FA Women's National League North

Last updated

FA Women's National League North
FA Women's National League.png
Founded1992;32 years ago (1992)
Country England
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid3
Promotion to Women's Championship
Relegation toFA Women's National League Division One North, FA Women's National League Division One Midlands
Domestic cup(s) Women's FA Cup
League cup(s)
Current champions Newcastle United (1st title)
(2023–24)
Most championships Blackburn Rovers (4 titles)
Website womenscompetitions.thefa.com
Current: 2023–24 FA Women's National League

The FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division is a league at the third-level in the women's football league pyramid in England, along with the Southern division. These two divisions are part of the FA Women's National League and below the Women's Super League and Women's Championship.

Contents

The league is played on a home and away basis, with each team playing each other twice, and points being awarded in the standard three points for a win format. The bottom two clubs are relegated, also on a geographical basis, to the Division One Northern, and Division One Midland.

For the 2023/24 season, changes were made meaning that two clubs would be relegated from the Women's Championship allowing one team each from National League North and South to be promoted to the Championship rather than having to play a season end playoff. This change resulted in two teams being relegated from the Championship at the end of the season.

Northern Premier Division teams are eligible to play in the Women's National League Cup as well as the Women's FA Cup.

History

Originally known as the Women's Premier League Northern Division, Bronte were the inaugural second level champions. [1] Aston Villa, having won the 2010–11 season, became the last second level champions. [2] After the introduction of the Women's Super League in 2011, the league became the third level of woman’s football. Manchester City won the 2011–12 season, becoming the first third level champions. Prior to the 2018–19 season, the league was renamed as the FA Women's National League North, [3] part of a complete rebrand of the women’s pyramid. [4] Blackburn Rovers won the inaugural edition of the rebranded league. [5]

Current teams (2023–24 season)

Previous winners

SeasonWinner
2000–01 Leeds United
2001–02 Birmingham City
2002–03 Aston Villa
2003–04 Liverpool
2004–05 Sunderland
2005–06 Blackburn Rovers
2006–07 Liverpool
2007–08 Nottingham Forest
2008–09 Sunderland
2009–10 Liverpool
2010–11 Aston Villa
2011–12 Manchester City
2012–13 Sheffield F.C.
2013–14 Sheffield F.C.
2014–15 Sheffield F.C.
2015–16 Sporting Club Albion
2016–17 Blackburn Rovers
2017–18 Blackburn Rovers
2018–19 Blackburn Rovers
2019–20 not awarded
2020–21 not awarded
2021–22 Wolverhampton Wanderers
2022–23 Nottingham Forest
2023–24 Newcastle United

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackburn Rovers F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. The club's motto is "Arte et Labore", meaning "By Skill and Hard Work" in Latin. They have a long-standing rivalry with nearby club Burnley, with whom they contest the East Lancashire derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest Green Rovers F.C.</span> Association football club in Nailsworth, England

Forest Green Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system, but will play in the National League in the 2024–25 season after suffering relegation.

The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isle of Man also competing. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels, allowing even the smallest club the theoretical possibility of ultimately rising to the very top of the system, the Premier League. Below that are levels 2–4 organised by the English Football League, then the National League System from levels 5–10 administered by the FA, and thereafter Regional feeder leagues run by relevant county FAs on an ad hoc basis. It also often happens that the Premier Division of a Regional Feeder League has its constitution given to it by the FA. They have to accept it or appeal but cannot reject it at an annual general meeting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football in England</span> Overview of football in England

Football is the most popular sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game. With over 40,000 association football clubs, England has more clubs involved in the code than any other country. England hosts the world's first club, Sheffield F.C.; the world's oldest professional association football club, Notts County; the oldest national governing body, the Football Association; the joint-oldest national team; the oldest national knockout competition, the FA Cup; and the oldest national league, the English Football League. Today England's top domestic league, the Premier League, is one of the most popular and richest sports leagues in the world, with five of the ten richest football clubs in the world as of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FA Women's Premier League National Division</span> Association football league in England

The FA Women's Premier League National Division was a football division in England. From 1991 until 2010, the National Division functioned as the top league in English women's football. During its final three seasons, the division operated as the second level of the league pyramid from 2010 to 2013. The division was played on a home and away basis, with each team playing each other twice, and points being awarded in the standard football format.

The FA Women's National League, formerly WFA National League and FA Women's Premier League (WPL), is a group of six football divisions which was run by the English Football Association until 2014 when it changed to become an FA branded league run by an independent elected management committee. Originally founded in 1991 by the Women's Football Association, the League included England's top division from 1991 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FA Women's National League South</span> Third-level English womens football league

The FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division is a league in the third level in the women's football pyramid in England, along with the Northern division. These two divisions are part of the FA Women's National League and below the Women's Super League and Women's Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skelmersdale United F.C.</span> Association football club in Skelmersdale, England

Skelmersdale United Football Club is a football club from Skelmersdale, Lancashire. They are currently members of the North West Counties League Premier Division and play at The Community Ground, Burscough. The club is a member of both the Liverpool County Football Association and the Lancashire County Football Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackburn Rovers W.F.C.</span> Football club

Blackburn Rovers Women Football Club is a women's football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, that competes in the Women's Championship, the second tier of English women's football, after gaining promotion from the Women's National League North at the end of the 2018–19 season. The club spent five seasons in the FA Women's Premier League National Division, the highest level of the women's game in England prior to the formation of the Women's Super League in 2011, from 2006 until their relegation at the end of the 2010–11 season. They declined to submit an application to become an inaugural member of the Women's Super League due to their reluctance to split the team from the men's. They have been affiliated with Blackburn Rovers as the women's division since their formation in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolverhampton Wanderers W.F.C.</span> Football club

Wolverhampton Wanderers Women's Football Club, commonly known as Wolves Women, is an English women's football club affiliated with Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. The club play in the FA Women's National League North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's Super League</span> Association football league in England

The Women's Super League (WSL), known as the Barclays Women's Super League (BWSL) for sponsorship reasons, is the highest league of women's football in England. Established in 2010, it is run by the Football Association and features twelve fully professional teams.

The 2015–16 season of the FA Women's Premier League is the 24th season of the competition, which began in 1992. Formerly the top flight of women's football in England, this season it sits at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the two divisions of the FA Women's Super League and above the eight regional football leagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 FA Women's Premier League</span> Football league season

The 2016–17 season of the FA Women's Premier League is the 25th season of the competition, which began in 1992. It sits at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the two divisions of the FA Women's Super League and above the eight regional football leagues.

The 2017–18 season of the FA Women's Premier League is the 26th season of the competition, which began in 1992. It sits at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the two divisions of the FA Women's Super League and above the eight regional football leagues.

The 2018–19 FA Women's National League is the 27th season of the competition, and the first since a restructure and rebranding of the top four tiers of English football by The Football Association. Began in 1992, it was previously known as the FA Women's Premier League. It sits at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the FA Women's Championship and above the eight regional football leagues.

The 2019–20 FA Women's National League was the 28th season of the competition, and the second since a restructure and rebranding of the top four tiers of English football by The Football Association. Began in 1992, it was previously known as the FA Women's Premier League. It sits at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the FA Women's Championship and above the eight regional football leagues.

The 2021–22 FA Women's National League was the 30th season of the competition, and the fourth since a restructure and rebranding of the top four tiers of English football by The Football Association. Starting in 1991, it was previously known as the FA Women's Premier League. It sits at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the FA Women's Championship and above the eight regional football leagues.

The 2022–23 FA Women's National League was the 31st season of the competition, and the fifth since a restructure and rebranding of the top four tiers of English football by The Football Association. Starting in 1991, it was previously known as the FA Women's Premier League. It sat at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the Women's Championship and above the eight regional football leagues.

The 2023–24 FA Women's National League is the 32nd season of the competition, and the sixth since a restructure and rebranding of the top four tiers of English football by The Football Association. Starting in 1991, it was previously known as the FA Women's Premier League. It sits at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the Women's Championship and above the eight regional football leagues.

References

  1. "1991–1992". The Owl Football Historian. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  2. "2010/11 Northern Division table". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  3. "FA Women's Championship: New name chosen for England's second tier". BBC. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  4. "New Brand Identity for FA Woman's Leagues". The Football Association. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  5. "Blackburn Rovers defeat Coventry to secure place in FA Woman's Championship". The Football Association. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2023.