2019–20 FA Women's National League
| Season | 2019–20 |
|---|---|
| Champions | not awarded |
| Promoted | none |
| Relegated | none |
← 2018–19 2020–21 → | |
The 2019–20 FA Women's National League was the 28th season of the competition, and the second 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. 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. The divisional alignments for the forthcoming season were outlined at the National League's AGM on 16 June 2019.[3]
On 5 June 2020, the season was curtailed and all results were expunged with no promotion or relegation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4][5]
Premier Division[edit]
Northern Division[edit]
Changes from last season:
- League champions Blackburn Rovers were promoted to the FA Women's Championship.
- Doncaster Rovers Belles were relegated to Division One Midlands.
- Bradford City were relegated to Division One North.
- Loughborough Foxes were realigned to National League North from the National League South.
- Burnley were promoted from Division One North.
- West Bromwich Albion were promoted from Division One Midlands.
- Guiseley Vixens liquidated following the close of the 2018–19 season.[6]
| Club | Home ground | Position in 2018–19 |
|---|---|---|
| Burnley | Arbories Memorial Sports Ground, Padiham | Promoted from D1 North (1st) |
| Derby County | The Don Amott Arena, Derby | 3rd |
| Fylde | Mill Farm, Wesham | 6th |
| Huddersfield Town | The Stafflex Arena, Kirkburton | 4th |
| Hull City | Hull University Sports Ground, Hull | 10th |
| Loughborough Foxes | Loughborough University Stadium, Loughborough | Realigned from NL South (7th) |
| Middlesbrough | Bedford Terrace, Billingham | 5th |
| Nottingham Forest | Stokeld Stadium, Carlton | 9th |
| Sheffield F.C. | Coach and Horses, Dronfield | 11th |
| Stoke City | Community Drive, Stoke-on-Trent | 7th |
| Sunderland | Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground, Hetton-le-Hole | 2nd |
| West Bromwich Albion | Trevor Brown Memorial Ground, Sutton Coldfield | Promoted from D1 Midlands (1st) |
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 10 | +43 | 40 |
| 2 | Derby County | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 46 | 17 | +29 | 29 |
| 3 | Nottingham Forest | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 19 | +8 | 28 |
| 4 | Stoke City | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 32 | 17 | +15 | 25 |
| 5 | Burnley | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 22 |
| 6 | Huddersfield Town | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 22 | +13 | 18 |
| 7 | West Bromwich Albion | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 31 | 20 | +11 | 17 |
| 8 | Middlesbrough | 15 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 27 | 52 | −25 | 14 |
| 9 | Fylde | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 24 | −9 | 13 |
| 10 | Loughborough Foxes | 15 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 24 | 42 | −18 | 13 |
| 11 | Hull City | 14 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 23 | 64 | −41 | 6 |
| 12 | Sheffield F.C. | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 39 | −32 | 3 |
Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Results[edit]
Southern Division[edit]
Changes from last season:
- League champions Coventry United were promoted to the FA Women's Championship.
- C & K Basildon were relegated to Division One South East.
- Loughborough Foxes were realigned to the National League North from the National League South.
- Crawley Wasps were promoted from Division One South East.
- Keynsham Town were promoted from Division One South West.
- Yeovil Town were relegated from the FA WSL after they were denied an FA Women's Championship license.
- Queens Park Rangers were renamed Hounslow after losing its affiliation to Queens Park Rangers F.C.
| Club | Home ground | Position 2018–19 |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiff City | CCB Centre for Sporting Excellence, Ystrad Mynach | 2nd |
| Chichester City | Oaklands Park, Chichester | 3rd |
| Crawley Wasps | Tinsley Lane, Crawley | Promoted from D1 South East (1st) |
| Gillingham | Maidstone Road Sports Ground, Chatham | 10th |
| Hounslow | Green Lane, Hounslow | 11th (as QPR) |
| Keynsham Town | The AJN Stadium, Keynsham | Promoted from D1 South West (1st) |
| MK Dons | Stadium MK, Milton Keynes | 9th |
| Oxford United | Marsh Lane, Marston | 4th |
| Plymouth Argyle | Haye Road, Plymouth | 6th |
| Portsmouth | Kendall's Stadium, Portsmouth | 8th |
| Watford | CRY Community Stadium, Kings Langley | 5th |
| Yeovil Town | The Avenue Stadium, Dorchester | Relegated from WSL (11th) |
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crawley Wasps | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 9 | +27 | 37 |
| 2 | Watford | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 14 | +26 | 28 |
| 3 | Oxford United | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 44 | 20 | +24 | 27 |
| 4 | Plymouth Argyle | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 42 | 18 | +24 | 27 |
| 5 | Yeovil Town | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 47 | 17 | +30 | 26 |
| 6 | Cardiff City Ladies | 13 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 9 | +14 | 25 |
| 7 | Portsmouth | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 15 | +13 | 15 |
| 8 | Milton Keynes Dons | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 18 | 30 | −12 | 13 |
| 9 | Gillingham | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 27 | −15 | 11 |
| 10 | Keynsham Town | 12 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 39 | −30 | 7 |
| 11 | Hounslow | 14 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 74 | −70 | 3 |
| 12 | Chichester City | 13 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 37 | −31 | 2 |
Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Results[edit]
Division One[edit]
Division One North[edit]
Changes from last season:
- League champions Burnley were promoted to the National League North.
- Bradford City were relegated from the National League North.
- Durham Cestria were promoted from the North East Regional Women's Football League Premier Division.
- Stockport County were promoted from the North West Women's Regional Football League Premier Division.
- Morecambe and Crewe Alexandra were relegated.
| Club | Home ground | Position in 2018–19 |
|---|---|---|
| Barnsley | Barnsley FC Academy, Barnsley | 4th |
| Bolton Wanderers | Kensite Stadium, Atherton | 8th |
| Bradford City | Plumpton Park, Bradford | Relegated from NL North (13th) |
| Brighouse Town | The Yorkshire Payments Stadium, Brighouse | 2nd |
| Chester-le-Street | Moor Park, Chester Moor | 3rd |
| Chorley | Victory Park Stadium, Chorley | 7th |
| Durham Cestria | The Graham Sports Centre, Durham | Promoted from NERWFL Premier Division (1st) |
| Leeds United | Thorp Arch, Wetherby | 6th |
| Liverpool Feds | I.M. Marsh Campus, Liverpool | 5th |
| Newcastle United | Druid Park, Newcastle upon Tyne | 9th |
| Norton & Stockton Ancients | Norton Teesside Sports Complex, Stockton-on-Tees | 10th |
| Stockport County | Stockport Sports Village, Stockport | Promoted from NWWRFL Premier Division (1st) |
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barnsley | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 14 | +25 | 38 |
| 2 | Leeds United | 16 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 35 | 16 | +19 | 35 |
| 3 | Brighouse Town | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 25 | 10 | +15 | 28 |
| 4 | Liverpool Feds | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 16 | +13 | 26 |
| 5 | Durham Cestria | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 33 | 15 | +18 | 22 |
| 6 | Newcastle United | 15 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 23 | −4 | 20 |
| 7 | Chester-le-Street | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 29 | −5 | 15 |
| 8 | Norton & Stockton Ancients | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 24 | 30 | −6 | 13 |
| 9 | Bolton Wanderers | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 31 | −15 | 11 |
| 10 | Stockport County[a] | 15 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 25 | 41 | −16 | 10 |
| 11 | Chorley | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 18 | −8 | 8 |
| 12 | Bradford City | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 45 | −36 | 7 |
Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Notes:
- ^ Stockport County deducted one point
Division One Midlands[edit]
Changes from last season:
- League champions West Bromwich Albion were promoted to the National League North.
- Doncaster Rovers Belles were relegated from the National League North.
- Leafield Athletic were promoted from the West Midlands Regional Women's Football League Premier Division.
- Leicester United were promoted from the East Midlands Regional Women's Football League Premier Division.
- Steel City Wanderers were relegated.
| Club | Home ground | Position 2018–19 |
|---|---|---|
| Bedworth United | The Oval, Bedworth | 5th |
| Birmingham & West Midlands | Trevor Brown Memorial Ground, Sutton Coldfield | 3rd |
| Burton Albion | The Lamb Ground, Tamworth | 9th |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | Oxford Street, Rossington | Relegated from NL North (12th) |
| Leafield Athletic | Stockingford Pavilion, Nuneaton | Promoted from WMRWFL Premier Division (1st) |
| Leicester United | Riverside Pavilion, Leicester | Promoted from EMRWFL Premier Division (1st) |
| Long Eaton United | Grange Park, Long Eaton | 6th |
| Lincoln City | Ashby Avenue, Lincoln | 7th (as Nettleham) |
| Solihull Moors | West Midland Sports & Social Club, Birmingham | 10th |
| Sporting Khalsa | The Aspray Arena, Willenhall | 4th |
| The New Saints (TNS) | Park Hall Stadium, Oswestry | 8th |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | CKW Stadium, Castlecroft, Wolverhampton | 2nd |
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 15 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 83 | 10 | +73 | 42 |
| 2 | Birmingham & West Midlands | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 50 | 23 | +27 | 30 |
| 3 | Bedworth United | 16 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 50 | 34 | +16 | 30 |
| 4 | The New Saints | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 42 | 31 | +11 | 27 |
| 5 | Lincoln City | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 44 | 25 | +19 | 24 |
| 6 | Long Eaton United | 15 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 22 |
| 7 | Leicester United | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 28 | 41 | −13 | 19 |
| 8 | Sporting Khalsa | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 28 | 32 | −4 | 16 |
| 9 | Leafield Athletic | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 30 | 35 | −5 | 16 |
| 10 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 15 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 24 | 37 | −13 | 16 |
| 11 | Solihull Moors | 14 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 18 | 53 | −35 | 9 |
| 12 | Burton Albion | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 10 | 88 | −78 | 0 |
Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Division One South East[edit]
Changes from last season:
- League champions Crawley Wasps were promoted to the National League South.
- AFC Basildon were relegated from the National League South.
- Cambridge City were promoted from Eastern Region Women's Football League.
- Kent Football United were promoted from London and South East Women's Regional Football League.
- Denham United and Luton Town were relegated.
| Club | Home ground | Position 2018–19 |
|---|---|---|
| Actonians | Rectory Park, Northolt | 4th |
| AFC Basildon | The Frost Hire Stadium, Canvey Island | Relegated from NL South (12th as C & K Basildon) |
| AFC Wimbledon | War Memorial Sports Ground, Sutton | 6th |
| Billericay Town | AGP Arena, Billericay | 2nd |
| Cambridge City | The Ellgia Stadium, Ely | Promoted from ERWFL (1st) |
| Cambridge United | Recreation Way, Mildenhall | 8th |
| Enfield Town | Queen Elizabeth II Stadium, Enfield | 3rd |
| Ipswich Town | The Goldstar Ground, Felixstowe | 7th |
| Kent Football United | Glentworth Sports Club, Kent | Promoted from LSEWRFL (1st) |
| Leyton Orient | Mile End Stadium, Bow, London | 5th |
| Norwich City | Plantation Park, Blofield | 10th |
| Stevenage | Hertingfordbury Park, Hertford | 9th |
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ipswich Town | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 53 | 11 | +42 | 34 |
| 2 | AFC Wimbledon | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 33 |
| 3 | AFC Basildon | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 44 | 31 | +13 | 29 |
| 4 | Billericay Town | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 12 | +27 | 28 |
| 5 | Leyton Orient | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 14 | +13 | 25 |
| 6 | Enfield Town | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 32 | 17 | +15 | 24 |
| 7 | Actonians | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 20 | 25 | −5 | 16 |
| 8 | Cambridge United | 15 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 31 | −15 | 14 |
| 9 | Norwich City | 16 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 34 | 69 | −35 | 11 |
| 10 | Stevenage | 15 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 32 | 56 | −24 | 10 |
| 11 | Cambridge City | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 33 | −17 | 9 |
| 12 | Kent Football United | 14 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 18 | 50 | −32 | 3 |
Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Division One South West[edit]
Changes from last season:
- League champions Keynsham Town were promoted to the National League South.
- Exeter City were promoted from the South West Regional Women's Football League.
- Southampton FC Women were promoted from the Southern Region Women's Football League.
- St Nicholas withdrew from the league at the start of the 2018–19 season.
- Southampton Saints disbanded prior to the start of the 2019–20 season.[7]
| Club | Home ground | Position 2018–19 |
|---|---|---|
| Brislington | Brislington Stadium, Brislington | 7th |
| Buckland Athletic | Homers Heath, Newton Abbot | 3rd |
| Cheltenham Town | Petersfield Park, Cheltenham | 4th |
| Chesham United | The Meadow, Chesham | 5th |
| Exeter City | Clifford Hill Training Ground, | Promoted from SWRWFL Premier Division (1st) |
| Larkhall Athletic | Plain Ham, Larkhall | 6th |
| Maidenhead United | York Road Stadium, Maidenhead | 10th |
| Poole Town | Dorset County F.A. County Ground, Poole | 11th |
| Southampton FC Women | Testwood Stadium, Totton | Promoted from SRWFL Premier Division (1st) |
| Southampton Women's FC | Gang Warily Recreation Ground, Southampton | 2nd |
| Swindon Town | Cinder Lane, Fairford | 9th |
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southampton F.C. Women | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 5 | +48 | 31 |
| 2 | Southampton Women's F.C. | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 13 | +26 | 29 |
| 3 | Exeter City | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 38 | 27 | +11 | 25 |
| 4 | Cheltenham Town[a] | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 25 |
| 5 | Chesham United | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 34 | 29 | +5 | 17 |
| 6 | Larkhall Athletic | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 15 | +4 | 16 |
| 7 | Buckland Athletic | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 21 | −1 | 11 |
| 8 | Brislington | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 22 | 35 | −13 | 8 |
| 9 | Maidenhead United | 12 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 42 | −34 | 6 |
| 10 | Poole Town | 11 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 37 | −26 | 3 |
| 11 | Swindon Town | 12 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 44 | −29 | 3 |
Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Notes:
References[edit]
- ^ "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.
- ^ Frith, Wilf (16 June 2019). "#FAWNL divisions confirmed for 2019-20 season". She Kicks Women's Football Magazine.
- ^ Association, The Football. "Chelsea Women awarded Barclays FA WSL title and Aston Villa win Women's Championship". www.thefa.com.
- ^ Pritchard, Beth (2021). No Points. PublishNation. ISBN 979-8711184720.
- ^ "Club Statement: Vixens Set For Liquidation – Guiseley AFC". Retrieved 2019-06-16.
- ^ Southampton Saints G&L FC (@SaintsGLFC) (3 July 2019). "It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we officially announce that this long standing and historic club has completely disbanded due to decreasing player numbers and lack of financial support..." Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- ^ Palmer, Jon (11 November 2019). "Cheltenham Town Ladies hit by fine and points deduction for fielding ineligible player". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved 8 December 2019.