Women's FA Cup


The Women's FA Cup is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England – 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. There were 71 entrants, including teams from Scotland and Wales.
Since the Football Association 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. Arsenal currently holds the record for most titles, having won fourteen times.
The Women's FA Cup trophy was one of the first prestigious trophies to be made in the Thomas Lyte silver workshop.
The current cup holders are Manchester City. They defeated West Ham United 3–0 in the final at Wembley Stadium on 4 May 2019.

Format

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

List of finals

The finals so far:
YearWinnersScoreRunners upScorersVenue
1971Southampton4–1 Stewarton ThistleSouthampton: Davies, CassellCrystal Palace National Sports Centre
1972Southampton3–2 Lee's LadiesSouthampton: Judd, LopezEton Park
Attendance: 1,500
1973Southampton2–0 Westthorn UnitedKenway, HaleBedford Town FC
Attendance: 3,000
1974Fodens2–1SouthamptonBedford Town FC
1975Southampton4–2WarminsterDunstable Town FC
1976Southampton2–1 a.e.t.QPRQPR: Margaret “Paddy” McGroartyBedford Town FC
Attendance: 1,500
1977QPR1–0SouthamptonStaleyChampion Hill
Attendance: 3,000
1978Southampton8–2QPRSouthampton: Pat Chapman Slough Town FC
1979Southampton1–0LowestoftPat ChapmanWaterlooville FC
Attendance: 1,200
1980St Helens WFC1–0Preston North EndSue HollandEnfield Town FC
1981Southampton4–2St Helens WFCSouthampton: Pat Chapman, Jill England, Hillary Carter. St Helens: Alison Leatherbarrow, Janet TurnerSt Helens R.F.C Knowsley Road
Attendance: 1,500
1982Lowestoft2–0Cleveland SpartansLinda Curl, Angela PoppyLoftus Road
1983Doncaster Belles3–2St HelensSt Helens:Alison Leatherbarrow, Liz DeighanLincoln City FC Sincil Bank
1984Howbury Grange4–2Doncaster BellesLincoln City FC Sincil Bank
1985Friends of Fulham2–0Doncaster BellesCraven Cottage
1986Norwich4–3Doncaster BellesNorwich: Linda Curl, Miranda Colk, Sallie Jackson, Marianne LawrenceCarrow Road
1987Doncaster Belles2–0St HelensNottingham Forest City Ground
1988Doncaster Belles3–1Leasowe Pacific
1989Leasowe Pacific3–2Friends of FulhamOld Trafford
Attendance: 941
1990Doncaster Belles1–0Friends of FulhamCoultard 61'Baseball Ground
Attendance: 3,000
1991Millwall1–0Doncaster BellesBaldeo 65'Prenton Park
Attendance:4,000
1992Doncaster Belles4–0Red Star SouthamptonPrenton Park
1993Arsenal3–0Doncaster BellesCurley 45', Ball 45', Bampton 80'Manor Ground, Oxford
Attendance: 3,547
1994Doncaster Belles1–0Knowsley UnitedWalker 38'Glanford Park
Attendance: 1,674
1995Arsenal3–2LiverpoolPrenton Park
1996Croydon1–1 a.e.t. LiverpoolLiverpool: Burke 22'
Croydon: Powell 38'		The New Den
Attendance: 2,110
1997Millwall1–0WembleyWaller 51'Upton Park
Attendance: 3,015
1998Arsenal3–2CroydonArsenal: Spacey 17', Yankey 52', Few 90+3
Croydon: Broadhurst 10', Powell 55'		The New Den
1999Arsenal2–0Southampton SaintsHayes 14', Wheatley 41'The Valley
Attendance: 6,450
2000Croydon2–1Doncaster BellesCroydon: C.Walker 40', G.Hunt 67'
Doncaster: Exley 40'		Bramall Lane
Attendance: 3,434
2001Arsenal1–0FulhamBanks 52'Selhurst Park
Attendance: 13,824
2002Fulham2–1Doncaster BellesFulham: Yankey 55', Chapman 56'
Doncaster: Handley 58'		Selhurst Park
Attendance: 10,124
2003Fulham3–0Charlton AthleticMoore 18', Hills 36', Williams 61'Selhurst Park
Attendance: 10,389
2004Arsenal3–0Charlton AthleticFleeting 23', 25', 83'Loftus Road
Attendance: 12,244
2005Charlton Athletic1–0EvertonAluko 58'Upton Park
Attendance: 8,567
2006Arsenal5–0Leeds UnitedWard 3', Fleeting 34', Yankey 35', Smith 73', Sanderson 77'The New Den
Attendance: 13,452
2007Arsenal4–1Charlton AthleticCharlton: Holtham 2'
Arsenal: Smith 7', 80', Ludlow 15', 45'		City Ground
Attendance: 24,529
2008Arsenal4–1Leeds UnitedArsenal: Smith 54', 83', Ludlow 59', Sanderson 60'
Leeds: Clarke 69'		City Ground
Attendance: 24,582
2009Arsenal2–1SunderlandArsenal: Chapman 32', Little 90'
Sunderland: McDougall 90'		Pride Park Stadium
Attendance: 23,291
2010Everton3–2 a.e.t.ArsenalArsenal: Little 43', Fleeting 54'
Everton: Dowie 16', 119', White 45'+2'		City Ground
Attendance: 17,505
2011Arsenal2–0Bristol AcademyLittle 19', Fleeting 32'Ricoh Arena
Attendance: 13,885
2012Birmingham City2–2 a.e.t. ChelseaBirmingham City: Williams 90', Carney 111'
Chelsea: Lander 69' Longhurst 101'		Ashton Gate
Attendance: 8,723
2013Arsenal3–0Bristol AcademyHoughton 2' Nobbs 72' White 90'Keepmoat Stadium
Attendance: 4,988
2014Arsenal2–0EvertonSmith 15' Kinga 61'Stadium MK
Attendance: 15,098
2015Chelsea1–0Notts CountyJi 39'Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 30,710
2016Arsenal1–0ChelseaCarter 18'Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 32,912
2017Manchester City4–1Birmingham CityManchester City: Bronze 18' Christiansen 25' Lloyd 32' Scott 80'

Birmingham City: Wellings 73'		Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 35,271
2018Chelsea3–1ArsenalChelsea: Bachmann 48', 60' Kirby 76'

Arsenal: Miedema 73'		Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 45,423
2019Manchester City3–0West Ham UnitedWalsh 52' Stanway 81' Hemp 88'Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 43,264

Performance by club

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 were previously known as Leasowe Pacific.

A. Southampton Saints were previously known as Red Star Southampton.

Media coverage

In the late 1980s and early 1990s 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.

Sponsorship

Sponsors of the original WFA competition included Mitre, Pony wines and Mycil.
Below is a list of sponsors of the FA competition:
From 2007, Tesco obtained additional branding and advertising rights through their partnership agreement with the FA. 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. 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.