Women's FA Cup

Women's FA Cup

Arsenal (14 titles)
Television broadcasters	BBC
Website	Women's FA Cup
2023–24 Women's FA Cup

The Women's FA Challenge Cup Competition

Designed as an equivalent to the FA Cup in men's football, 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]

The WFA ran the competition for the first 23 editions, during which time Southampton won the cup eight times. The Football Association (FA) began administering English women's football in mid-1993.^[6]

Arsenal holds the record for most titles overall, having won fourteen times.^[7] The current cup holders are Chelsea, who defeated Manchester United 1–0 in the final at Wembley Stadium on 14 May 2023, winning their third consecutive and fifth overall FA Cup title in front of 77,390 spectators, a record in the competition.

Name

The competition, founded in 1970, was sponsored as the Mitre Challenge Trophy until April 1976.^[8]

As a

Previous national cup competitions included the English Ladies Football Association Challenge Cup in 1922, won by Stoke Ladies.

The first women's Mitre Challenge Trophy matches were played in

Southampton Women's F.C. won eight of the first 11 WFA Cup competitions.

Format

The current entry points as of the 2019–20 season:

• the Second Qualifying round for FA Women's National League Division One teams (47 teams)
• the Second Round Proper for FA Women's National League North & South Premier Division teams (24 teams)
• the Fourth Round Proper for
  FA Women's Championship
  teams (33 teams)

All other clubs in the fifth tier or below are drawn to either play in the Extra Preliminary Round or have a bye to the Preliminary Round. After the initial preliminary rounds, there are three qualifying rounds before the First Round Proper. All rounds until the FA WSL and Championship teams enter in the Fourth Round are played on a geographical basis (north and south regions).

Trophies

The original Mitre Challenge Trophy has "disappeared", according to the WFA History records.^[8] This cup was replaced in May 1979 when the Football Association donated a new trophy for the competition's winners, to mark the WFA's tenth anniversary.^[8]

1970–71 cup winner Sue Lopez said it was suspected that a player "tucked it away somewhere in a trophy cabinet", and she was trying to locate the original cup for the National Football Museum in 2015.^[17]

The current Women's FA Cup trophy was one of the first prestigious trophies to be made in the Thomas Lyte silver workshop.^[18]

List of finals

The following is a list of Women's FA Cup seasons and Final results.^[19][20]

Finalists are primarily clubs from England, unless denoted with for Scotland.

Where a season's Final is marked in bold, it has a specific article for the match.

Results by team

Performances in the Women's FA Cup by club

Club	Title(s)	Runners-up	Seasons won	Seasons runner-up
Arsenal	14	3	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	2009–10, 2017–18, 2020–21
Southampton Women's	8	2	1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1980–81	1973–74, 1976–77
Doncaster Belles	6	7	1982–83, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94	1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1999–2000, 2001–02
Chelsea	5	2	2014–15, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23	2011–12, 2015–16
Croydon/Charlton Athletic	3	4	1995–96, 1999–2000, 2004–05	1997–98, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07
Manchester City	3	1	2019–20	2021–22
Leasowe Pacific/Everton	2	4	1988–89, 2009–10	2019–20
Fulham	2	1	2001–02, 2002–03	2000–01
Millwall Lionesses	2	0	1990–91, 1996–97	—
St Helens	1	3	1979–80	1980–81, 1982–83, 1986–87
Queen's Park Rangers	1	2	1976–77	1977–78
Friends of Fulham	1	2	1984–85	1988–89, 1989–90
Lowestoft Ladies	1	1	1981–82	1978–79
Fodens	1	0	1973–74	—
Howbury Grange	1	0	1983–84	—
Norwich City	1	0	1985–86	—
Birmingham City	1	1	2011–12	2016–17
Knowsley United/Liverpool	0	3	—	1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96
Stewarton & Thistle/ Lee's Ladies[8]	0	2	—	1970–71, 1971–72
Red Star Southampton/ Southampton Saints	0	2	—	1991–92, 1998–99
Leeds United	0	2	—	2005–06, 2007–08
Bristol Academy	0	2	—	2010–11, 2012–13
Westthorn United	0	1	—	1972–73
Warminster	0	1	—	1974–75
Preston North End	0	1	—	1979–80
Cleveland Spartans	0	1	—	1981–82
Wembley	0	1	—	1996–97
Sunderland	0	1	—	2008–09
Notts County	0	1	—	2014–15
West Ham United	0	1	—	2018–19
Manchester United	0	1	—	2022–23

Media coverage

United Kingdom

In the late 1980s^[25] and early 1990s,^[26] television coverage of the WFA final was provided by Channel 4.

Between 2001 and 2008, the final of the tournament was covered by the BBC and 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 the May Day bank holiday. The final was also simulcast on BBC Radio 5 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.^[27]

Sponsorship

Sponsors of the original WFA competition (1970–1993) included Mitre,^[4] Pony wines and Mycil.^[26]

In the FA competition, the sponsors have been

Despite sponsorship by these major companies, entering the tournament has actually cost clubs more than they often 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.^[31] 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.^[32] In September 2020, the FA announced that health and life insurance and investment company

In November 2023, after three years with Vitality, the FA announced that Adobe Inc. would become the sponsor of the competition for three years, through to July 2026. The partnership would focus on "increasing fan engagement and raising the profile of the competition". In addition, all 460 clubs that participate in the competition would gain access to, and training on Adobe Express, a graphic design tool.^[34]

Notes