This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2023) |
The 2023–24 FA Women's National League is the 32nd season of the competition, and the sixth since a restructure and rebranding of the top four tiers of English football by The Football Association. Starting in 1991, it was previously known as the FA Women's Premier League. It sits at the third and fourth levels of the women's football pyramid, below the Women's Championship and above the eight regional football leagues.[1]
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
The league features six regional divisions: the Northern and Southern Premier divisions at level three of the pyramid, and Division One North, Division One Midlands, Division One South East, and Division One South West at the fourth level. The league consists of 72 teams, divided into six divisions of 12 each. In a change from previous seasons, both winners of the Northern and Southern Premier divisions will be promoted to the Women's Championship. The bottom two teams will be relegated to the appropriate fourth tier FA WNL Division One. The winner of each Division One will be promoted to the Northern or Southern Premier Division, with the bottom two teams in those leagues relegated to respective regional leagues.
Premier Division
editNorthern Division
editChanges from last season:
- Despite winning the Northern Division, Nottingham Forest lost the Championship play-off and therefore remained in the Premier Division.
- Newcastle United were promoted from Division One North as champions.
- Stourbridge were promoted from Division One Midlands as champions.
- Boldmere St. Michaels were relegated to Division One Midlands.
- Loughborough Lightning were relegated to Division One Midlands.
- Brighouse Town rebranded as Halifax F.C. Women in May 2023.[2]
|
 Location of Northern Premier Division clubs for the 2023–24 season
|
League table
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newcastle United (C, P) | 22 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 79 | 11 | +68 | 59 | Promotion to Championship |
| 2 | Burnley | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 54 | 21 | +33 | 48 | |
| 3 | Nottingham Forest | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 59 | 21 | +38 | 47 | |
| 4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 22 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 58 | 24 | +34 | 44 | |
| 5 | Stoke City | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 41 | 37 | +4 | 34 | |
| 6 | Halifax | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 34 | 39 | −5 | 31 | |
| 7 | Derby County | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 41 | 34 | +7 | 29 | |
| 8 | Liverpool Feds | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 35 | 48 | −13 | 27 | |
| 9 | West Bromwich Albion | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 29 | 42 | −13 | 26 | |
| 10 | Stourbridge | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 29 | 75 | −46 | 16 | |
| 11 | Huddersfield Town (R) | 22 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 65 | −45 | 9 | Relegation to FA WNL Division One |
| 12 | AFC Fylde (R) | 22 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 19 | 81 | −62 | 6 |
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
editTop scorers
editSouthern Division
editChanges from last season:
- Watford were promoted to Championship as National League champions.
- Coventry United were relegated from Championship and re-affiliated as Rugby Borough.[3]
- Cardiff City Ladies were promoted from Division One South West as champions.
- Hashtag United were promoted from Division One South East as champions.
- Bridgwater United were relegated to Division One South West.
- Crawley Wasps were relegated to Division One South East.
- Gillingham re-affiliated as Chatham Town.[4]
|
 Location of Southern Premier Division clubs for the 2022–23 season
|
League table
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portsmouth (C, P) | 22 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 86 | 10 | +76 | 61 | Promotion to Championship |
| 2 | Hashtag United | 22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 43 | 18 | +25 | 52 | |
| 3 | Rugby Borough | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 54 | 29 | +25 | 48 | |
| 4 | Ipswich Town | 22 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 64 | 24 | +40 | 44 | |
| 5 | Oxford United | 22 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 47 | 27 | +20 | 44 | |
| 6 | Milton Keynes Dons | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 35 | 29 | +6 | 35 | |
| 7 | Cheltenham Town | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 35 | 52 | −17 | 24 | |
| 8 | Cardiff City Ladies | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 30 | 47 | −17 | 22 | |
| 9 | Plymouth Argyle | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 35 | 65 | −30 | 21 | |
| 10 | Billericay Town | 22 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 37 | 49 | −12 | 18 | |
| 11 | Chatham Town (R) | 22 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 15 | 64 | −49 | 6 | Relegation to FA WNL Division One |
| 12 | London Bees (R) | 22 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 17 | 84 | −67 | 3 |
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
editTop scorers
edit| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ellie Sara
|
Plymouth Argyle | 21 |
| 2 | Zoe Barratt
|
Oxford United | 20 |
| Natasha Thomas
|
Ipswich Town | ||
| 4 | Lily Greenslade
|
Rugby Borough | 17 |
| Sophie Quirk
|
Portsmouth | ||
| 6 |  Emma Jones
|
Portsmouth | 16 |
| Beth Lumsden
|
Portsmouth | ||
| 8 | Maddie Biggs
|
Billericay Town | 15 |
Division One
editDivision One North
editChanges from last season:
- Newcastle United were promoted to Northern Premier Division as Division One North champions.
- Doncaster Rovers Belles were realigned from Division One Midlands.
- Chester-le-Street Town were promoted from North East Regional Women's Football League as champions.
- F.C. United of Manchester were promoted from North West Women's Regional Football League as champions.
- Bradford City were relegated to North East Regional Women's Football League.
- Merseyrail were relegated to North West Women's Regional Football League.
|
Location of Division One North clubs for the 2023–24 season
|
League table
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull City (C, P) | 22 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 63 | 24 | +39 | 53 | Promotion to FA WNL Premier Division |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 45 | 21 | +24 | 46 | |
| 3 | Durham Cestria | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 41 | 16 | +25 | 43 | |
| 4 | Barnsley | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 50 | 27 | +23 | 43 | |
| 5 | Stockport County | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 33 | 22 | +11 | 35 | |
| 6 | Leeds United | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 46 | 40 | +6 | 34 | |
| 7 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 31 | |
| 8 | Chorley | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 33 | 48 | −15 | 25 | |
| 9 | Norton & Stockton Ancients | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 26 | 39 | −13 | 21 | |
| 10 | York City | 22 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 31 | 44 | −13 | 17 | |
| 11 | Chester-le-Street Town (R) | 22 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 27 | 55 | −28 | 14 | Relegation to regional league level |
| 12 | F.C. United of Manchester (R) | 22 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 80 | −60 | 8 |
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Top scorers
edit| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica Rousseau
|
Leeds United | 18 |
| 2 | Helen Lynskey
|
Hull City | 16 |
| 3 | Hope Knight
|
Hull City | 14 |
| 4 | Bianca Owens
|
Norton & Stockton Ancients | 11 |
| Jasmine Saxton
|
Doncaster Rovers Belles | ||
| 6 | 6 players | 9 |
Division One Midlands
editChanges from last season:
- Stourbridge were promoted to Northern Premier Division as Division One Midlands champions.
- Boldmere St. Michaels were relegated from Northern Premier Division.
- Loughborough Lightning were relegated from Northern Premier Division.
- Doncaster Rovers Belles were realigned to Division One North.
- Notts County were promoted from East Midlands Regional Women's Football League as champions.
- Sutton Coldfield Town were promoted from West Midlands Regional Women's Football League as champions.
- Long Eaton United were relegated to East Midlands Regional Women's Football League.
- Wem Town were relegated but were not allocated to a division by The FA.
|
 Location of Division One Midlands clubs for the 2023–24 season
|
League table
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sporting Khalsa (C, P) | 22 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 80 | 23 | +57 | 53 | Promotion to FA WNL Premier Division |
| 2 | Loughborough Lightning | 22 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 59 | 21 | +38 | 53 | |
| 3 | Peterborough United | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 63 | 37 | +26 | 47 | |
| 4 | Boldmere St. Michaels | 22 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 39 | 26 | +13 | 44 | |
| 5 | Northampton Town | 22 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 53 | 33 | +20 | 38 | |
| 6 | Solihull Moors | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 34 | 42 | −8 | 27 | |
| 7 | Sutton Coldfield Town | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 35 | 38 | −3 | 25 | |
| 8 | Lincoln City | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 50 | −9 | 22 | |
| 9 | Leafield Athletic | 22 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 25 | 50 | −25 | 18 | |
| 10 | Notts County | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 25 | 76 | −51 | 16 | |
| 11 | Sheffield F.C. (R) | 22 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 15 | 41 | −26 | 15 | Relegation to regional league level |
| 12 | Leek Town (R) | 22 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 25 | 57 | −32 | 14 |
Updated to match(es) played on 9 May 2024. Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Division One South East
editChanges from last season:
- Hashtag United were promoted to Southern Premier Division as Division One South East champions.
- Crawley Wasps were relegated from Southern Premier Division and merged to become Haywards Heath Town.[5]
- Worthing were promoted from London and South East Women's Regional Football League as champions.
- AFC Sudbury were promoted from Eastern Region Women's Football League as champions.
- As a result of Wymondham Town and Hounslow both withdrawing during the 2022–23 season, no teams were relegated from Division One South East.
|
 Location of Division One South East clubs for the 2023–24 season
|
League table
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AFC Wimbledon (C, P) | 22 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 90 | 29 | +61 | 56 | Promotion to FA WNL Premier Division |
| 2 | Norwich City | 22 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 66 | 24 | +42 | 49 | |
| 3 | Worthing | 22 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 48 | 25 | +23 | 45 | |
| 4 | Ashford Town | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 54 | 44 | +10 | 36 | |
| 5 | Queens Park Rangers | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 54 | 47 | +7 | 36 | |
| 6 | Actonians | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 50 | 45 | +5 | 34 | |
| 7 | Cambridge United | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 31 | |
| 8 | London Seaward | 22 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 42 | 37 | +5 | 29 | |
| 9 | Chesham United | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 46 | 77 | −31 | 19 | |
| 10 | AFC Sudbury | 22 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 40 | 67 | −27 | 17 | |
| 11 | Cambridge City (R) | 22 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 25 | 71 | −46 | 9 | Relegation to regional league level |
| 12 | Haywards Heath Town (R) | 22 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 19 | 66 | −47 | 5 |
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Division One South West
editChanges from last season:
- Cardiff City Ladies were promoted to Southern Premier Division as Division One South West champions.
- Bridgwater United were relegated from Southern Premier Division.
- Torquay United were promoted from South West Regional Women's Football League as champions.
- Abingdon United were promoted from Southern Region Women's Football League as champions.
- Larkhall Athletic were relegated to South West Regional Women's Football League.
- AFC St Austell were relegated to South West Regional Women's Football League.
|
 Location of Division One South West clubs for the 2023–24 season
|
League table
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exeter City (C, P) | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 115 | 15 | +100 | 62 | Promotion to FA WNL Premier Division |
| 2 | AFC Bournemouth | 22 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 104 | 13 | +91 | 60 | |
| 3 | Moneyfields | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 92 | 32 | +60 | 45 | |
| 4 | Swindon Town | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 98 | 35 | +63 | 41 | |
| 5 | Abingdon United | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 41 | 38 | +3 | 35 | |
| 6 | Bridgwater United | 22 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 39 | 41 | −2 | 32 | |
| 7 | Keynsham Town | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 45 | 44 | +1 | 31 | |
| 8 | Maidenhead United | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 43 | 49 | −6 | 30 | |
| 9 | Portishead Town | 22 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 33 | 77 | −44 | 20 | |
| 10 | Southampton Women's | 22 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 23 | 59 | −36 | 14 | |
| 11 | Torquay United (R) | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 32 | 67 | −35 | 11 | Relegation to regional league level |
| 12 | Selsey (R) | 22 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 198 | −195 | 0 |
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: The Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Women's league restructure". The Football Association.
- ^ "Brighouse Town Women as we knew it rebrand to become Halifax FC". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 21 May 2023.
- ^ "Coventry Utd renamed Rugby Borough and to relocate". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Dan Logue: Chatham Town statement". www.chathamtownfc.com.
- ^ "Crawley Wasps gain new home following merger with local Sussex non-league outfit". Sussex World. 27 February 2023.