Country | England |
---|---|
Confederation | UEFA |
Founded | 1991 |
Divisions | 1 |
Number of teams | 10 |
Level on pyramid | 2 |
Relegation to |
Northern Division Southern Division |
Domestic cup(s) |
FA Women's Cup FA Women's Premier League Cup |
Current champions |
Sunderland WFC (2011–12) |
Most championships |
Arsenal (12 times) |
Website | League home page |
The FA Women's Premier League National Division was a football division in England. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League in 2011 the National Division functioned as the top league in England. During its final two seasons it operated as the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. The Division was scrapped at the end of the 2012/13 season, prior to the launch of the Women's Super League 2. The league was played on a home and away basis, with each team playing each other twice, and points being awarded in the standard football format.
Below the National Division were simultaneously the Northern and Southern divisions and the remainder of the women's football pyramid. These divisions remain after the cancellation of the National Division It was the women's football counterpart to the Premier League, although the women's league was not fully professional. The terms Women's Premiership and Ladies' Premiership thus generally referred to the National Division alone.
Premiership teams also competed in the FA Women's Cup and the Premier League Cup, and the Premiership winner competed against the FA Cup winner for the FA Women's Community Shield. Until 2010 Premiership winners and runners-up also competed in the UEFA Women's Champions League as well.
For the 2006–07 season, the number of competing teams was increased from 10 to 12, with the promotion of the Northern (Blackburn Rovers) and Southern (Cardiff City) champions and no relegations despite test matches being played.