FA Women's Premier League National Division
The FA Women's Premier League National Division was a football division in England. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League in 2011, the National Division functioned as the top league in England. During its final two seasons it operated as the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. The Division was scrapped at the end of the 2012/13 season, prior to the launch of the Women's Super League 2. The league was played on a home and away basis, with each team playing each other twice, and points being awarded in the standard football format.
Below the National Division were simultaneously the Northern and Southern divisions and the remainder of the women's football pyramid. These divisions remain after the cancellation of the National Division It was the women's football counterpart to the Premier League, although the women's league was not fully professional. The terms Women's Premiership and Ladies' Premiership thus generally referred to the National Division alone.
Premiership teams also competed in the FA Women's Cup and the Premier League Cup, and the Premiership winner competed against the FA Cup winner for the FA Women's Community Shield. Until 2010 Premiership winners and runners-up also competed in the UEFA Women's Champions League as well.
For the 2006–07 season, the number of competing teams was increased from 10 to 12, with the promotion of the Northern and Southern champions and no relegations despite test matches being played.
For the 2010–2011 season, the league reduced to eight clubs from twelve. Six clubs left to form the FA Women's Super League, as did the Northern Division champions and runners-up, Liverpool and OOH Lincoln. The six remaining National Division clubs and the Southern Division top two, Barnet and Reading, thus comprised the second-level National Division. The 2012–13 season was the final season for the division.
National Division clubs, 2012–13
| Club | Finishing position 2011–12 |
| Aston Villa | 3rd |
| Barnet | 4th |
| Cardiff City | 8th |
| Charlton Athletic | 5th |
| Coventry City | 6th |
| Leeds United | 2nd |
| Manchester City | 1st in Northern Division |
| Portsmouth | 1st in Southern Division |
| Sunderland | 1st |
| Watford | 7th |
History
Year by year
As level 1 division:''Note: Bold designates teams that won a double with the FA Women's Cup.
† Arsenal won a treble with the UEFA Women's Cup in 2007.
| Year | Winner | Runner Up | Third Place | Relegated |
| 1991–92 | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Red Star Southampton L.F.C. | Wimbledon L.F.C. | None |
| 1992–93 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Knowsley United L.F.C. | Maidstone Tigresses L.F.C., Bronte L.F.C. |
| 1993–94 | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Arsenal L.F.C. | Knowsley United L.F.C. | Ipswich Town L.F.C., Wimbledon L.F.C. |
| 1994–95 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Liverpool L.F.C. | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Red Star Southampton L.F.C. |
| 1995–96 | Croydon L.F.C. | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Arsenal L.F.C. | Villa Aztecs L.F.C., Wolverhampton Wanderers L.F.C. |
| 1996–97 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Croydon L.F.C. | Southampton Saints L.F.C., Ilkeston Town F.C. Ladies |
| 1997–98 | Everton L.F.C. | Arsenal L.F.C. | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Barnet F.C. Ladies, Barry Town W.F.C. |
| 1998–99 | Croydon L.F.C. | Arsenal L.F.C. | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Bradford City W.F.C., Ilkeston Town F.C. Ladies |
| 1999–2000 | Croydon L.F.C. | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Arsenal L.F.C. | Aston Villa L.F.C., Reading Royals L.F.C. |
| 2000–01 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Charlton Athletic L.F.C. | Millwall Lionesses L.F.C., Liverpool L.F.C. |
| 2001–02 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Charlton Athletic L.F.C. | Barry Town W.F.C., Sunderland A.F.C. Women |
| 2002–03 | Fulham L.F.C. | Doncaster Belles L.F.C. | Arsenal L.F.C. | Southampton Saints W.F.C., Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C. |
| 2003–04 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Charlton Athletic L.F.C. | Fulham L.F.C. | Aston Villa L.F.C., Tranmere Rovers L.F.C. |
| 2004–05 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Charlton Athletic L.F.C. | Everton L.F.C. | Liverpool L.F.C., Bristol City W.F.C. |
| 2005–06 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Everton L.F.C. | Charlton Athletic L.F.C. | None |
| 2006–07 | Arsenal L.F.C. † | Everton L.F.C. | Charlton Athletic L.F.C. | Sunderland A.F.C. Women, Fulham L.F.C. |
| 2007–08 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Everton L.F.C. | Leeds United L.F.C. | Cardiff City L.F.C., Charlton Athletic L.F.C. |
| 2008–09 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Everton L.F.C. | Chelsea L.F.C. | Liverpool L.F.C., Fulham L.F.C. |
| 2009–10 | Arsenal L.F.C. | Everton L.F.C. | Chelsea L.F.C. | None |
As FA level 2 division:
| Year | Winner | Runner Up | Third Place | Relegated |
| 2010–11 | Sunderland A.F.C. Women | Nottingham Forest L.F.C. | Reading Women | Blackburn Rovers L.F.C., Millwall Lionesses L.F.C. |
| 2011–12 | Sunderland A.F.C. Women | Leeds United L.F.C. | Aston Villa L.F.C. | Nottingham Forest L.F.C., Reading Women |
| 2012–13 | Sunderland A.F.C. Women | Watford L.F.C. | Leeds United L.F.C. | Portsmouth F.C. Ladies, Barnet F.C. Ladies |
The replacement level 1 league FA WSL began in 2011, and WSL 2 in 2014. The WPL continued at level 3/4 in 2013–14.
Performance by club
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning Years |
| Arsenal | 1992–93, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 | ||
| Charlton Athletic | 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–2000 | ||
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | 1991–92, 1993–94 | ||
| Sunderland | 2010–11, 2011–12 | ||
| Everton | 1997–98 | ||
| Fulham | 2002–03 | ||
| Liverpool | 1994–95 | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 2010–11 | ||
| Leeds United | 2011–12 |