How England's third and fourth tiers of women's football evolved over three decades

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before the Women's Super League, the FA Women's National League was the pinnacle of English women's football. Since its 1991 inception, the competition has undergone radical structural shifts, rebranding, and administrative changes to adapt to the sport's rapid growth, eventually settling into its current six-division format across two tiers.

Inaugurated in 1991 as the WFA National League, the competition was the first nationwide regular league for women in England. Initially managed by the Women's Football Association, control shifted to the Football Association in 1994. For nearly two decades, the National Division served as the top tier of the sport, with Arsenal dominating the era by securing twelve titles. However, the 2011 creation of the FA Women's Super League forced a demotion of the National Division to the second tier, eventually leading to its dissolution after the 2012–13 season.

The league's structure underwent further transformation in 2014 when it incorporated the fourth-tier Combination Leagues, rebranding them as Division One North, Midlands, South East, and South West. This period also saw the league move toward independent governance, with a management committee led by Carol West until 2023. During this time, promotion to the second-tier Championship was decided by a high-stakes play-off match between the Northern and Southern Premier Division winners, a system that saw its first winner in Sheffield.

Today, the FA Women's National League functions as the third and fourth tiers of the English pyramid. The third tier comprises the National League North and South, while the fourth tier consists of the four regional Division One leagues. Since the 2023–24 season, the league has streamlined its path to the professional ranks, with both Northern and Southern champions earning automatic promotion to the Championship. Beyond league play, clubs compete in the FA Women's National League Cup and the Plate, the latter of which provides a secondary competition for teams eliminated in the opening round of the Cup.

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