Football league season
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.[1] 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.[2]
The league features six regional divisions: the Northern and Southern divisions at level three of the pyramid, and below those Division One North, Division One Midlands, Division One South East, and Division One South West. The league normally consists of 72 teams, divided equally into six divisions of twelve teams. After two resignations from and one late promotion to the FA Women's Championship, and one withdrawal from Division One, the league started the 2018–19 season with 13 teams in the Northern Division but only 11 in Division One Midlands. At the end of the season the champions of the Northern and Southern divisions will both qualify for a Championship Play Off match against each other which will decide the overall National League Champion. Subject to meeting league requirements both teams will be promoted to the FA Women's Championship. As part of the Football Association's restructure, clubs from the FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship were able to enter teams into the Reserve Section.
Premier Division
Northern Division
Map showing the locations of the teams in the Northern Division of the FA Women's National League
Changes from last season:
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Southern Division
Map showing the locations of the teams in the Southern Division of the FA Women's National League
Changes from last season:
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Championship play-off
The overall FA WNL champion will be decided by a play-off match to be held at the end of the season. Both sides will also earn promotion to the FA Women's Championship subject to meeting licensing requirements.
Division One
Division One North
Norton & Stockton Ancients
Map showing the locations of the teams in the Division One North of the FA Women's National League
Changes from last season:
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Division One Midlands
Map showing the locations of the teams in Division One Midlands of the FA Women's National League
Changes from last season:
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Division One South East
Map showing the locations of the teams in Division One South East of the FA Women's National League
Changes from last season:
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Division One South West
Map showing the locations of the teams in Division One South West of the FA Women's National League
Changes from last season:
[note] St Nicholas withdrew from the league after the first weekend without playing a match due to a lack of numbers.[7]
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Reserve Division
Reserve Northern Division One
Map showing the locations of the teams in the Reserve Northern Division One of the FA Women's National League
- Sheffield and Sunderland withdrew their entries before the season started.
- Hull City was moved from Reserve Northern Division Two to Reserve Northern Division One before the season started after the withdrawal of Sheffield and Sunderland.
- Bradford City withdrew from the league during winter 2018–19. All results involving Bradford City were expunged.
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (X) Resigned
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Reserve Northern Division Two
Map showing the locations of the teams in the Reserve Northern Division Two of the FA Women's National League
- Bolton Wanderers withdrew their entry at the start of the season.
- Hull City was moved to Reserve Northern Division Two to Reserve Northern Division One before the season started after the withdrawal of Sheffield and Sunderland.
- Fylde Ladies withdrew from the league during winter 2018–19. All results involving Fylde Ladies were expunged.
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (X) Resigned
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Reserve Midland Division
Map showing the locations of the teams in Reserve Midland Division One of the FA Women's National League
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Reserve South/South East Division
Map showing the locations of the teams in Reserve South/South East Division of the FA Women's National League
- West Ham United withdrew their entry at the start of the season.
- Ipswich Town withdrew from the league during autumn 2018. All results involving Ipswich Town were expunged.
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (X) Resigned
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Reserve South/South West Division
Map showing the locations of the teams in Reserve South/South West Division of the FA Women's National League
- Poole Town withdrew from the league during autumn 2018. All results involving Poole Town were expunged.
League table
Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (X) Resigned
Notes:
- ^ Southampton Women had one point deducted for fielding an ineligible player in their home match against Queens Park Rangers on 4 November 2018[8]
Results
Source: FA Full-Time
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
References
- ^ "About the FA WPL". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 29 November 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ "Naming of restructured women's league pyramid confirmed". thefa.com. The Football Association. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
- ^ "Club Statement". Doncaster Rovers Belles. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ^ "Club Statement". Sheffield FC Ladies. 24 June 2018. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ "CLUB STATEMENT: FA Women's Championship". Crystal Palace Ladies FC. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ^ "Ladies Section Statement". radcliffeolympic.co.uk. Radcliffe Olympic FC. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
- ^ St Nicholas LFC #Bluebells (@stnicksladies) (20 August 2018). "Due to a lack of numbers ..." Twitter. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "Southampton Womens Reserves". fulltime-league.thefa.com. The FA. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
External links
- Official website of the FA Women's National League
- League results and standings