After a 44-year history taking in name and regime changes and a foray into Scotland and Wales, the Women’s FA Cup entered new territory in 2015, with a new venue and a new winner.
But just as Euro 96 was for many the time when ‘football came home’, the sight of two women’s teams walking out at Wembley Stadium was considered a homecoming, rather than a final frontier.
Certainly the 71 sides from England, Scotland and Wales who took part in the inaugural Women’s Football Association Mitre Challenge Trophy in 1970-71 had a date at Crystal Palace, instead of the hallowed turf as a Final venue, and for another 22 years the tournament operated outside The FA’s jurisdiction.
Southampton beat Scottish side Stewarton 4-1 in that first Final, and the south coast side preceded to dominate the women’s game, winning eight of the first 11 editions.
All the while the game continued to grow, and by the early eighties the Finals moved to Football League grounds, with Doncaster Belles surging to the top of the game, reaching 10 out of 11 successive showpieces.
Their last of that sequence, in 1993-94, marked the season when The FA took over direct control of English women’s football. Since then the semi-professional teams affiliated to their male Premier League and Football League counterparts have tended to dominate the competition re-branded as The FA Women’s Challenge Cup.
Arsenal are now the most successful side in the competition’s history, winning the Cup an impressive 14 times, the last being in 2016 when they edged out London rivals Chelsea thanks to Danielle Carter’s superb first-half strike.
The SSE Women’s FA Cup Final has been staged at Wembley for the last three seasons, and, as support for the game continues to grow, it will again be held under the arch on Saturday 5 May 2018 - and kids can go for FREE.
The story so far
The 2017-18 SSE Women's FA Cup got under way on Sunday 3 September with the first round qualifying.
Two hundred and seventy-six clubs – up from 254 last season – were accepted into this year's competition, including a number of new entrants.
Five rounds of the competition have already taken place, with the third round scheduled for Sunday 7 January.
The 20 sides taking part in this season's FA Women's Super League, including holders Manchester City, will enter the competition at the fourth round stage.
Tickets for The Final are on sale now, priced at only £15 for adults while kids go FREE.
