The FA Women's Premier League National Division (originally WFA National League Premier Division) was a division of the FA Women's Premier League, a football league 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.
Below the National Division were simultaneously the Northern and Southern divisions and the remainder of the women's football pyramid. The terms Women's Premiership and Ladies' Premiership thus generally referred to the National Division alone. The women's National League Premier Division was conceived as the counterpart to the men's football First Division/Premier League.
Founded in 1991 by the Women's Football Association, the league was taken over and renamed "Premier League" in the season 1994–95 by the Football Association. The first title was won by Doncaster Belles in 1991–92. Arsenal hold the most championships, with 12 won between 1993 and 2010.
The National Division lost its top-league status and several teams when the FA introduced the summer competition Women's Super League (WSL) in 2011, with no further promotions. 2012–13 was the final season for the Women's Premier League National Division, with the last championship won by Sunderland, their third in succession. The division was scrapped at the end of the 2012–13 season, prior to the launch of the FA WSL 2 (now simply WSL 2).
History
In its first two seasons, the women's National League operated on the pointscoring system of two points for a win, switching to three points for a win in 1993–94.
In the first season, 1991–92, the division contained eight clubs, increasing to 10 clubs in 1992–93.
Premiership teams also competed in the WFA Cup/FA Women's Cup and the Premier League Cup. The first five League champions all won the League and FA Cup Double. From 2000 until 2008, the Premiership winner competed against the FA Cup winner or League runner-up annually for the FA Women's Community Shield. Until 2010, Premiership winners and runners-up competed in the UEFA Women's Cup/Women's Champions League as well.
For the 2006–07 season, the number of competing teams was increased from 10 to 12, with the promotion of the Northern (Blackburn Rovers) and Southern (Cardiff City) champions and no relegations despite test matches being played.
For the National Division's 2010–11 season, the division was reduced to eight clubs from twelve. Six clubs left to form the WSL, as did the Northern Division champions and runners-up, Liverpool and OOH Lincoln. The six remaining National Division clubs and the Southern Division top two, Barnet and Reading, thus comprised the second-level National Division.
List of seasons As level 1 division:
Note: Bold designates teams that won a double with the Women's FA Cup.† Arsenal won a treble with the UEFA Women's Cup in 2007.
Year Winner Runner up Third place Relegated 1991–92 Doncaster Belles Red Star Southampton Wimbledon None (expansion to 10 clubs) 1992–93 Arsenal Doncaster Belles Knowsley United Maidstone Tigresses, Bronte 1993–94 Doncaster Belles Arsenal Knowsley United Ipswich Town, Wimbledon 1994–95 Arsenal Liverpool Doncaster Belles Red Star Southampton 1995–96 Croydon Doncaster Belles Arsenal Villa Aztecs, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1996–97 Arsenal Doncaster Belles Croydon Southampton Saints, Ilkeston Town 1997–98 Everton Arsenal Doncaster Belles Barnet, Barry Town 1998–99 Croydon Arsenal Doncaster BellesBradford City, Ilkeston Town 1999–2000 Croydon Doncaster Belles Arsenal Aston Villa, Reading Royals 2000–01 Arsenal Doncaster Belles Charlton Athletic Millwall Lionesses, Liverpool 2001–02 Arsenal Doncaster Belles Charlton Athletic Barry Town, Sunderland 2002–03 Fulham Doncaster Belles Arsenal Southampton Saints, Brighton & Hove Albion 2003–04 Arsenal Charlton Athletic Fulham Aston Villa, Tranmere Rovers 2004–05 Arsenal Charlton Athletic Everton Liverpool, Bristol City 2005–06 Arsenal Everton Charlton Athletic None (expansion to 12 clubs) 2006–07 Arsenal † Everton Charlton Athletic Sunderland, Fulham 2007–08 Arsenal Everton Charlton Athletic Cardiff City, Charlton Athletic 2008–09 Arsenal Everton Chelsea Liverpool, Fulham 2009–10 Arsenal Everton Chelsea League restructured due to FA WSL
As FA level 2 division:
Year Winner Runner up Third place Relegated 2010–11 Sunderland Nottingham Forest Reading Blackburn Rovers, Millwall Lionesses 2011–12 Sunderland Leeds United Aston Villa Nottingham Forest, Reading 2012–13 Sunderland Watford Leeds United League restructured due to FA WSL 2
The Women's Premier League name continued at level 3 in 2013–14 after the National Division was scrapped.
Performance by club
Club Winners Runners-up Winning years Arsenal 1992–93, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 Croydon/Charlton Athletic 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–2000 Sunderland 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13 Doncaster Rovers Belles 1991–92, 1993–94 Everton 1997–98 Fulham 2002–03 Liverpool 1994–95 Nottingham Forest 2010–11 Leeds United 2011–12
See also Women's football (soccer) List of women's football teams List of women's football (soccer) competitions
External links The FA Women's Page femaleSOCCER.net – Girls and women's football including Premier League
References
fr:Championnat d'Angleterre de football féminin