FA Women's National League Cup

The FA Women's National League Cup is an annual English football cup competition, founded in 1991 by the Women's Football Association (WFA).

The first edition of the Cup included clubs from the 1991–92 WFA National League Premier Division and the winners were the second-tier Arsenal, who beat Millwall 1–0 with a goal by Naz Ball. The Football Association assumed the running of the competition in 1994–95.

Clubs from league levels 1 and 2 competed in the Women's Premier League Cup tournament annually until 2009–10, with Arsenal the most frequent winners, in ten seasons. From 2011 onwards, the top-league teams played in the FA WSL's League Cup instead. Since 2011, the most successful clubs in the Premier/National League Cup have been Tottenham and Blackburn with two final victories each.

The current Women's National League Cup is open to the 72 teams in the FA Women's National League – Northern and Southern divisions, plus the four regional Division One leagues. It is the women's football equivalent to the men's EFL Trophy of third- and fourth-tier teams, although the competitions are organised by different governing bodies.

A change to the format of the competition from the 2025-26 season onwards has seen the entry of Professional Game Academy sides for the first time.

Format The competitions format has changed through the years, with some seasons having previously also included a preceding group stage prior to the knockout rounds.

After the league restructuring of the Women's Premier League in 2015 up to 72 teams are eligible to participate. At first all teams are drawn against each other in the determining round. The winning teams then are drawn into either a preliminary round or directly into the first round of the cup. Thus 32 teams then play the first round.

The losers of the determining round play a preliminary round and then a round of 32 onwards for the FA Women's National League Plate, first played out in 2015–16.

The 2025–26 season saw a change to the format of the League Cup, with the introduction of a group stage and entry of Professional Game Academy sides for the first time. Teams were initially drawn into 22 groups of four teams, from which the 22 group winners and 10 best runners-up advanced to the Cup knockout stages. The other 12 runners-up, and 20 best third-placed teams advanced to the National League Plate knockout stages. From there, both the Cup and the Plate held four knockout rounds before the finals of each competition.

1993 Wembley final

The 1992–93 competition ended with a final at Wembley Stadium. Before a sparse crowd, Arsenal beat Knowsley United 3–0 to retain the trophy.

This was one of very few competitive women's club games known to have been held at the old Wembley Stadium; it also remains the only women's League Cup final to be played at Wembley.

The match was held prior to the 1993 Football League Third Division play-off final. Arsenal manager Vic Akers recalled that the women's teams were not given use of the main dressing rooms.

List of seasons and finals Level 1 and 2 league cup competition:

Season Winner Runner-upScoreVenue 1991–92 Arsenal Millwall Lionesses 1–0 Alt Park, Huyton 1992–93 Arsenal Knowsley United 3–0 Wembley, London 1993–94 Arsenal Doncaster Belles 4–0 Abbey Stadium, Cambridge 1994–95 Wimbledon Villa Aztecs 2–0 Butlin Road, Rugby 1995–96 Wembley Doncaster Belles 2–2 (5–3 pen.) Underhill Stadium, Chipping Barnet 1996–97 Millwall Lionesses Everton 2–1 Underhill Stadium, Chipping Barnet 1997–98 Arsenal Croydon 0–0 (4–3 pen.) Underhill Stadium, Chipping Barnet 1998–99 Arsenal Everton 3–1 Prenton Park, Birkenhead 1999–2000 Arsenal Croydon 4–1 Underhill Stadium, Chipping Barnet 2000–01 Arsenal Tranmere Rovers 3–0 Deva Stadium, Chester 2001–02 Fulham Birmingham City 7–1 Adams Park, Wycombe 2002–03 Fulham Arsenal 1–1 a.e.t. (3–2 pen.) County Ground, Swindon 2003–04 Charlton Athletic Fulham 1–0 Underhill Stadium, Chipping Barnet 2004–05 Arsenal Charlton Athletic 3–0 Griffin Park, Brentford 2005–06 Charlton Athletic Arsenal 2–1 Adams Park, Wycombe 2006–07 Arsenal Leeds United 1–0 Glanford Park, Scunthorpe 2007–08 Everton Arsenal 1–0 Brisbane Road, Leyton 2008–09 Arsenal Doncaster Rovers Belles 5–0 Glanford Park, Scunthorpe 2009–10 Leeds Carnegie Everton 3–1 Spotland, Rochdale

Level 2 and 3 cup competition:

Season Winner Runner-upScoreVenue 2010–11 Barnet Nottingham Forest 0–0 a.e.t. (4–3 pen.) Adams Park, Wycombe 2011–12 Sunderland Leeds United 2–1 Sixfields Stadium, Northampton 2012–13 Aston Villa Leeds United 0–0 a.e.t. (5–4 pen.) Bootham Crescent, York

Level 3 and 4 cup competition (Women's Premier League Cup, renamed National League Cup in 2018–19):

Season Winner Runner-upScoreVenue 2013–14Carla Ward hits treble as Sheffield FC win FA Women's Premier League Cup Sheffield Cardiff City 6–2 Pirelli Stadium, Burton upon Trent 2014–15Charlton Athletic win FA Women's Premier League Cup Charlton Athletic Sheffield 0–0 a.e.t. (4–2 pen.) Liberty Way, Nuneaton 2015–16Tottenham HotspurCardiff City2–1 a.e.t.Aggborough, Kidderminster 2016–17 Tottenham Hotspur Charlton Athletic0–0 a.e.t. (4–3 pen.) Broadhall Way, Stevenage 2017–18Rovers Ladies win League Cup! 2018 Blackburn Rovers Leicester City3–1 Proact Stadium, Chesterfield 2018–19 Blackburn Rovers Crawley Wasps3–0 Pirelli Stadium, Burton upon Trent 2019–20 Stoke City–Sunderland cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2020–21 Competition cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021–22 Southampton Huddersfield Town3–0 Damson Park, Solihull 2022–23 Nottingham Forest Watford3–2 a.e.t. Pirelli Stadium, Burton upon Trent2023–24Hashtag UnitedNewcastle United2–1Kenilworth Road, Luton2024–25Nottingham ForestStoke City3–1Bescot Stadium, Walsall2025–26AFC BournemouthPlymouth Argyle1-0Loftus Road, Shepherd's Bush

Performance by club

Until 2010 it was England's main League Cup competition, when it was replaced by the FA Women's League Cup in 2011. Club Winners Runners-up Winning years Arsenal 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09 Croydon/Charlton Athletic 2003–04, 2005–06, 2014–15 Fulham 2001–02, 2002–03 Nottingham Forest 2022–23, 2024–25 Wembley/Barnet 1995–96, 2010–11 Blackburn Rovers 2017–18, 2018–19 Tottenham Hotspur 2015–16, 2016–17 Leeds United 2009–2010 Everton 2007–08 Millwall Lionesses 1996–97 Villa Aztecs/Aston Villa 2012–13 Sheffield 2013–14 Wimbledon 1994–95 Sunderland 2011–12 Southampton 2021–22Hashtag United2023–24AFC Bournemouth2025-26 Doncaster Belles/Doncaster Rovers Belles Cardiff City Knowsley United Birmingham City Tranmere Rovers Leicester City Crawley Wasps Huddersfield Town Watford Newcastle UnitedStoke CityPlymouth Argyle

See also FA Women's National League Plate FA Women's National League Women's FA Cup

References

External links Official Site – TheFA.com Results 2014/15