2025–26 FA Women's National League
| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 17 August 2025 – 26 April 2026 |
← 2024–25 2026–27 → | |
The 2025–26 FA Women's National League is the 35th season of the competition, and the eighth 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 Super League 2 and above the eight regional football leagues.[1]
The league features six regional divisions: the Northern and Southern Premier divisions at level three of the pyramid, and Division One North, Midlands, South East, and South West at the fourth level. The league consists of 72 teams, divided into six divisions of 12 each.
Following the decision to expand the Women's Super League,[2] the National League announced a third team will be promoted to the WSL2 for the 2026–27 season. In addition to the winners of the Northern and Southern Divisions gaining promotion, the two second placed teams will face each other in a one game play-off to decide the third team promoted. Two additional teams will also be promoted from Division One, following the same format, with the second placed teams of Division One North and Midlands facing each other, and the two second placed teams of Division One South East and South West facing each other.[3]
Premier Division
[edit]Northern Premier Division
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Burnley |
| Promoted | Burnley Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Relegated | Halifax Sporting Khalsa |
| Matches | 132 |
| Goals | 409 (3.1 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Amber Hughes (Wolverhampton Wanderers) Millie Ravening (Burnley) (18 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Rugby Borough 6–0 Derby County (17 August 2025) |
| Biggest away win | Loughborough Lightning 0–7 Burnley (8 February 2026) |
| Highest scoring | Hull City 1–7 Wolverhampton Wanderers (21 September 2025) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 25 February 2026. | |
Changes from last season:
- Nottingham Forest were promoted to the WSL 2 as WNL North champions.[4]
- Middlesbrough were promoted from Division One North as champions.[5]
- Loughborough Lightning were promoted from Division One Midlands as champions.[6]
- Stourbridge were relegated to Division One Midlands.
|
|
League table
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burnley (C, P) | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 5 | +58 | 62 | Promotion to WSL 2 |
| 2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (O, P) | 22 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 70 | 10 | +60 | 61 | Promotion play-off |
| 3 | Rugby Borough | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 43 | 27 | +16 | 41 | |
| 4 | Stoke City | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 36 | 31 | +5 | 33 | |
| 5 | Middlesbrough | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 29 | 30 | −1 | 31 | |
| 6 | West Bromwich Albion | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 29 | 31 | −2 | 31 | |
| 7 | Liverpool Feds | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 44 | 45 | −1 | 26 | |
| 8 | Derby County | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 18 | 39 | −21 | 22 | |
| 9 | Hull City | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 23 | 54 | −31 | 20 | |
| 10 | Loughborough Lightning | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 43 | −22 | 19 | |
| 11 | Halifax (R) | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 15 | 38 | −23 | 16 | Relegation to FA WNL Division One |
| 12 | Sporting Khalsa (R) | 22 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 18 | 56 | −38 | 10 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
[edit]Southern Premier Division
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Watford |
| Promoted | Watford |
| Relegated | Billericay Town Gwalia United |
| Matches | 132 |
| Goals | 502 (3.8 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Madison Perry (Watford) (22 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Oxford United 10–0 Billericay Town (12 October 2025) |
| Biggest away win | Billericay Town 0–9 Plymouth Argyle (25 January 2026) Billericay Town 1–10 Hashtag United (18 February 2026) |
| Highest scoring | Billericay Town 1–10 Hashtag United (18 February 2026) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 25 February 2026. | |
Changes from last season:
- Ipswich Town were promoted to WSL 2 as WNL South champions.[7]
- Real Bedford were promoted from Division One South East as champions.[6]
- AFC Bournemouth were promoted from Division One South West as champions.[8]
- Milton Keynes Dons were relegated to Division One South East.
|
|
League table
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watford (C, P) | 22 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 80 | 24 | +56 | 53 | Promotion to WSL 2 |
| 2 | Plymouth Argyle | 22 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 61 | 11 | +50 | 52 | Promotion play-off |
| 3 | AFC Bournemouth | 22 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 61 | 20 | +41 | 46 | |
| 4 | Oxford United | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 44 | 26 | +18 | 39 | |
| 5 | Lewes | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 46 | 27 | +19 | 37 | |
| 6 | Real Bedford | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 41 | 34 | +7 | 30 | |
| 7 | Exeter City | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 41 | 35 | +6 | 30 | |
| 8 | Cheltenham Town | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 31 | 46 | −15 | 24 | |
| 9 | Hashtag United | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 34 | 38 | −4 | 23 | |
| 10 | AFC Wimbledon | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 30 | 48 | −18 | 22 | |
| 11 | Gwalia United (R) | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 46 | −18 | 22 | Relegation to FA WNL Division One |
| 12 | Billericay Town (R) | 22 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 | 147 | −142 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
[edit]Promotion play-off
[edit]| 4 May 2026 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–0 | Plymouth Argyle | Burton upon Trent |
| 13:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Pirelli Stadium |
Division One
[edit]Division One North
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Huddersfield Town |
| Promoted | Huddersfield Town |
| Relegated | Blackburn Rovers Doncaster Rovers Belles |
| Matches | 132 |
| Goals | 421 (3.19 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Bianca Owens (Norton & Stockton Ancients) (18 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Leeds United 7–0 Blackburn Rovers (21 September 2025) |
| Biggest away win | Norton & Stockton Ancients 0–5 Huddersfield Town (21 September 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Chorley 6–2 Blackburn Rovers (30 October 2025) Huddersfield Town 7–1 York City (31 August 2025) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 27 December 2025. | |
Changes from last season:
- AFC Fylde were relegated to North West Women's Regional Football League.
- Barnsley F.C. withdrew from the league due to financial issues.
- Blackburn Rovers were administratively relegated from Women's Championship after failing to meet licensing criteria.
- Chester-le-Street Town were promoted from North East Regional Women's Football League as champions.
- Middlesbrough were promoted to Northern Premier Division as Division One North champions.
- Wythenshawe were promoted from North West Women's Regional Football League as champions.
|
|
League table
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huddersfield Town (C, P) | 22 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 59 | 11 | +48 | 51[a] | Promotion to Premier Division |
| 2 | Cheadle Town Stingers | 22 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 12 | +24 | 49 | Promotion play-off |
| 3 | Leeds United | 22 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 49 | 19 | +30 | 45 | |
| 4 | Wythenshawe | 22 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 46 | 29 | +17 | 43 | |
| 5 | Durham Cestria | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 42 | 30 | +12 | 39 | |
| 6 | Norton & Stockton Ancients | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 35 | 33 | +2 | 35 | |
| 7 | Stockport County | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 44 | 31 | +13 | 31 | |
| 8 | Chorley | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 32 | 36 | −4 | 30 | |
| 9 | Chester-le-Street Town | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 26 | 40 | −14 | 16 | |
| 10 | York City | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 17 | 65 | −48 | 15 | |
| 11 | Doncaster Rovers Belles (R) | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 44 | −27 | 11 | Relegation to regional leagues |
| 12 | Blackburn Rovers (R) | 22 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 18 | 71 | −53 | 8 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Results
[edit]Division One Midlands
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Peterborough United |
| Promoted | Peterborough United Boldmere St. Michaels |
| Relegated | Stourbridge Lincoln United |
| Matches | 132 |
| Goals | 478 (3.62 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Gemma Fraser (Leafield Athletic) (17 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Peterborough United 8–0 Lincoln United (24 August 2025) |
| Biggest away win | Lincoln United 0–7 Barnsley Women's (31 August 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Northampton Town 3–7 Peterborough United (30 October 2025) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 25 February 2026. | |
Changes from last season:
- Kidderminster Harriers were promoted from West Midlands Regional Women's Football League as champions.
- Sheffield F.C. were promoted from East Midlands Regional Women's Football League as champions.
- Stourbridge were relegated from Northern Premier Division.
- Loughborough Lightning were promoted to Northern Premier Division as champions.
- Lincoln City were relegated to East Midlands Regional Women's Football League.
- Solihull Moors were relegated to West Midlands Regional Women's Football League.
|
|
League table
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peterborough United (C, P) | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 87 | 12 | +75 | 62 | Promotion to Premier Division |
| 2 | Boldmere St. Michaels (O, P) | 22 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 63 | 24 | +39 | 54 | Promotion play-off |
| 3 | Leafield Athletic | 22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 60 | 21 | +39 | 52 | |
| 4 | Barnsley Women's | 22 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 52 | 25 | +27 | 42 | |
| 5 | Worcester City | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 43 | 44 | −1 | 35 | |
| 6 | Sheffield F.C. | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 40 | 28 | +12 | 34 | |
| 7 | Northampton Town | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 20 | 32 | −12 | 24 | |
| 8 | Notts County | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 37 | 38 | −1 | 21 | |
| 9 | Kidderminster Harriers | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 21 | 44 | −23 | 21 | |
| 10 | Sutton Coldfield Town | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 22 | 40 | −18 | 20 | |
| 11 | Stourbridge (R) | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 21 | 66 | −45 | 15 | Relegation to regional leagues |
| 12 | Lincoln United (R) | 22 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 12 | 104 | −92 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
[edit]Division One South East
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Fulham |
| Promoted | Fulham Norwich City |
| Relegated | AFC Sudbury Chesham United |
| Matches | 132 |
| Goals | 475 (3.6 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Grace Riglar (Norwich City) (18 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Norwich City 9–2 Chesham United (2 November 2025) Milton Keynes Dons 7–0 Chesham United (30 November 2025) |
| Biggest away win | Milton Keynes Dons 0–7 Queens Park Rangers (17 August 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Norwich City 9–2 Chesham United (2 November 2025) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 23 November 2025. | |
Changes from last season:
- Ashford Town were relegated to London and South East Women's Regional Football League.
- Atlético London (formerly London Seaward) were relegated to Eastern Region Women's Football League.
- Fulham were promoted from London and South East Women's Regional Football League as champions.
- Luton Town were promoted from Eastern Region Women's Football League as champions.
- Milton Keynes Dons were relegated from Southern Premier Division.
- Real Bedford were promoted to Southern Premier Division as Division One South East champions.
|
|
League table
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulham (C, P) | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 73 | 18 | +55 | 62 | Promotion to Premier Division |
| 2 | Norwich City (O, P) | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 71 | 23 | +48 | 55 | Promotion play-off |
| 3 | Chatham Town | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 56 | 20 | +36 | 45 | |
| 4 | London Bees | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 53 | 32 | +21 | 39 | |
| 5 | Actonians | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 35 | |
| 6 | Queens Park Rangers | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 38 | 26 | +12 | 31 | |
| 7 | Luton Town | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 29 | 42 | −13 | 27 | |
| 8 | Milton Keynes Dons | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 32 | 50 | −18 | 25 | |
| 9 | Dulwich Hamlet | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 19 | 38 | −19 | 24 | |
| 10 | Cambridge United | 22 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 29 | 45 | −16 | 18 | |
| 11 | AFC Sudbury (R) | 22 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 29 | 68 | −39 | 9[a] | Relegation to regional leagues |
| 12 | Chesham United (R) | 22 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 14 | 81 | −67 | 5 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Results
[edit]Division One South West
[edit]| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Swindon Town |
| Promoted | Swindon Town |
| Relegated | Portishead Town Worthing |
| Matches | 132 |
| Goals | 501 (3.8 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Annabelle Colston (Swindon Town) (29 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Bristol Rovers 10–0 Worthing (25 January 2026) |
| Biggest away win | Worthing 0–9 Bristol Rovers (14 September 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Moneyfields 9–2 Abingdon United (14 September 2025) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 25 February 2026. | |
Changes from last season:
- AFC Bournemouth were promoted to Southern Premier Division as Division One South West champions.
- Ascot United were promoted from Southern Region Women's Football League as champions.
- Marine Academy Plymouth were promoted from South West Regional Women's Football League as champions.
- Southampton Women's were relegated to Southern Region Women's Football League.
|
|
League table
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swindon Town (C, P) | 22 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 83 | 13 | +70 | 60 | Promotion to Premier Division |
| 2 | Moneyfields | 22 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 86 | 13 | +73 | 58 | Promotion play-off |
| 3 | Bridgwater United | 22 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 48 | 22 | +26 | 46 | |
| 4 | Bristol Rovers | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 56 | 23 | +33 | 43 | |
| 5 | Maidenhead United | 22 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 37 | 35 | +2 | 29 | |
| 6 | Abingdon United | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 33 | 46 | −13 | 29 | |
| 7 | Ascot United | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 27 | |
| 8 | Marine Academy Plymouth | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 30 | 49 | −19 | 22 | |
| 9 | Keynsham Town | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 30 | 57 | −27 | 22 | |
| 10 | Bournemouth Sports | 22 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 25 | 52 | −27 | 20 | |
| 11 | Portishead Town (R) | 22 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 23 | 64 | −41 | 13 | Relegation to regional leagues |
| 12 | Worthing (R) | 22 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 22 | 99 | −77 | 7 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
[edit]Promotion play-offs
[edit]| 2 May 2026 | Boldmere St. Michaels | 3–0 | Cheadle Town Stingers | Burton-upon-Trent |
| 13:00 | Report | Stadium: Pirelli Stadium |
| 3 May 2026 | Norwich City | 2–2 (6–5 p) | Moneyfields | Burton-upon-Trent |
| 13:00 | Report | Stadium: Pirelli Stadium | ||
| Penalties | ||||
Awards
[edit]Monthly awards
[edit]| Month | Premier Division | Division One | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Club | Manager | Club | ||
| August | Bournemouth | Cheadle Town Stingers | [11] | ||
| September | Watford | Fulham | |||
| October | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Wythenshawe | [12] | ||
| November | Burnley | Sheffield F.C. | |||
| December | Bournemouth | Moneyfields | [13][14] | ||
| January | Oxford United | Leafield Athletic | [15][16] | ||
| February | Plymouth Argyle | Durham Cestria | [17][18] | ||
See also
[edit]- 2025–26 FA Women's National League Cup
- 2025–26 FA Women's National League Plate
- 2025–26 Women's Super League (tier 1)
- 2025–26 Women's Super League 2 (tier 2)
References
[edit]- ^ "Women's league restructure". The Football Association. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ "FA approves Women's Super League expansion to 14 teams from 2026/27 season". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ "FA WNL announces key dates and changes to promotion for 2025/26 season". The Football Association. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ "Promoted Forest plan to 'hit ground running'". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 1 May 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ "Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough win titles". The Football Association. 27 April 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Bedford and Loughborough claim titles". The Football Association. 14 April 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ "Ipswich Town Women exhilarated after promotion". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ "Record crowd sees 'incredible' Cherries seal title". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 24 March 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ "FA WNL Discipline Statement: November". thefa.com. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "Discipline Statement: December Outcomes". thefa.com. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
- ^ AFC Bournemouth (1 October 2025). "Bleazard named FA WNL Premier Division Manager of the Month". AFC Bournemouth. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "McNamara wins October Manager of the Month". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 14 November 2025. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
- ^ "Bleazard Secures Second Manager of the Month Award". AFC Bournemouth. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "Moneys Women's Karl Watson named Manager of the Month for December". Moneyfields FC. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "Oxford United's Liam Gilbert has won the Premier Division Manager of the Month award for January ✨.They took three wins from three in a stellar start to 2026 👏". x.com. FA Women's National League. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ "Leafield Athletic's Tash Tezgel is the Division One Manager of the Month for January 👏. They went undefeated in the division for the first month of 2026 🎆". x.com. FA Women's National League. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ "Hourihan named FAWNL Manager of the Month for February". pafc.co.uk. 20 March 2026. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ^ "Durham Cestria's Michael Third is the Division One Manager of the Month for February👏. Cestria won all their matches last month in an impressive run🤩". x.com. FA Women's National League. 20 March 2026. Retrieved 12 April 2026.