FA Women's Premier League National Division

The FA Women's Premier League National Division was a football division in England. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League in 2011, the National Division functioned as the top league in England. During its final two seasons it operated as the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. The Division was scrapped at the end of the 2012/13 season, prior to the launch of the Women's Super League 2. The league was played on a home and away basis, with each team playing each other twice, and points being awarded in the standard football format.

FA Women's Premier League National Division
Founded1991
Folded2013
CountryEngland
ConfederationUEFA
Divisions1
Number of teams10
Level on pyramid2
Relegation toNorthern Division
Southern Division
Domestic cup(s)FA Women's Cup
FA Women's Premier League Cup
Last championsSunderland WFC
(2011–12)
Most championshipsArsenal
(12 times)
WebsiteLeague home page

Below the National Division were simultaneously the Northern and Southern divisions and the remainder of the women's football pyramid. These divisions remain after the cancellation of the National Division It was the women's football counterpart to the Premier League, although the women's league was not fully professional. The terms Women's Premiership and Ladies' Premiership thus generally referred to the National Division alone.

Premiership teams also competed in the FA Women's Cup and the Premier League Cup, and the Premiership winner competed against the FA Cup winner for the FA Women's Community Shield. Until 2010 Premiership winners and runners-up also competed in the UEFA 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 2010–2011 season, the league reduced to eight clubs from twelve. Six clubs left to form the FA Women's Super League, 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.[1] The 2012–13 season was the final season for the division.

National Division clubs, 2012–13
Club Finishing position 2011–12
Aston Villa3rd
Barnet4th
Cardiff City8th
Charlton Athletic5th
Coventry City6th
Leeds United2nd
Manchester City1st in Northern Division
Portsmouth1st in Southern Division
Sunderland1st
Watford7th

History

Year by year

As level 1 division:

Note: Bold designates teams that won a double with the FA Women's Cup.
† Arsenal won a treble with the UEFA Women's Cup in 2007.

Year Winner Runner Up Third Place Relegated
1991–92 Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Red Star Southampton L.F.C. Wimbledon L.F.C. None (expansion to 10 clubs)
1992–93 Arsenal L.F.C. Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Knowsley United L.F.C. Maidstone Tigresses L.F.C., Bronte L.F.C.
1993–94 Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Arsenal L.F.C. Knowsley United L.F.C. Ipswich Town L.F.C., Wimbledon L.F.C.
1994–95 Arsenal L.F.C. Liverpool L.F.C. Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Red Star Southampton L.F.C.
1995–96 Croydon L.F.C. Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Arsenal L.F.C. Villa Aztecs L.F.C., Wolverhampton Wanderers L.F.C.
1996–97 Arsenal L.F.C. Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Croydon L.F.C. Southampton Saints L.F.C., Ilkeston Town F.C. Ladies
1997–98 Everton L.F.C. Arsenal L.F.C. Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Barnet F.C. Ladies, Barry Town W.F.C.
1998–99 Croydon L.F.C. Arsenal L.F.C. Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Bradford City W.F.C., Ilkeston Town F.C. Ladies
1999–2000 Croydon L.F.C. Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Arsenal L.F.C. Aston Villa L.F.C., Reading Royals L.F.C.
2000–01 Arsenal L.F.C. Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Charlton Athletic L.F.C. Millwall Lionesses L.F.C., Liverpool L.F.C.
2001–02 Arsenal L.F.C. Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Charlton Athletic L.F.C. Barry Town W.F.C., Sunderland A.F.C. Women
2002–03 Fulham L.F.C. Doncaster Belles L.F.C. Arsenal L.F.C. Southampton Saints W.F.C., Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C.
2003–04 Arsenal L.F.C. Charlton Athletic L.F.C. Fulham L.F.C. Aston Villa L.F.C., Tranmere Rovers L.F.C.
2004–05 Arsenal L.F.C. Charlton Athletic L.F.C. Everton L.F.C. Liverpool L.F.C., Bristol City W.F.C.
2005–06 Arsenal L.F.C. Everton L.F.C. Charlton Athletic L.F.C. None (expansion to 12 clubs)
2006–07 Arsenal L.F.C. † Everton L.F.C. Charlton Athletic L.F.C. Sunderland A.F.C. Women, Fulham L.F.C.
2007–08 Arsenal L.F.C. Everton L.F.C. Leeds United L.F.C. Cardiff City L.F.C., Charlton Athletic L.F.C.
2008–09 Arsenal L.F.C. Everton L.F.C. Chelsea L.F.C. Liverpool L.F.C., Fulham L.F.C.
2009–10 Arsenal L.F.C. Everton L.F.C. Chelsea L.F.C. None (restructure due to FA WSL)

As FA level 2 division:

Year Winner Runner Up Third Place Relegated
2010–11 Sunderland A.F.C. Women Nottingham Forest L.F.C. Reading Women Blackburn Rovers L.F.C., Millwall Lionesses L.F.C.
2011–12 Sunderland A.F.C. Women Leeds United L.F.C. Aston Villa L.F.C. Nottingham Forest L.F.C., Reading Women
2012–13 Sunderland A.F.C. Women Watford L.F.C. Leeds United L.F.C. Portsmouth F.C. Ladies, Barnet F.C. Ladies

The replacement level 1 league FA WSL began in 2011, and WSL 2 in 2014. The WPL continued at level 3/4 in 2013–14.

Performance by club
Club Winners Runners-up Winning Years
Arsenal
12
3
 1992–93, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
Charlton Athletic (inc. Croydon)
3
2
 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–2000
Doncaster Rovers Belles
2
7
 1991–92, 1993–94
Sunderland
2
0
 2010–11, 2011–12
Everton
1
5
 1997–98
Fulham
1
0
 2002–03
Liverpool
0
1
 1994–95
Nottingham Forest
0
1
 2010–11
Leeds United
0
1
 2011–12

See also
  1. "Premier League Changes". She Kicks. 17 June 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
  • Women's football (soccer)
  • List of women's football teams
  • List of women's football (soccer) competitions
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