The FA Women's National League is a group of six football divisions which sit at the third and fourth tiers of women's football in England. Founded in 1991 as the WFA National League, the league was run by the Women's Football Association, before control was handed to the Football Association in 1994, and the name changed to FA Women's Premier League.
The league consisted of the National Division, England's top division until 2010, and the Northern and Southern Premier Divisions, which formed the second tier. The league operated a system of promotion and relegation, with the bottom two teams of the National Division relegated, and the winners of the Northern and Southern Divisions promoted. With the introduction of the Women's Super League, the National Division became the second tier, while the Northern and Southern Divisions became the third.
The National Division was replaced in 2013 by the Championship, with the Northern and Southern Divisions continuing at the third tier. In 2014 the fourth tier Combination Leagues became part of the FA Women's Premier League, and were rebranded as the Division One North, Midlands, South East, and South West. The league received its current name and branding in 2018.
Arsenal hold the record for most titles won, with twelve. The current 2025–26 National League champions are Burnley (North, 1st title) and Watford (South, 2nd title).
History
Before the National League, women's teams nationally had competed in the WFA Cup (Women's FA Cup) since 1970, and there were English regional leagues, but this was the first regular nationwide competition of its kind.
The Women's National League was inaugurated in the 1991–92 season by the Women's Football Association (WFA), with a monetary grant from the Sports Council. Eight teams played in the top flight in that year. From the League's foundation, it consisted of a national premier division and two lower divisions, the Northern and Southern Divisions, whose winners each season were promoted to the top flight.
From 1991–92 until 2012–13, the national premier division was above the Northern and Southern Divisions. Since 1991–92, the Northern and Southern Divisions have run on an equal basis with promotion, and this continues today. The terms Women's Premiership and Ladies Premiership were generally used for the National Division only.
After the League's third season, the FA assumed responsibility for the competition and renamed it, beginning with the 1994–95 FA Women's Premier League (FA WPL).
The Women's Premier League remained level 1 and 2 of women's football until the end of the 2009–10 season. From 2000 until 2008, the WPL champions competed in the annual FA Women's Community Shield.
The National Division's most successful clubs were Arsenal (12 titles), Croydon (3 titles), Doncaster Belles (2 titles and 7 times runners-up), Everton (1 title and 5 times runners-up), and Sunderland (3 titles at league level 2).
The Women's Premier League lost several clubs prior to the 2010–11 season and the National Division was demoted to level 2, due to the creation of the FA WSL in 2011. (The WSL was a summer league for its first six years, as opposed to the WPL's winter format.) Strangely, the lower divisions were still given the name "Premier League" for eight more seasons. The number of clubs competing in the Northern and Southern Divisions decreased from 12 to 10. The National Division decreased from 12 clubs to eight (2010–11), then increased to 10 clubs (2011–12 and 2012–13).
The National Division was scrapped after the 2012–13 season, due to the introduction of the WSL 2 in 2014, which included some clubs that moved from the Women's Premier League. During the 2013–14 season, the only divisions with WPL branding were the third tier Northern and Southern Divisions. The FA proposed rebranding the WPL collectively as the Women's Championship League, but the idea was ultimately dropped. In 2014 the league moved away from the FA with the formation of an independent League Management Committee, elected by the clubs to run league operations. Carol West, a serving police officer was elected as league chair and led the voluntary management committee until 2023.
For the 2014–15 season, the Women's Premier League incorporated the fourth tier Combination Leagues as the Premier League's 'Division One', consisting of the Division One leagues: North, Midlands, South East and South West. Promotion to the second tier was also reintroduced, with the winners of the Northern and Southern Divisions playing each other in a single play-off match at a neutral venue, the winner becoming the overall Women's Premier League/National League champion, and promoted to the WSL 2. The first play-off occurred between Portsmouth and Sheffield at Stratford Town's Knights Lane ground. Sheffield won through a stoppage-time goal.
In 2018 the FA Women's Premier League was rebranded as the FA Women's National League. Beginning with the 2023–24 season, it was decided that both the Northern and Southern Division champions will be automatically promoted to the Championship.
Format and clubs Format The National League consists of six divisions, forming the third and fourth tiers of women's football in England. The National League North and National League South, sit at the third tier, while Division One North, Midlands, South East, and South West, form the fourth tier.
Current clubs The following clubs are competing in the 2026–27 season.
National League North National League South Boldmere St. Michaels Derby County Huddersfield Town Hull City Liverpool Feds Loughborough Lightning Middlesbrough Norwich City Peterborough United Rugby Borough Stoke City West Bromwich Albion AFC Bournemouth AFC Wimbledon Cheltenham Town Exeter City Fulham Hashtag United Lewes Oxford United Plymouth Argyle Portsmouth Real Bedford Swindon Town
Division One North Division One Midlands Division One South East Division One South West AFC Fylde Blackburn Rovers Bradford City Chester-le-Street Town Chorley Durham Cestria Halifax Leeds United Norton & Stockton Ancients Stockport County Thornaby York City Barnsley Women Chesterfield Kidderminster Harriers Leafield Athletic Lye Town Northampton Town Notts County Sheffield Sporting Khalsa Sutton Coldfield Town Worcester City Wythenshawe Actonians Billericay Town Cambridge United Chatham Town Dartford Dulwich Hamlet London Bees Luton Town Milton Keynes Dons Queens Park Rangers Saltdean United Stevenage Abingdon United Ascot United Bournemouth Sports Bridgwater United Bristol Rovers Gwalia United Keynsham Town Maidenhead United Marine Academy Plymouth Moneyfields Torquay United Wycombe Wanderers
Winners National Division champions Below is a list of women's Premier League / National Division champions at level one from 1991 to 2010, followed by National Division champions at level two.
Level 1 national champions:
Season Champions(number of titles) Runners-up Third place 1991–92 Doncaster Belles Red Star Southampton Wimbledon 1992–93 Arsenal Doncaster Belles Knowsley United 1993–94 Doncaster Belles (2) Arsenal Knowsley United 1994–95 Arsenal (2) Liverpool Doncaster Belles 1995–96 Croydon Doncaster Belles Arsenal 1996–97 Arsenal (3) Doncaster Belles Croydon 1997–98 Everton Arsenal Doncaster Belles 1998–99 Croydon (2) ArsenalDoncaster Belles 1999–2000 Croydon (3) Doncaster Belles Arsenal 2000–01 Arsenal (4) Doncaster Belles Charlton Athletic 2001–02 Arsenal (5) Doncaster Belles Charlton Athletic 2002–03 Fulham Doncaster Belles Arsenal 2003–04 Arsenal (6) Charlton Athletic Fulham 2004–05 Arsenal (7) Charlton Athletic Everton 2005–06 Arsenal (8) Everton Charlton Athletic 2006–07 Arsenal (9) Everton Charlton Athletic 2007–08 Arsenal (10) Everton Leeds United 2008–09 Arsenal (11) Everton Chelsea 2009–10 Arsenal (12) Everton Chelsea
Level 2 national champions: Season Champions(number of titles) Runners-up Third place 2010–11 Sunderland Nottingham Forest Reading 2011–12 Sunderland (2) Leeds United Aston Villa 2012–13 Sunderland (3) Watford Leeds United
Northern and Southern Division champions
Level 2 champions:
Season Northern Division Southern Division 1991–92 Bronte Arsenal 1992–93 Aston Villa District Line 1993–94 Wolverhampton Wanderers Bromley Borough 1994–95 Aston Villa Maidstone Tigresses 1995–96 Tranmere Rovers Southampton Saints 1996–97 Bradford City Berkhamsted 1997–98 Ilkeston Town Southampton Saints 1998–99 Aston Villa Reading Royals 1999–2000 Sunderland Barry Town 2000–01 Leeds United Brighton & Hove Albion 2001–02 Birmingham City Fulham 2002–03 Aston Villa Bristol Rovers 2003–04 Liverpool Bristol City 2004–05 Sunderland Chelsea 2005–06 Blackburn Rovers Cardiff City 2006–07 Liverpool Watford 2007–08 Nottingham Forest Fulham 2008–09 Sunderland Millwall 2009–10 Liverpool Barnet
Level 3 champions: Automatic promotion ended in 2012–13. From 2014–15 to 2022–23, the club marked in bold won the league championship play-off between the Northern and Southern Division winners, and promotion to the Championship. From 2023–24 onwards both the winners of the Northern Premier and the Southern Premier are promoted to the Championship.
Season Northern Division Southern Division 2010–112011: Promotion of both champions and runners-up Coventry City and Cardiff City to National Division, after WSL's formation Aston Villa Charlton Athletic 2011–122012: Promotion of both champions to National Division Manchester City Portsmouth 2012–132013: National Division ended. Reading, Millwall and Yeovil were elected to WSL 2 Sheffield Reading 2013–14 Sheffield Coventry City 2014–15 Sheffield Portsmouth 2015–16 Sporting Club Albion Brighton & Hove Albion 2016–17 Blackburn Rovers Tottenham Hotspur 2017–182018: West Ham United awarded FA WSL licence; Charlton, Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Lewes promoted to Championship Blackburn Rovers Charlton Athletic 2018–192019: Promotion of both champions to Championship, as FA WSL increased to 12 clubs Blackburn Rovers Coventry United 2019–20Not awarded (COVID-19 pandemic) 2020–21Not awarded (COVID-19 pandemic) 2021–22 Wolverhampton Wanderers Southampton 2022–23 Nottingham Forest Watford2023–24Newcastle Portsmouth 2024–25Nottingham Forest Ipswich Town2025–26Burnley Watford
Division One champions Following the incorporation of the Combination Leagues in 2014, the Women's Premier League / National League consisted of an additional four regional leagues below the Northern and Southern Divisions.
Level 4 champions: Season Division One North Division One Midlands Division One South East Division One South West 2014–15 Guiseley Vixens Loughborough Foxes C & K Basildon Forest Green Rovers 2015–16 Middlesbrough Leicester City Crystal Palace Swindon Town 2016–17 Guiseley Vixens Wolverhampton Wanderers Gillingham Chichester City 2017–18 Hull City Loughborough Foxes Milton Keynes Dons Plymouth Argyle 2018–19 Burnley West Bromwich Albion Crawley Wasps Keynsham Town 2019–20Not awarded (COVID-19 pandemic) 2020–21Not awarded (COVID-19 pandemic) 2021–22 Liverpool Feds Boldmere St. Michaels Billericay Town Cheltenham Town 2022–23 Newcastle United Stourbridge Hashtag United Cardiff City Ladies2023–24Hull City Sporting KhalsaAFC Wimbledon Exeter City 2024–25Middlesbrough Loughborough LightningReal Bedford AFC Bournemouth2025–26Huddersfield Town Peterborough UnitedFulham Swindon Town
Cup competitions