FA Women's National League South
{{Short description|Third-level English women's football league}}
{{Recentism|date=February 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox sports league
| title = FA Women's National League South
| logo = FA Women's National League.png
| pixels = 150px
| sport = Football
| founded = 1992
| teams = 12
| levels = 3
| promotion = Women's Championship
| relegation = FA Women's National League Division One South West,
FA Women's National League Division One South East
| countries = {{ENG}} and
{{WAL}}
| champion = Portsmouth F.C. (3 titles)
| current = 2024–25 FA Women's National League
}}
The FA Women's National League South is a league in the third level in the women's football pyramid in England, along with the Northern division. These two divisions are part of the FA Women's National League and below the Women's Super League and Women's Championship.
The league is played on a home and away basis, with each team playing each other twice, and points being awarded in the standard three points for a win format. The bottom two clubs are relegated, also on a geographical basis, to the Division One South West, and Division One South East.
For the 2023/24 season, changes were made meaning that two clubs would be relegated from the Women's Championship allowing one team each from National League North and South to be promoted to the Championship rather than having to play a season end playoff. This change resulted in two teams being relegated from the Championship at the end of the season.
Southern Premier Division teams are eligible to play in the Women's National League Cup as well as the Women's FA Cup.
Name
It was known as the 'Women's Premier League Southern Division' before the 2018–19 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43155787|title=FA Women's Championship: New name chosen for England's second tier|date=26 February 2018|access-date=16 November 2018|publisher=BBC}}{{clarify|date=February 2022}}
Current teams (2024–25 season)
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| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
!Club !Home ground !Position 2023–24 |
| style="text-align:left;" |AFC Wimbledon
| style="text-align:left;" |Grand Drive, Raynes Park{{cite web |title=AFC Wimbledon Women's new home away from home |url=https://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news/2024/june/28/women-new-home-away-from-home/ |website=www.afcwimbledon.co.uk}} |{{sort|12|WNL D1 South East, 1st}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Billericay Town
| style="text-align:left;" |New Lodge, Billericay |{{sort|11|10th}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Cheltenham Town
| style="text-align:left;" |Kayte Lane, Bishop's Cleeve |{{sort|8|7th}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Exeter City
| style="text-align:left;" |Coach Road, Newton Abbot |{{sort|12|WNL D1 South West, 1st}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Gwalia United
| style="text-align:left;" |Newport Stadium, Newport |{{sort|9|8th (as Cardiff City)}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Hashtag United
| style="text-align:left;" |Parkside, Aveley |{{sort|3|2nd}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Ipswich Town
| style="text-align:left;" |The Goldstar Ground, Felixstowe |{{sort|5|4th}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Lewes
| style="text-align:left;" |The Dripping Pan, Lewes |{{sort|1|Championship, 11th}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Milton Keynes Dons
| style="text-align:left;" |Stadium MK, Milton Keynes |{{sort|7|6th}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Oxford United
| style="text-align:left;" |Marsh Lane, Marston |{{sort|6|5th}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Plymouth Argyle
| style="text-align:left;" |Manadon Sports Hub, Plymouth |{{sort|10|9th}} |
| style="text-align:left;" |Watford
| style="text-align:left;" |Grosvenor Vale, Ruislip |{{sort|2|Championship, 12th}} |
{{col-2}}
{{Location map+ | England south |float=right |width=500 |caption=Location of Southern Premier Division clubs for the 2024–25 season |places=
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=AFC Wimbledon |lat=51.403407 |long=-0.2270111 |position=left}}
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=Billericay Town |lat=51.621421 |long=0.403892 |position=right}}
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=Cheltenham Town |lat=51.937849 |long=-2.05693 |position=left}}
{{location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=Exeter City |lat=50.5220 |long=-3.6012 |position=right}}
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=Gwalia United |lat=51.574178 |long=-2.960019 |position=left}}
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=Hashtag United |lat=51.503327 |long=0.26060579 |position=bottom}}
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=Ipswich Town |lat=51.970540 |long=1.355269 |position=top}}
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=Lewes |lat=50.8695 |long= 0.0113 |position=bottom}}
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=MK Dons |lat=52.009444 |long=-0.733333 |position=right}}
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=Oxford United |lat=51.773367 |long=-1.228879 |position=top}}
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=Plymouth Argyle |lat=50.408096 |long=-4.147237 |position=left}}
{{Location map~ |England south |label_size=80 |label=Watford |lat=51.5694 |long=-0.4166 |position=top}}
}}
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Previous winners
{{Expand section|date=February 2022}}
| class="wikitable" | |
| Season
!Club | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 2001–02 | Fulham |
| 2002–03 | Bristol Rovers (later Bristol Academy, now Bristol City) |
| 2003–04 | Bristol City (later AFC Team Bath, now defunct) |
| 2004–05 | Chelsea |
| 2005–06 | Cardiff City |
| 2006–07 | Watford |
| 2007–08 | Fulham |
| 2008–09 | Millwall Lionesses |
| 2009–10 | Barnet |
| 2010–11 | Charlton Athletic |
| 2011–12 | Portsmouth |
| 2012–13 | Reading |
| 2013–14 | Coventry City |
| 2014–15 | Portsmouth |
| 2015–16 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 2016–17 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2017–18 | Charlton Athletic |
| 2018–19 | Coventry United |
| |2019–20 | not awarded |
| |2020–21 | not awarded |
| |2021–22 | Southampton F.C. |
| |2022–23 | Watford |
| |2023–24 | Portsmouth |
From the 2014–15 season onwards, the club promoted to the Women's Championship (via a play-off between the Northern and Southern division champions), and overall champions of the FA Women's National League, are marked in bold.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.thefa.com/womens-girls-football The FA Women's Page]
{{FA Women's Premier League}}
{{Women's football in England}}
Category:Sports leagues established in 1992
Category:Third-level women's association football leagues in Europe
{{england-footy-competition-stub}}