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Founded | 1991 |
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Folded | 2013 |
Country | England |
Confederation | UEFA |
Divisions | 1 |
Number of teams | 10 |
Level on pyramid | 1 (1991–2010) 2 (2010–2013) |
Relegation to | Northern Division Southern Division |
Domestic cup(s) | FA Women's Cup FA Women's Community Shield (2000–2008) |
League cup(s) | FA Women's Premier League Cup |
International cup(s) | UEFA Women's Cup (2001–2010) |
Last champions | Sunderland WFC (2012–13) |
Most championships | Arsenal (12 times) |
Website | League home page |
The FA Women's Premier League National Division (originally WFA National League Premier Division) was a football division in England. From 1991 until 2010, the National Division functioned as the top league in English women's football. During its final three seasons, the division operated as the second level of the league pyramid from 2010 to 2013. The division 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. The terms Women's Premiership and Ladies' Premiership thus generally referred to the National Division alone. The women's National League Premier Division was conceived as the counterpart to the men's football First Division/Premier League.
Founded in 1991 by the Women's Football Association, the league was taken over and renamed "Premier League" in the season 1994–95 by The Football Association. The first title was won by Doncaster Belles in 1991–92. Arsenal hold the most championships, with 12 won between 1993 and 2010.
The National Division lost its top-league status and several teams when the FA introduced the summer competition Women's Super League (WSL) in 2011, with no further promotions. 2012–13 was the final season for the Women's Premier League National Division, with the last championship won by Sunderland, their third in succession. The division was scrapped at the end of the 2012–13 season, prior to the launch of the FA WSL 2 (now the FA Women's Championship).