FA Women's National League


The FA Women's National League is a group of six football divisions run by the English Football Association. From 1991–2018, it was named the Women's Premier League and included England's top division from 1991–2010.
The leagues now sit at step 3 and 4 of the women's football pyramid, below the FA WSL and the Women's Championship.
The Women's Premier League National Division contained England's top women's clubs from 1991–92 until the season 2009–10. During this time, Arsenal W.F.C. won 12 WPL titles. Below the National Division was a Northern Division and Southern Division, whose teams could win promotion.
The WPL National Division became the country's level 2 division from 2010–11 to 2012–13.
The WPL National Division ended in 2013, and was replaced at level 2 by FA WSL 2, later renamed the Championship. The Northern Division and Southern Division teams have since played for promotion to this division.
The feeder divisions of the Combination Women's Football Leagues became officially part of the WPL system in 2014 at level 4. From these four divisions, clubs can win promotion to the level 3 National League North or National League South.
The FA has run the Women's Premier League/National League for most of the competition's existence, but the league was organised in its first two seasons by its founders, the Women's Football Association.

History

From its foundation in 1991–92 through until 2012–13, the FA Women's Premier League National Division was above the Northern and Southern divisions running on an equal basis, whose winners each season were promoted to the National Division.
were the champions of the first WFA Women's Premier Division in 1991–92
The terms Women's Premiership and Ladies Premiership were generally used for the National Division only.
The National Division had been the top tier of women's football from 1991–2010, but was demoted after the creation of the FA Women's Super League in 2011. Following the 2012–13 season, the National Division was scrapped due to the FA's decision to add a second division to the WSL for the 2014 season – WSL 2.
For the 2014–15 season, the Premier League was restructured to have a second level. To accomplish this, the four Combination Women's Football Leagues were incorporated as the Premier League's new Division 1. At level 3 in the pyramid now is the Northern and Southern division; a level below are four groups of Division One leagues: North, Midlands, South East and South West. In addition, the winners of the Northern and Southern Divisions would play each other in a one-off play-off at a neutral venue for an opportunity to be promoted into the WSL, the first instance of promotion between the WPL and the WSL. The first play-off was contested between Portsmouth and Sheffield F.C. at Stratford FC's ground, with the latter winning through a stoppage time goal.

National Division champions

Below is a list of women's Premier League National Division champions from 1991–92 until 2012-13.
The Premier League was run by the Women's Football Association for its first two seasons before being taken over by the FA from the 1993–94 season.
Level 1 national champions
SeasonPremier League winners
and English champions
1991–92Doncaster Belles
1992–93Arsenal
1993–94Doncaster Belles
1994–95Arsenal
1995–96Croydon WFC
1996–97Arsenal
1997–98Everton
1998–99Croydon WFC
1999–00Croydon WFC
2000–01Arsenal
2001–02Arsenal
2002–03Fulham
2003–04Arsenal
2004–05Arsenal
2005–06Arsenal
2006–07Arsenal
2007–08Arsenal
2008–09Arsenal
2009–10Arsenal

Level 2 national champions:
SeasonPremier League winners
2010–11Sunderland
2011–12Sunderland
2012–13Sunderland

From 2014, the level 2 national division was FA WSL 2.
Croydon W.F.C. changed their name to Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2000, and competed as Charlton Athletic for 2000–01 and subsequent seasons.

Regional Premier Division Champions

Level 2:
SeasonNorthern DivisionSouthern Division
1991–92BronteArsenal
1992–93Aston VillaDistrict Line
1993–94Wolverhampton WanderersBromley Borough
1994–95Aston VillaMaidstone Tigresses
1995–96Tranmere RoversSouthampton Saints
1996–97Bradford CityBerkhamsted
1997–98Ilkeston TownSouthampton Saints
1998–99Aston VillaReading Royals
1999–2000SunderlandBarry Town
2000–01Leeds UnitedBrighton & Hove Albion
2001–02Birmingham CityFulham
2002–03Aston VillaBristol Rovers
2003–04LiverpoolBristol City
2004–05SunderlandChelsea
2005–06Blackburn RoversCardiff City
2006–07LiverpoolWatford
2007–08Nottingham ForestFulham
2008–09SunderlandMillwall
2009–10LiverpoolBarnet

Level 3 champions:
SeasonNorthern DivisionSouthern Division
2010–11Aston VillaCharlton Athletic
2011–12Manchester CityPortsmouth
2012–13SheffieldReading
2013–14SheffieldCoventry City
2014–15SheffieldPortsmouth
2015–16Sporting Club AlbionBrighton & Hove Albion
2016–17Blackburn RoversTottenham Hotspur
2017–18Blackburn RoversCharlton Athletic
2018–19Blackburn RoversCoventry United

Regional Division One Champions

Following the incorporation of the Combination Women's Football Leagues into the Women's Premier League in 2014, the Women's Premier League consisted of an additional four regional leagues below the Northern and Southern Divisions.
SeasonDivision One NorthDivision One MidlandsDivision One South EastDivision One South West
2014–15Guiseley VixensLoughborough FoxesC & K BasildonForest Green Rovers
2015–16MiddlesbroughLeicester CityCrystal PalaceSwindon Town
2016–17Guiseley VixensWolverhampton WanderersGillinghamChichester City
2017–18Hull CityLoughborough FoxesMilton Keynes DonsPlymouth Argyle
2018–19BurnleyWest Bromwich AlbionCrawley WaspsKeynsham Town

Format

Currently there are two tiers and a total of six divisions that make up the National League: the two tier 3 divisions, the Northern and Southern divisions, as well as four regional tier 4 divisions: Division One North, Division One Midlands, Division One South East and Division One South West.

Current teams

In the 2019–20 season, 24 teams compete in the Premier League and 47 teams compete in Division One.

Premier League

Premier League Northern Division
Premier League Southern Division
Division One North
Division One Midlands
Division One South East
Division One South West
Seventy-two clubs throughout England and Wales compete in the Women's Premier League, with six divisions of twelve teams, though this number has varied historically due to the changing structure of women's football. Following the formation of the FA Women's Super League, the number of clubs competing in the national division decreased from 12 to 8. Likewise the number of teams in both the Northern and Southern Divisions decreased from 12 to 10, resulting in the total number of team's in the Women's Premier League decreasing from 36 to 28.
Following the expansion of the WSL with the addition of a second division, the National League was abolished. As a result, both the Southern and Northern Divisions increased to 11 teams each. Several clubs which had previously been competing in the National Division were moved into the Southern Division including Charlton Athletic, Cardiff City, Portsmouth and Coventry United.
For the 2014/15 season, the Combination Leagues were incorporated into the newly rebranded FA Women's Premier League, as a result, the WPL now consisted of 72 teams in 6 divisions.

Cup competitions

The main cup competition of the National League is the FA Women's National League Cup, a knock-out competition involving all of the teams within the six divisions that make up the National. Due to the changing structure of women's football, this competition has historically varied from a straight knock-out competition to a competition with a preliminary group stage before reaching the knock-out stage.
During the 2014–15 season, the FA Women's National League Plate was introduced. Under the current format, the teams that are eliminated from the opening round of the League Cup are entered into the Plate.

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