursuit of the UEFA Champions League, and came out trumps in the final. They defeated a determined SL Benfica side in the final, and were deservedly named as European champions.
Barcelona's Neymar was named as the winner of the Ballon d'Or, while Real Madrid's James Rodríguez won the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Both were named in the FIFA World Team of the Year, alongside La Liga stars Gareth Bale and Luis Suárez. FC Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng and David Alaba made the cut, while Paris Saint-Germain's Thibaut Courtois and Alessio Romagnoli were also included. Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci was the only Serie A representative, while Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne and Arsenal's Mesut Özil made the cut for the Premier League.
ScottT, nah, anything is possible once you set your mind to it!
mgriffin2012, haha your words are too kind!
Previous Update: #8 - Season Four: Season Review
Next Updated: #10 - Season Six: Season Review
![]()
Transfers
Transfers
Tyler Walker Left For Motherwell In A Club Record Transfer Sale
A number of important Whitehawk players departed from the club over the course of the season, including club captain Ramón Marimón (DC), for a fee of £78K. Theo Wharton (MC) left to MK Dons for £275K, while Southend United acquired Anton Rodgers for £200K. The biggest sale of the season, however, was Tyler Walker's (ST) move to Motherwell. The move cost an initial fee of £750K, with £200K potentially moving along in other clauses.
A number of very experienced players were signed to add plenty of know-how of the Sky Bet Championship. Alex Baptiste (DC), Shane Ferguson (AML), Marcus Olsson (DL), Stephen Darby (DR), Tom Aldred (DC), Tyler Blackett (DC), Nicolo Fazzi (MC), Ashley Fletcher (ST), Jeremie Boga (AMC/R) and Jack Barmby (AML) all signed for free throughout the season. The majority of these players had plenty of experience at the top level. Big fees were paid for Mitchell Beeney (GK) and Callum Saunders (ST), while Jack Taylor (AMR/ST) and Sean Welsh (MC) also commanded small fees.
Defence had always been my priority, as Whitehawk coach, and Andrea Punzi found himself a new partner in the middle of it, in the shape of former Manchester United player Tyler Blackett. With experience on either side of them in the form of new club captain Stephen Darby and Marcus Olsson, with Mitchell Beeney in goals behind them, our defence was set for a long season in the Championship.
![]()
Sky Bet Championship
Sky Bet Championship
Whitehawk Struggled For Goals At Times But Held Strong In Defence
It took a while for us to start finding the back of the net regularly, as goal scoring was certainly an issue for us at times. Luckily, our defensive performances were top notch as we held strong, and we often didn't require more than one goal to win games. As the team became more fluent with my demands, we hit form, displayed by a twenty nine game unbeaten run from September until March. We finished the season with a 24-18-4 run.
League Table
Whitehawk's Troubles In Front Of Goal Did Not Stop Them Winning The Title
Once again, a strong defensive display came out on top, as we put the other Championship sides to shame. Conceding just twenty seven goals over the course of the season saw us top the table by two points, earning promotion to the Premier League. Our progress was sensational.
Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town and Coventry City faced relegation to the Sky Bet League One. Alongside ourselves, Bristol City and Middlesbrough had found ourselves earning passage to the Premier League; the pinnacle of domestic football. It was a dream-come-true.
![]()
FA Cup
FA Cup
Whitehawk Could Not Emulate Previous Runs In The FA Cup
Well, it was nowhere near as spectacular as the previous FA Cup campaign. We defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers in the third round, but Tottenham Hotspur proved too strong in the fourth.
![]()
EFL Cup
EFL Cup
Whitehawk Continued To Struggle In The EFL Cup
Why did we struggle so much in this competition? For the life of me, I could not figure out this dilemma. We did not put out weaker teams, and we tried to take it as seriously as possible, but continued to struggle none-the-less. Credit had to go to Crawley Town for knocking us out.
![]()
Whitehawk Football Club
Whitehawk Football Club
Whitehawk's Defenders Were Truly Unbeatable In The Championship
No surprise, as it was Andrea Punzi & Tyler Blackett who shone for Whitehawk. The two defenders were relentless in their defensive duties, and proved too difficult for opposition attackers to pass at times. The midfield performed very well too, especially Niccolo Fazzi and Jeremie Boga, while the attack disappointed somewhat. We didn't score enough goals to be happy with, but luckily our defensive play more than made up for it.
![]()
World Football
World Football
Manchester United Were Victorious In Their Champions League Campaign
José Mourinho's Manchester United were relentless in their pursuit of the UEFA Champions League, and came out trumps in the final. They defeated a determined SL Benfica side in the final, and were deservedly named as European champions.
Barcelona's Neymar was named as the winner of the Ballon d'Or, while Real Madrid's James Rodríguez won the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Both were named in the FIFA World Team of the Year, alongside La Liga stars Gareth Bale and Luis Suárez. FC Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng and David Alaba made the cut, while Paris Saint-Germain's Thibaut Courtois and Alessio Romagnoli were also included. Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci was the only Serie A representative, while Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne and Arsenal's Mesut Özil made the cut for the Premier League.
Ryan Ferguson's Message
Ryan Ferguson:
"A big thank you to the magnificent fans of this football club for their incredible support over the last year. They have rocked the Sky Bet Championship from top to bottom, helping us finish top of the league table. We played against some of the most historically significant football clubs in England, and blew them away with our support and, of course, our performances on the pitch.
The players, coaches, and other staff, had put in a truly fantastic shift this year to fight for any chance we possibly had to reach the Premier League. Our hard work and resilience proved to be enough to reach the big time, and it just goes to show what we are capable of when we set our mind to a task.
Next season we will be playing against Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and the other top teams in the country. We will be playing at Old Trafford, the Emirates Stadium, Anfield, New White Hart Lane, and more incredible stadia. I think I can speak for the players when I say we are very excited about what we might be able to achieve next season.
We know next season will be tough. We might not have the resources available to us that other clubs do, and we might not have a 50,000 stadium to play in. But what we do have is a great spirit among the players, and among the fans. If we show our true colours, we can make wherever we play our home, and our eleven players on the pitch will feel like one hundred players. We can achieve anything, because we are Whitehawk!"
Comment Section
MJK46, thank you. As for the success? It's just all about making sure we get the basics right. If we don't concede, we don't lose. If we don't lose, we're at most one goal away from winning. That philosophy will always remain the same, no matter what players I have at my disposal.ScottT, nah, anything is possible once you set your mind to it!
mgriffin2012, haha your words are too kind!
Previous Update: #8 - Season Four: Season Review
Next Updated: #10 - Season Six: Season Review
Premier League
Anyway, let's hope you can continue moving up the table and enjoy an even more successful season with the Hawks, good luck.
UEFA Europa League
