The 2016–17 season of the
FA Women's Premier League
The FA Women's National League, formerly WFA National League and FA Women's Premier League (WPL), is a group of six football divisions run by the English Football Association. Founded in 1991 by the Women's Football Association, the League includ ...
is the 25th season of the competition, which began in 1992. It sits at the third and fourth levels of the
women's football pyramid, below the two divisions of the
FA Women's Super League and above the eight regional football leagues.
The league features six regional divisions: the
Northern
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a ra ...
and
Southern
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, M ...
divisions at level three of the pyramid, and below those Northern Division 1, Midlands Division 1, South East Division 1, and South West Division 1.
72 teams were members of the league before the start of the 2016–17 season, divided equally into six divisions of twelve teams. At the end of the season
Blackburn Rovers and
Tottenham Hotspur, respectively the champions of the Northern and Southern Divisions, qualified for a playoff match against each other which Tottenham Hotspur won 3-0 thus becoming the overall league champion, and winning them promotion to
FA WSL 2.
Premier Division
Northern Division
Changes from last season:
*
Guiseley Vixens and
Loughborough Foxes were relegated to Northern Division One and Midlands Division One respectively.
*
Leicester City and
Middlesbrough were promoted into the Northern Division from Midlands Division One and Northern Division One respectively.
*Preston North End was renamed
Fylde Ladies after changing its affiliation to
AFC Fylde.
*Sporting Club Albion was renamed
West Bromwich Albion.
*
Nuneaton Town withdrew from the league the week before the season started.
League table
Results
Southern Division
Changes from last season:
*League champions
Brighton & Hove Albion was promoted to
FA WSL 2.
*
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park, ...
was relegated to South West Division One.
*
Swindon Town and
Crystal Palace were promoted from South West and South East Division One.
*
Forest Green Rovers withdrew from the league the week before the season started.
League table
Results
Championship play-off
The overall FA WPL champion was decided by a play-off match held at the end of the season. The winner earned promotion to the
FA WSL 2.
Division One
Northern Division One
Changes from last season:
*
Middlesbrough was promoted to the
Northern Division Northern Division or North Division can refer to:
Sports
* Northern Division (Rugby Union) Leagues of England
* Queensland Rugby League Northern Division
* Southern League Northern Division of the Southern Football League in England
* FA Women's ...
.
*
Guiseley Vixens was relegated from the Northern Division.
*
Brighouse Town
Brighouse Town Football Club is a football club based in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at St Giles Road.
History
The club was established in 1963 as the works team of the Blakeborough Valve Co ...
was promoted from the
North East Regional League.
*
Crewe Alexandra was promoted from the
North West Regional League.
*
Stockport County and
Norton & Stockton Ancients were relegated to the regional leagues.
League table
Results
Midlands Division One
Changes from last season:
*
Leicester City was promoted to the
Northern Division Northern Division or North Division can refer to:
Sports
* Northern Division (Rugby Union) Leagues of England
* Queensland Rugby League Northern Division
* Southern League Northern Division of the Southern Football League in England
* FA Women's ...
.
*
Loughborough Foxes was relegated from the Northern Division.
*
The New Saints was promoted from the
West Midlands Regional League
The West Midlands (Regional) League is an English association football competition for semi-professional and amateur teams based in the West Midlands county, Shropshire, Worcestershire, southern Staffordshire and northern Herefordshire. It has tw ...
.
*
Long Eaton United was promoted from the
East Midlands Regional League The East Midlands Regional League was a football league in the East Midlands region of England between 1967 and 1985.[Peterborough Northern Star
Peterborough Northern Star F.C. was a football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. They last played in the in 2021.
History
Originally, Northern Star, was called Northam Star. Supposedly, Peterborough Northern Star had its ...]
and
Leafield Athletic were relegated to the regional leagues.
League table
Results
South East Division One
Changes from last season:
*
Crystal Palace was promoted to the
Southern Division.
*
Stevenage
Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
was promoted from the
Eastern Region League.
*
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is an English professional Association football, football club, based in London Borough of Merton, Merton, London, that plays in the EFL League Two, after being relegated from the EFL League One following the 2021–22 EFL Leagu ...
was promoted from the
London & South East Regional League.
*
Bedford was relegated to the regional leagues.
*Old Actonians was renamed
Actonians.
League table
Results
South West Division One
Changes from last season:
*
Swindon Town was promoted to the
Southern Division.
*
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park, ...
was relegated from the Southern Division.
*
Basingstoke
Basingstoke ( ) is the largest town in the county of Hampshire. It is situated in south-central England and lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon, at the far western edge of The North Downs. It is located north-east of Southa ...
was promoted from the
Southern Region League.
*
Brislington was promoted from the
South West Regional League
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*su ...
.
*
Gloucester City and
Swindon Spitfires withdrew from the league during the
2015–16 season.
Shanklin withdrew from the league after playing 18 of 22 matches.
All results involving Shanklin were expunged.
League table
Results
Reserve Division
Reserve Northern Division
League table
Results
Reserve Midland Division
League table
Results
Reserve Southern Division
League table
Results
References
External links
Official website of the FA Women's Premier LeagueLeague results and standings
{{DEFAULTSORT:2016-17 FA Women's Premier League
FA Women's National League seasons
2016–17 in English women's football
2016–17 domestic women's association football leagues