The first Women’s FA Cup competition, known as ‘The Women’s Football Association Mitre Challenge Trophy’, took place in the 1970-71 season under the auspices of the now-defunct Women’s FA.
The 71 entrants were placed in eight geographical groups and they even included some teams from both Scotland and Wales. Southampton beat Scottish side Stewarton 4-1 in a Final played at the Crystal Palace National Recreation Centre in London.
Since The FA took over direct control of English women’s football in 1993, the semi-professional teams affiliated with male Premier League and Football League counterparts have tended to dominate the competition. For the first, in 1993-94, there was an entry of 147 teams and Doncaster Belles beat Knowsley United 1-0 in the Final at Scunthorpe United’s Glanford Park.
Arsenal have won the competition a record 14 times, the last coming in 2016 when Danielle Carter’s goal gave them victory over London rivals Chelsea at Wembley, the Final venue since 2015.
But the Blues got their revenge two years later as Ramona Bachmann scored twice to help Emma Hayes’s side win the Cup for the second time in front of a record crowd of 45,423.
List of Final results:
2019 Man City 3-0 West Ham
2018 Chelsea 3-1 Arsenal
2017 Man City 4-1 Birmingham City
2016 Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea
2015 Chelsea 1-0 Notts County
2014 Arsenal 2-0 Everton
2013 Arsenal 3-0 Bristol Academy
2012 Birmingham City 2-2 Chelsea aet (Birmingham win 3-2 on penalties)
2011 Arsenal 2-0 Bristol Academy
2010 Everton 3-2 Arsenal aet
2009 Arsenal 2-1 Sunderland
2008 Arsenal 4-1 Leeds United
2007 Arsenal 4-1 Charlton Athletic
2006 Arsenal 5-0 Leeds United
2005 Charlton Athletic 1-0 Everton
2004 Arsenal 3-0 Charlton Athletic
2003 Fulham 3-0 Charlton Athletic
2002 Fulham 2-1 Doncaster Belles
2001 Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
2000 Croydon 2-1 Doncaster Belles
1999 Arsenal 2-0 Southampton Saints
1998 Arsenal 3-2 Croydon
1997 Millwall Lionesses 1-0 Wembley
1996 Croydon 1-1 Liverpool aet (Croydon won 3-2 on penalties)
1995 Arsenal 3-2 Liverpool
1994 Doncaster Belles 1-0 Knowsley United
1993 Arsenal 3-0 Doncaster Belles
1992 Doncaster Belles 4-0 Red Star Southampton
1991 Millwall Lionesses 1-0 Doncaster Belles
1990 Doncaster Belles 1-0 Friends of Fulham
1989 Leasowe Pacific 3-2 Friends of Fulham
1988 Doncaster Belles 3-1 Leasowe Pacific
1987 Doncaster Belles 2-0 St Helens
1986 Norwich 4-3 Doncaster Belles
1985 Friends of Fulham 2-0 Doncaster Belles
1984 Howbury Grange 4-2 Doncaster Belles
1983 Doncaster Belles 3-2 St Helens
1982 Lowestoft 2-0 Cleveland Spartans
1981 Southampton 4-2 St Helens
1980 St Helens 1-0 Preston North End
1979 Southampton 1-0 Lowestoft
1978 Southampton 8-2 QPR
1977 QPR 1-0 Southampton
1976 Southampton 2-1 QPR aet
1975 Southampton 4-2 Warminster
1974 Fodens 2-1 Southampton
1973 Southampton 2-0 Westhorn United
1972 Southampton 3-2 Lee’s Ladies
1971 Southampton 4-1 Stewarton & Thistle
