Women's FA Cup
 | |
| Founded | 1970 |
|---|---|
| Region |  England |
| Number of teams | 276 (2017–18) |
| Current champions | Chelsea (2nd title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Arsenal (14 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | BBC |
| Website | Women's FA Cup |
 2018–19 FA Women's Cup | |
The Women's FA Cup (or SSE Women's FA Cup for sponsorship reasons)[1] is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England[2][3] – designed as an equivalent to the FA Cup.
The competition began in 1970–71 as the Mitre Challenge Trophy, organised by the Women's Football Association (WFA).[4] There were 71 entrants, including teams from Scotland and Wales.[5]
Since the Football Association (FA) began administrating English women's football in 1993, the teams affiliated with FA Premier League and Football League counterparts have dominated the re–branded competition.[citation needed]Arsenal currently holds the record for most titles, having won fourteen times.[6]
The Women's FA Cup trophy was one of the first prestigious trophies to be made in the Thomas Lyte silver workshop.[7]
The current cup holders are Chelsea. They beat Arsenal 3–1 in the final at Wembley Stadium on 5 May 2018 in front of a FA Women's Cup record-setting crowd of 45,423 fans.[8]
Contents
1 Format
2 List of finals
2.1 Performance by club
3 Media coverage
4 Sponsorship
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Format
The current entry points (after the Women's Premier League restructuring) include:[9]
- the Third qualifying round for FA Women's Premier League Division One (up to 48 teams)
- the Second Round Proper for FA Women's Premier League North & South Divisions (24 teams)
- the Third Round Proper for FA WSL 2 (10 teams)
- the Fifth Round Proper (Round of 16) for FA WSL (8 teams)
The other clubs are drawn to either play in the Preliminary Round or have a bye to the First Qualifying round. There are three qualifying rounds which are played on a geographical basis.
List of finals
The finals so far:[10]
| Year | Winners | Score | Runners up | Scorers | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Southampton | 4–1 |  Stewarton Thistle | Southampton: Davies (3), Cassell | Crystal Palace National Sports Centre |
| 1972 | Southampton | 3–2 | Lee's Ladies | Southampton: Judd (2), Lopez | Eton Park Attendance: 1,500 |
| 1973 | Southampton | 2–0 | Westthorn United | Kenway, Hale | Bedford Town FC Attendance: 3,000 |
| 1974 | Fodens | 2–1 | Southampton | Bedford Town FC | |
| 1975 | Southampton | 4–2 | Warminster | Dunstable Town FC | |
| 1976 | Southampton | 2–1 a.e.t. | QPR | QPR: Margaret “Paddy” McGroarty[11] | Bedford Town FC Attendance: 1,500 |
| 1977 | QPR | 1–0 | Southampton | Staley | Champion Hill Attendance: 3,000 |
| 1978 | Southampton | 8–2 | QPR | Southampton: Pat Chapman (6)[11] | Slough Town FC |
| 1979 | Southampton | 1–0 | Lowestoft | Pat Chapman | Waterlooville FC Attendance: 1,200 |
| 1980 | St Helens | 1–0 | Preston North End | ||
| 1981 | Southampton | 4–2 | St Helens | Knowsley Road | |
| 1982 | Lowestoft | 2–0 | Cleveland Spartans | Linda Curl, Angela Poppy | Loftus Road |
| 1983 | Doncaster Belles | 3–2 | St Helens | Sincil Bank | |
| 1984 | Howbury Grange | 4–2 | Doncaster Belles | Sincil Bank | |
| 1985 | Friends of Fulham | 2–0 | Doncaster Belles | Craven Cottage | |
| 1986 | Norwich | 4–3 | Doncaster Belles | Norwich: Linda Curl, Miranda Colk, Sallie Jackson, Marianne Lawrence[12] | Carrow Road[12] |
| 1987 | Doncaster Belles | 2–0 | St Helens | City Ground | |
| 1988 | Doncaster Belles | 3–1 | Leasowe Pacific | ||
| 1989 | Leasowe Pacific | 3–2 | Friends of Fulham | Old Trafford Attendance: 941 | |
| 1990 | Doncaster Belles | 1–0 | Friends of Fulham | Coultard 61' | Baseball Ground Attendance: 3,000 |
| 1991 | Millwall | 1–0 | Doncaster Belles | Baldeo 65' | Prenton Park Attendance:4,000 |
| 1992 | Doncaster Belles | 4–0 | Red Star Southampton | Prenton Park | |
| 1993 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Doncaster Belles | Curley 45', Ball 45', Bampton 80' | Manor Ground, Oxford Attendance: 3,547 |
1994 | Doncaster Belles | 1–0 | Knowsley United | Walker 38' | Glanford Park Attendance: 1,674 |
| 1995 | Arsenal | 3–2 | Liverpool | Prenton Park | |
| 1996 | Croydon | 1–1 a.e.t. (3–2 pen.) | Liverpool | Liverpool: Burke 22' Croydon: Powell 38' | The New Den Attendance: 2,110 |
1997 | Millwall | 1–0 | Wembley | Waller 51' | Upton Park Attendance: 3,015 |
| 1998 | Arsenal | 3–2 | Croydon | Arsenal: Spacey 17', Yankey 52', Few 90+3 Croydon: Broadhurst (pen) 10', Powell 55' | The New Den |
| 1999 | Arsenal | 2–0 | Southampton Saints | Hayes (o.g) 14', Wheatley 41' | The Valley Attendance: 6,450 |
2000 | Croydon | 2–1 | Doncaster Belles | Croydon: C.Walker 40', G.Hunt 67' Doncaster: Exley 40' | Bramall Lane Attendance: 3,434 |
| 2001 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Fulham | Banks 52' | Selhurst Park Attendance: 13,824 |
2002 | Fulham | 2–1 | Doncaster Belles | Fulham: Yankey 55', Chapman 56' Doncaster: Handley 58' | Selhurst Park Attendance: 10,124 |
| 2003 | Fulham | 3–0 | Charlton Athletic | Moore 18', Hills (o.g) 36', Williams (o.g) 61' | Selhurst Park Attendance: 10,389 |
| 2004 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Charlton Athletic | Fleeting (3) 23', 25', 83' | Loftus Road Attendance: 12,244 |
| 2005 | Charlton Athletic | 1–0 | Everton | Aluko 58' | Upton Park Attendance: 8,567 |
| 2006 | Arsenal | 5–0 | Leeds United | Ward (o.g) 3', Fleeting 34', Yankey 35', Smith (pen) 73', Sanderson 77' | The New Den Attendance: 13,452 |
2007 | Arsenal | 4–1 | Charlton Athletic | Charlton: Holtham 2' Arsenal: Smith 7', 80', Ludlow 15', 45' | City Ground Attendance: 24,529 |
2008 | Arsenal | 4–1 | Leeds United | Arsenal: Smith 54', 83', Ludlow 59', Sanderson 60' Leeds: Clarke 69' | City Ground Attendance: 24,582 |
2009 | Arsenal | 2–1 | Sunderland | Arsenal: Chapman 32', Little 90' Sunderland: McDougall 90' | Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 23,291 |
2010 | Everton | 3–2 a.e.t. | Arsenal | Arsenal: Little (pen) 43', Fleeting 54' Everton: Dowie 16', 119', White (o.g.) 45'+2' | City Ground Attendance: 17,505[13] |
| 2011 | Arsenal | 2–0 | Bristol Academy | Little 19', Fleeting 32' | Ricoh Arena Attendance: 13,885[14] |
2012 | Birmingham City | 2–2 a.e.t. (3–2 pen.) | Chelsea | Birmingham City: Williams 90', Carney 111' Chelsea: Lander 69' Longhurst 101' | Ashton Gate Attendance: 8,723 |
| 2013 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Bristol Academy | Houghton 2' Nobbs 72' White 90' | Keepmoat Stadium Attendance: 4,988 |
2014 | Arsenal | 2–0 | Everton | Smith 15' Kinga 61' | Stadium MK Attendance: 15,098 |
2015 | Chelsea | 1–0 | Notts County | Ji 39' | Wembley Stadium Attendance: 30,710 |
2016 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Chelsea | Carter 18' | Wembley Stadium Attendance: 32,912 |
2017 | Manchester City | 4–1 | Birmingham City | Manchester City: Bronze 18' Christiansen 25' Lloyd 32' Scott 80' Birmingham City: Wellings 73' | Wembley Stadium Attedance: 35,271 |
2018 | Chelsea | 3–1 | Arsenal | Chelsea: Bachmann 48', 60' Kirby 76' Arsenal: Miedema 73' | Wembley Stadium Attedance: 45,423 |
Performance by club
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 14 | 2 | 1992–93, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16 |
| Southampton | 8 | 3 | 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1980–81 |
| Doncaster Belles | 6 | 7 | 1982–83, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94 |
| Everton[A] | 2 | 3 | 1988–89, 2009–10 |
| Chelsea | 2 | 2 | 2014–15, 2017–18 |
| Croydon | 2 | 1 | 1995–96, 1999–2000 |
| Fulham | 2 | 1 | 2001–02, 2002–03 |
| Millwall | 2 | 0 | 1990–91, 1996–97 |
| Charlton Athletic | 1 | 3 | 2004–05 |
| St Helens | 1 | 3 | 1979–80 |
| Q.P.R. | 1 | 2 | 1976–77 |
| Friends of Fulham | 1 | 2 | 1984–85 |
| Lowestoft | 1 | 1 | 1981–82 |
| Fodens | 1 | 0 | 1973–74 |
| Howbury Grange | 1 | 0 | 1983–84 |
| Norwich | 1 | 0 | 1985–86 |
| Birmingham City | 1 | 1 | 2011–12 |
| Manchester City | 1 | 0 | 2016-17 |
| Liverpool | 0 | 2 | – |
| Leeds United | 0 | 2 | – |
| Bristol Academy | 0 | 2 | – |
| Stewarton & Thistle | 0 | 1 | – |
| Lee's Ladies | 0 | 1 | – |
| Westhorn United | 0 | 1 | – |
| Warminster | 0 | 1 | – |
| Preston North End | 0 | 1 | – |
| Cleveland Spartans | 0 | 1 | – |
| Red Star Southampton | 0 | 1 | – |
| Knowsley United | 0 | 1 | – |
| Wembley | 0 | 1 | – |
| Southampton Saints | 0 | 1 | – |
| Sunderland | 0 | 1 | – |
| Notts County | 0 | 1 | – |
From 2000 until 2008, the Cup winner competed with the FA Women's Premier League National Division winners for the FA Women's Community Shield.
A. ^ Everton L.F.C. were previously known as Leasowe Pacific.[15]
Media coverage
In the late 1980s[16] and early 1990s[17] television coverage of the WFA final was provided by Channel 4.
Between 2001–2008 the final of the tournament was covered by BBC TV, presented by Celina Hinchcliffe, Rebecca Lowe, Ray Stubbs and Jake Humphrey, the punditry team was usually current players like Sue Scott and commentary usually by Steve Wilson and Lucy Ward or Faye White and always played on May Day Bank Holiday. The final was also simulcast on BBC Radio Five Live. In 2009 the final was moved to ITV1 with commentary from Jon Champion and Lucy Ward. Sky Sports secured a three-year deal for live coverage from 2010 until 2012.[18]
Sponsorship
Sponsors of the original WFA competition (1970–1993) included Mitre,[4] Pony wines and Mycil.[17]
Below is a list of sponsors of the FA competition:
- 1995–1998: UK Living
- 1998–2002: AXA
- 2002–2006: Nationwide Building Society
- 2006–2011: E.ON[19][20]
From 2007, Tesco obtained additional branding and advertising rights through their partnership agreement with the FA.[21] Despite sponsorship by these major companies, entering the tournament actually costs clubs more than they get in prize money. In 2015 it was reported that even if Notts County had won the tournament outright the paltry £8,600 winnings would leave them out of pocket.[22] The winners of the men's FA Cup in the same year received £1.8 million, with teams not even reaching the first round proper getting more than the women's winners.[23]
See also
- International competitions in women's association football
- List of women's association football clubs
References
^ Association, The Football. "The website for the English football association, the Emirates FA Cup and the England football team". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 2018-05-03..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "Women's FA Cup final: 40,000 tickets sold for Wembley showpiece". BBC Sport. 2018-05-01. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
^ "Relive both Women's FA Cup semi-finals". BBC Sport. 2018-04-11. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
^ ab "Women's FA Cup: The history". BBC Sport. 1 May 2003. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
^ "Women's Football Competitions Fact Sheet" (PDF). Football Association. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
[permanent dead link]
^ Tony Leighton (2 May 2010). "England dug-out duo become rivals in FA Women's Cup final at Nottingham". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
^ FA Women's Cup Final comes to Wembley in August
^ "Women's FA Cup final 2018: Arsenal Women 1-3 Chelsea Ladies". BBC Sport. 2018-05-05. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
^ "List of FA Cup exemptions". The FA. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
^ "England – List of Women Cup Winners". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
^ ab https://womensfootballarchive.wordpress.com/tag/cambuslang-hooverettes/
^ ab Norwich Evening News, May 26, 2016, page 12
^ Lavery, Glenn (3 May 2010). "Late drama as Dowie downs Arsenal – ARSENAL LFC v EVERTON LFC – 03/05/2010". TheFA.com. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
^ "Arsenal complete 11th cup final win". Shekicks.net. 21 May 2011. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
^ Leighton, Tony (3 May 2010). "Everton upset Arsenal to win Cup". BBC News.
^ "Fact Sheet 5: Women and Football". University of Leicester. March 2002. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
^ ab Joan Ruddock (29 April 1991). "MILLWALL LIONESSES FA CUP VICTORY". UK Parliament. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
^ "Community Shield for Sky Sports". TheFA.com. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
^ "FA announces new Cup sponsorship". BBC News. 3 February 2006. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 August 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2015.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
^ "Football Association Joins Forces With Tesco". Sportbusiness.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
^ BBC article on the sponsorship situation
^ Prize money list on the FA website
External links
- Official website
