Women's football in England
Encyclopedia
While women's football
has been played in England for over a century, it has only been in the 1990s that the game has seen a large increase in female players, as well as in female spectators, culminating in England hosting the Women's European Championships
in 2005.
In the period from early in the First World War
until the Football Association's
ban on women playing football on the grounds of its affiliates in 1922 (which lasted for 40 years) women's football was very popular and a true rival to the men's game. One match featuring the Dick, Kerr's Ladies team from Preston, played at Goodison Park
, Liverpool
on Boxing Day
1920, attracted a crowd of 53,000 with another 10,000 - 15,000 reported turned away because the ground was full.
Today, the FA runs directly the top women's competitions. The most significant national competition is the national cup, the FA Women's Cup
, followed by the top national league, the FA WSL (Women's Super League). Before the formation of the WSL in 2011, the top flight was the FA Women's Premier League National Division
, which has now become the second-level league. Before the relaunch of the UEFA Women's Cup as the UEFA Women's Champions League for the 2009–10 season, the Premier League champion was the only English representative allowed in Europe. With the formation of the Champions League, England became one of eight nations with two Champions League places, a status it has retained ever since. In the first season of the new Champions League, the two places were filled by the Premier League champion and the FA Women's Cup winner. For 2010–11, the two finalists in the 2009–10 FA Women's Cup earned the Champions League places. Starting with the 2012–13 Champions League, the WSL champion will inherit the Premier League's former berth. Women's football also has its own Premier League Cup, limited to the teams in the Premier League and its regional third divisions (WSL teams are not eligible for this competition).
To promote women's football, the FA allows cup finals to be held at various men's Premier League/Football League stadia throughout the country (as opposed to men's finals which are usually held at the national stadiums); for the 2006-07 season, the League Cup final took place at Scunthorpe United's Glanford Park
, and the FA Cup final took take place at Nottingham Forest's City Ground
.
. The WSL replaced the FA Women's Premier League at the top of the system.
The Premier League is split into two levels: the first is the former top flight, the FA Women's Premier League National Division
, with relegation to two equal leagues below this: the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division
and the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division
. Teams in these three divisions compete in the Premier League Cup
.
Below the Premier League lie the four Combination Leagues, the South West
, South East
, Midland
and Northern
Combinations and below these are eight regional leagues. Below the regional leagues are the county leagues.
As in the men's game, some Welsh
women's football clubs compete in the English pyramid. The most successful are Cardiff City
and the now defunct Barry Town, both of which have played in the Women's Premiership.
Women's football (soccer)
Women's association football has been played for many decades, but was associated with charity games and physical exercise in the past before the breakthrough of organized women's association football came in the 1970s. Before the 1970s, football was basically seen as a men's game...
has been played in England for over a century, it has only been in the 1990s that the game has seen a large increase in female players, as well as in female spectators, culminating in England hosting the Women's European Championships
2005 UEFA Women's Championship
The 2005 UEFA Women's Championship, also referred to as WOMEN'S EURO 2005 , was a football tournament for women held from 5 June to 19 June 2005 in Lancashire, England. The UEFA Women's Championship is a regular tournament involving European national teams from countries affiliated to UEFA, the...
in 2005.
In the period from early in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
until the Football Association's
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
ban on women playing football on the grounds of its affiliates in 1922 (which lasted for 40 years) women's football was very popular and a true rival to the men's game. One match featuring the Dick, Kerr's Ladies team from Preston, played at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
1920, attracted a crowd of 53,000 with another 10,000 - 15,000 reported turned away because the ground was full.
Today, the FA runs directly the top women's competitions. The most significant national competition is the national cup, the FA Women's Cup
FA Women's Cup
The Football Association Women’s Challenge Cup Competition, commonly referred to as the FA Women's Cup, is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England – designed as an exact equivalent to the FA Cup created 99 years earlier...
, followed by the top national league, the FA WSL (Women's Super League). Before the formation of the WSL in 2011, the top flight was the FA Women's Premier League National Division
FA Women's Premier League National Division
The FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the...
, which has now become the second-level league. Before the relaunch of the UEFA Women's Cup as the UEFA Women's Champions League for the 2009–10 season, the Premier League champion was the only English representative allowed in Europe. With the formation of the Champions League, England became one of eight nations with two Champions League places, a status it has retained ever since. In the first season of the new Champions League, the two places were filled by the Premier League champion and the FA Women's Cup winner. For 2010–11, the two finalists in the 2009–10 FA Women's Cup earned the Champions League places. Starting with the 2012–13 Champions League, the WSL champion will inherit the Premier League's former berth. Women's football also has its own Premier League Cup, limited to the teams in the Premier League and its regional third divisions (WSL teams are not eligible for this competition).
To promote women's football, the FA allows cup finals to be held at various men's Premier League/Football League stadia throughout the country (as opposed to men's finals which are usually held at the national stadiums); for the 2006-07 season, the League Cup final took place at Scunthorpe United's Glanford Park
Glanford Park
Glanford Park is a football stadium in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, and the current home of Scunthorpe United. It is the smallest stadium by capacity in the Championship ....
, and the FA Cup final took take place at Nottingham Forest's City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
.
League system
The national league system in women's football in England is currently operated by The FA, with the WSL at the top. For its first two seasons (2011 and 2012), the WSL is operating on a licence system with no promotion or relegation, similar to the system used in rugby league's Super LeagueSuper League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. The WSL replaced the FA Women's Premier League at the top of the system.
The Premier League is split into two levels: the first is the former top flight, the FA Women's Premier League National Division
FA Women's Premier League National Division
The FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the...
, with relegation to two equal leagues below this: the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division
FA Women's Premier League Northern Division
The FA Women's Premier League Northern Division is a league in the third-level in the women's football pyramid in England, along with the Southern division. These two divisions are below the FA Women's Super League and National Division....
and the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division
FA Women's Premier League Southern Division
The FA Women's Premier League Southern 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 below the FA Women's Super League and National Division...
. Teams in these three divisions compete in the Premier League Cup
Premier League Cup
The Football Association Women's Premier League Cup is a cup competition in English Women's association football. It is also referred to as the Women's League Cup as it is the women's equivalent to the men's League Cup, although both competitions are organised by different governing bodies.The...
.
Below the Premier League lie the four Combination Leagues, the South West
South West Combination Women's Football League
The South West Combination Women's Football League, also known simply as the South West Combination, is at the third level of the English women's football pyramid, along with the three other Combination Leagues - South East, Midland and Northern...
, South East
South East Combination Women's Football League
The South East Combination Women's Football League, also known simply as the South East Combination, is at the third level of the English women's football pyramid, along with the three other Combination Leagues - South West, Midland and Northern...
, Midland
Midland Combination Women's Football League
The Midland Combination Women's Football League, also known simply as the Midland Combination, is at the third level of the English women's football pyramid, along with the three other Combination Leagues - South West, South East and Northern...
and Northern
Northern Combination Women's Football League
The Northern Combination Women's Football League, also known simply as the Northern Combination, is at the fourth level of the English women's football pyramid, along with the three other Combination Leagues - South West, South East and Midland...
Combinations and below these are eight regional leagues. Below the regional leagues are the county leagues.
As in the men's game, some Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
women's football clubs compete in the English pyramid. The most successful are Cardiff City
Cardiff City L.F.C.
Cardiff City Ladies Football Club is a Welsh women's football club currently playing at the third level in England. The club was founded in 1975 as Llanedeyrn L.F.C. after a local charity match. They play at Cardiff International Sports Stadium, Cardiff....
and the now defunct Barry Town, both of which have played in the Women's Premiership.
The women's pyramid
Level |
League(s)/Division(s) |
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| 1 | FA WSL (8 clubs) |
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| 2 | FA Women's Premier League National Division FA Women's Premier League National Division The FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the... (8 clubs) |
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| 3 | FA Women's Premier League Northern Division FA Women's Premier League Northern Division The FA Women's Premier League Northern Division is a league in the third-level in the women's football pyramid in England, along with the Southern division. These two divisions are below the FA Women's Super League and National Division.... (12 clubs) |
FA Women's Premier League Southern Division FA Women's Premier League Southern Division The FA Women's Premier League Southern 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 below the FA Women's Super League and National Division... (12 clubs) |
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| 4 | Northern Combination Women's Football League Northern Combination Women's Football League The Northern Combination Women's Football League, also known simply as the Northern Combination, is at the fourth level of the English women's football pyramid, along with the three other Combination Leagues - South West, South East and Midland... |
Midland Combination Women's Football League Midland Combination Women's Football League The Midland Combination Women's Football League, also known simply as the Midland Combination, is at the third level of the English women's football pyramid, along with the three other Combination Leagues - South West, South East and Northern... |
South West Combination Women's Football League South West Combination Women's Football League The South West Combination Women's Football League, also known simply as the South West Combination, is at the third level of the English women's football pyramid, along with the three other Combination Leagues - South East, Midland and Northern... |
South East Combination Women's Football League South East Combination Women's Football League The South East Combination Women's Football League, also known simply as the South East Combination, is at the third level of the English women's football pyramid, along with the three other Combination Leagues - South West, Midland and Northern... |
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| 5 | North West Regional Women's Football League Premier Div | North East Regional Women's Football League Premier Div | West Midland Regional Women's Football League Premier Div | East Midland Women's Football League Premier Div | Southern Region Women's Football League Premier Division | South West Region Women's Football League Premier Div | Eastern Region Women's Football League Eastern Region Women's Football League The Eastern Region Women's Football League is at the fourth and fifth levels of the English women's football pyramid, with the seven other Regional Leagues - London & SE, Southern, South West, East Mids, West Mids, East Mids and North West... Premier Division |
London & South East Region Women's Football League Premier Div | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | North West Regional Women's Football League Div 1 (North) | North West Regional Women's Football League Div 1 (South) | North East Regional Women's Football League Div 1 (North) | North East Regional Women's Football League Div 1 (South) | West Midland Regional Women's Football League Div 1 (North) | West Midland Regional Women's Football League Div 1 (South) | East Midland Women's Football League Div 1 (North) | East Midland Women's Football League Div 1 (South) | Southern Region Women's Football League Division 1 | South West Region Women's Football League Div 1 (North) | South West Region Women's Football League Div 1 (South) | Eastern Region Women's Football League Eastern Region Women's Football League The Eastern Region Women's Football League is at the fourth and fifth levels of the English women's football pyramid, with the seven other Regional Leagues - London & SE, Southern, South West, East Mids, West Mids, East Mids and North West... Division 1 (North) |
Eastern Region Women's Football League Eastern Region Women's Football League The Eastern Region Women's Football League is at the fourth and fifth levels of the English women's football pyramid, with the seven other Regional Leagues - London & SE, Southern, South West, East Mids, West Mids, East Mids and North West... Division 1 (South) |
South East Counties Women's Football League Premier Div | London & South East Region Women's Football League Div 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Cheshire & Manchester WFL Div 1 | Lancashire WFL Div 1 | Liverpool WFL | West Riding WFL Div 1 | East Riding WFL | Sheffield & Hallamshire WFL | North Riding WFL | Durham WFL Div 1 | Staffordshire WFL Div 1 | Worcestershire WFL | Shropshire WFL Div 1 | Birmingham WFL Div 1 | Leicestershire WFL | Northants WFL | Lincolnshire WFL | Nottinghamshire WFL Div 1 | Hampshire WFL Div 1 | Thames Valley WFL Div 1 | Glouctershire WFL Div 1 | Somerset WFL Div 1 | Dorset WFL | Devon WFL Div 1 | Cornwall WFL Div 1 | Norfolk WFL | Suffolk WFL | Cambs & Hunts WFL Cambs & Hunts WFL The Cambridgeshire County Women's Football League is a football competition based in England, covering the region administered by Cambridgeshire Football Association... |
Beds & Herts WFL Div 1 | Essex WFL Div 1 | South East Counties Women's Football League Div 1 (East) | South East Counties Women's Football League Div 1 (West) | Greater London WFL Div 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Cheshire & Manchester WFL (Div 2) | Lancashire WFL (Div 2) | West Riding WFL Div 2 | Durham WFL Div 2(2) | Staffordshire WFL Div 2 | Shropshire WFL Div 2 | Birmingham WFL Div 2 | Nottinghamshire WFL Div 2 | Hampshire WFL Div 2 | Thames Valley WFL Div 2 (North) | Thames Valley WFL Div 2 (South) | Glouctershire WFL Duv 2 | Somerset WFL Div 2 | Devon WFL Div 2 | Cornwall WFL Div 2 | Essex WFL Div 2 | Kent WFL | Sussex WFL Div 1 | Greater London WFL Div 2 (North) | Greater London WFL Div 2 (South) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | West Riding WFL Div 3 | Hampshire WFL Div 3 | Devon WFL Div 3 | Cornwall WFL Div 3 | Essex WFL Div 3 | Sussex WFL Div 2 | Greater London WFL Div 3 (North) | Greater London WFL Div 3 (South) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
- Football in EnglandFootball in EnglandAssociation football is a national 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...
- List of women's football clubs in England and Wales
- England women's national football teamEngland women's national football teamThe England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
- FA Women's Super League