The Women's National League North, currently known as the FA Women's National League North, is a football league at the third tier of women's football in England. Together with the National League South, the two leagues form the highest division of the National League.
Established in 1991 as the WFA National League Northern Division, before a name change to the FA Premier League Northern Division in 1994, the league, along with the Southern Division, formed the second tier of women's football until 2010. The league champion was promoted to the National Division, while the bottom two teams were originally relegated to the regional leagues, prior to the introduction of the Combination Leagues in 1998. After the introduction of the Women's Super League, the National Division became the second tier, and the Northern and Southern Divisions became the third tier.
In 2014, the fourth tier Combination Leagues became part of the FA Women's Premier League. Rebranded as the Premier Leagues 'Division One', the champions of Division One North and Division One Midlands feed into the Northern Division. The league received its current name and branding in 2018.
History
Originally known as the WFA National League Northern Division, Bronte were the inaugural second level champions. Liverpool, having won the 2009–10 season, became the last second level champions. After the introduction of the Women's Super League in 2011, the league became the third level of woman's football. Aston Villa won the 2010–11 season, becoming the first third level champions.
For the 2014–15 season, the Women's Premier League incorporated the fourth tier Combination Leagues as the Premier League's 'Division One', with Division One North and Division One Midlands feeding into the Northern Division. Promotion to the second tier was also reintroduced, with the winners of the Northern and Southern Divisions playing each other in a single play-off match at a neutral venue, the winner becoming the overall Women's Premier League/National League champion, and promoted to the WSL 2.
Prior to the 2018–19 season, the league was renamed as the FA Women's National League North, part of a complete rebrand of the women's pyramid. Blackburn Rovers won the inaugural edition of the rebranded league. On 1 May 2022, Division One North club Newcastle United set a new league attendance record of 22,134. The club beat their own record on 16 April 2023, with an attendance of 24,092. Beginning with the 2023–24 season, it was decided that both the Northern and Southern Division champions would be automatically promoted to the Championship.
Clubs
The following twelve clubs are competing in the 2025–26 season.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
!Club
!Home ground
!Position 2024–25
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Burnley
| style="text-align:left;" |Lancashire County Ground, Leyland
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Derby County
| style="text-align:left;" |Don Amott Arena, Derby
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Halifax
| style="text-align:left;" | Clayborn Ground, Cleckheaton
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Hull City
| style="text-align:left;" | Easy Buy Stadium, North Ferriby
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Loughborough Lightning
| style="text-align:left;" |Loughborough University Stadium, Loughborough
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Liverpool Feds
| style="text-align:left;" |Jericho Lane, Liverpool
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Middlesbrough
| style="text-align:left;" |Bishopton Road West, Stockton
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Rugby Borough
| style="text-align:left;" | Kilsby Lane, Rugby
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Sporting Khalsa
| style="text-align:left;" | Aspray Arena, Noose Lane, Willenhall
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Stoke City
| style="text-align:left;" |Norton Cricket Club, Stoke-on-Trent
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |West Bromwich Albion
| style="text-align:left;" |Keys Park, Hednesford
|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Wolverhampton Wanderers
| style="text-align:left;" |New Bucks Head, Telford
|
|}
Results
Northern Division
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:90%;"
!Season
!Winner
!Runner-up
!Top scorer(s)
!Goals
|-
!colspan=5 style="text-align: center"| Tier 2
|-
|1991–92
|Bronte
|Sheffield Wednesday
|
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
|1992–93
|Leasowe Pacific
|Nottingham Argyle
|
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
|1993–94
|Wolverhampton Wanderers
|Sheffield Wednesday
|
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
|1994–95
|Villa Aztecs
|Cowgate Kestrels
|
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
|1995–96
|Tranmere Rovers
|Huddersfield Town
|
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
|1996–97
|Bradford City
|Aston Villa
|
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
|1997–98
|Ilkeston Town
|Garswood Saints
| Ali Kirk (Ilkeston Town)
|style="text-align: center;" | 25
|-
|1998–99
|Aston Villa
|Blyth Spartans Kestrels
| Lucy Ward (Leeds United)
|style="text-align: center;" | 21
|-
|1999–2000
|Blyth Spartans Kestrels
|Bangor City
| Melanie Reay (Blyth Spartans Kestrels)
|style="text-align: center;" | 23
|-
|2000–01
|Leeds United
|Oldham Curzon
| Kelly Dean (Oldham Curzon)
|style="text-align:center"| 27
|-
|2001–02
|Birmingham City
|Wolverhampton Wanderers
| Katy Ward (Birmingham City)
|
|-
|2002–03
|Aston Villa
|Sunderland
| Kelly Dean (Oldham Curzon) <br /> Melanie Reay (Sunderland)
|style="text-align:center"| 17
|-
|2003–04
|Liverpool
|Sunderland
| Kelly Dean (Oldham Curzon) <br /> Melanie Reay (Sunderland)
|style="text-align:center"| 18
|-
|2004–05
|Sunderland
|Wolverhampton Wanderers
| Amy McCann (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
|style="text-align:center"| 20
|-
|2005–06
|Blackburn Rovers
|Liverpool
| Vicky Abbott (Tranmere Rovers)
|style="text-align:center"| 21
|-
|2006–07
|Liverpool
|Lincoln City
| Jodie Michalska (Lincoln City) <br /> Melanie Reay (Newcastle United)
|style="text-align:center"| 18
|-
|2007–08
|Nottingham Forest
|Lincoln City
| Jodie Michalska (Lincoln City)
|style="text-align:center"| 27
|-
|2008–09
|Sunderland
|Lincoln City
| Jodie Michalska (Lincoln City)
|style="text-align:center"| 21
|-
|2009–10
|Liverpool
|Lincoln City
| Cheryl Foster (Liverpool)
|style="text-align:center"| 16
|-
!colspan=5 style="text-align: center"| Tier 3
|-
|2010–11
|Aston Villa
|Coventry City
| Natasha Meade (Leicester City)
|style="text-align:center"| 15
|-
|2011–12
|Manchester City
|Sheffield
| Jodie Michalska (Sheffield)
|style="text-align:center"| 18
|-
|2012–13
|Sheffield
|Nottingham Forest
| Jodie Michalska (Sheffield)
|style="text-align:center"| 14
|-
|2013–14
|Sheffield
|Preston North End
| Jodie Michalska (Sheffield)
|style="text-align:center"| 20
|-
|2014–15
|Sheffield
|Coventry City
| Jodie Michalska (Sheffield)
|style="text-align:center"| 25
|-
||2015–16
|Sporting Club Albion
|Preston North End
| Emily Heckler (Huddersfield Town)
|style="text-align:center"| 29
|-
||2016–17
|Blackburn Rovers
|Middlesbrough
| Bianca Owens (Middlesbrough)
|style="text-align:center"| 20
|-
||2017–18
|Blackburn Rovers
|Leicester City
| Rosie Axten (Leicester City)
|style="text-align:center"| 22
|-
||2018–19
|Blackburn Rovers
|Sunderland
| Saffron Jordan (Blackburn Rovers)
|style="text-align:center"| 32
|-
||2019–20
|colspan =4 style="text-align: center"|Not awarded (COVID-19 pandemic)
|-
||2020–21
|colspan=4 style="text-align: center"|Not awarded (COVID-19 pandemic)
|-
||2021–22
|Wolverhampton Wanderers
|Derby County
| Ellie Gilliatt (Derby County) <br /> Evie Priestley (Burnley) <br /> Faye McCoy (Fylde)
|style="text-align:center"| 16
|-
||2022–23
|Nottingham Forest
|Wolverhampton Wanderers
| Amy Sims (Derby County)
|style="text-align:center"| 18
|-
|2023–24
|Newcastle United
|Burnley
| Charlotte Greengrass (Huddersfield Town)
|style="text-align:center"| 13
|-
|2024–25
|Nottingham Forest
|Wolverhampton Wanderers
| Charlotte Greengrass (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
|style="text-align:center"| 21
|-
|2025-26
|Burnley
|Wolverhampton Wanderers
|Amber Hughes (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Millie Ravening (Burnley)
| style="text-align: center;" |22
|}
;Notes
Division One
<div style=display:inline-grid>
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;
! Season
! Division One North
! Runners-up
|-
| 2014–15
| Guiseley Vixens
| Liverpool Feds
|-
| 2015–16
| Middlesbrough
| Liverpool Feds
|-
| 2016–17
| Guiseley Vixens
| Liverpool Feds
|-
| 2017–18
| Hull City
| Brighouse Town
|-
| 2018–19
| Burnley
| Brighouse Town
|-
| 2019–20
| colspan=2 style="text-align: center" |Not awarded (COVID-19 pandemic)
|-
| 2020–21
| colspan=2 style="text-align: center" |Not awarded (COVID-19 pandemic)
|-
| 2021–22
| Liverpool Feds
| Newcastle United
|-
| 2022–23
| Newcastle United
| Durham Cestria
|-
|2023–24
| Hull City
| Middlesbrough
|-
|2024–25
| Middlesbrough
| Cheadle Town
|-
|2025-26
|Huddersfield Town
|Cheadle Town
|}
</div>
<div style=display:inline-grid>
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;
!Season
! Division One Midlands
! Runners-up
|-
|2014-15
| Loughborough Foxes
| Leicester City
|-
|2015-16
| Leicester City
| Wolverhampton Wanderers
|-
|2016-17
| Wolverhampton Wanderers
| Loughborough Foxes
|-
|2017-18
| Loughborough Foxes
| Burton Albion
|-
|2018-19
| West Bromwich Albion
| Wolverhampton Wanderers
|-
|2019-20
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center" |Not awarded (COVID-19 pandemic)
|-
|2020-21
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center" |Not awarded (COVID-19 pandemic)
|-
|2021-22
| Boldmere St. Michaels
| Doncaster Rovers
|-
|2022-23
| Stourbridge
| Doncaster Rovers
|-
|2023-24
| Sporting Khalsa
| Loughborough Lightning
|-
|2024-25
| Loughborough Lightning
| Northampton Town
|-
|2025-26
|Peterborough United
|Boldmere St. Michaels
|}
</div>
See also
- Women's association football
- List of women's football teams
- List of women's football (soccer) competitions