Talk:Women's Football Association

WFA changeover to the FA

For the articles (and out of interest), it would be good to establish which association ran which competition in the 1990s, and their correct names.

From the news and other archives' evidence, 1991–92 and '92–93 were WFA seasons ("National League"), and 1994–95 was the "FA Women's Premier League".

Cup:

1993–94 as the article says is a transitional season and "FA" branding started for the Cup (only) in that season.

The British Newspaper Archive of regional press confirms "FA Women's Cup" was a new name for that competition from Sep '93 onwards.

The WFA was less insistent on branding and was often reported as the "Women's FA".

League:

The '93–94 league went by various names. Tellingly, the Newspaper Archive doesn't have any reference, formal or informal, to "women's Premier League" from June '93 to Aug '94 inclusive, after the phrase was sometimes used earlier. Nor is there any FA branding such as "FA Women's National" or "FA National League".

(Note: In the Independent, Pete Davies (May '94) writes "The women's National Premier League". Other '93–94 reports variously call it the "National Women's League Premier Division", "National League Premier Division", "Women's FA National Premier League" "National Women's FA Premier Division", "National Women's League premier division", and "National Premier League women's football". Also a stray '94–95 mention of "WFA Premier Division"!)

It follows that 1993–94 was the third and final season of the WFA National League (Premier Division), although under a different WFA. An online history site on the WFA, taken from original documents and first-hand accounts, states that the WFA Limited company ceased to exist in November '93, after a power transfer to the Women's Football Alliance within the FA in July '93.

"As the Association entered the 1990s it became evident that the financial situation was not improving and the only way to ensure the progression of the sport was to entrust its future to The FA and their considerable resources. Within the WFA this was not universally seen as the ideal solution. ... The December 1992 AGM was adjourned to offer more time to consider the implications of what was being proposed together with the appointment by The FA of an official to take on the administration. The meeting was reconvened on 6 February 1993. ... The plan post-the WFA was for the clubs and leagues to belong to the newly created Women’s Football Alliance. There would also be an FA Committee for Women’s Football comprising five representatives from women’s football, five from The FA Council, the Co-ordinator who was appointed by The FA to administer women’s football and the Council Representative.
The last WFA Council meeting was held in Birmingham on 13 November 1993 when the WFA Limited became a dormant company." – The Association’s Development | History of the Women's Football Association
Patricia Gregory: "She was invited to become a member of the UEFA Women’s Football Committee in 1979 serving 7 terms until 1993. After the WFA ceased she served for a time on The Women’s Football Alliance Committee of The FA." [1]
Mary Hull: "Mary served as Development Officer of the Association in its later years and as Chairman of The FA Women’s Football Alliance from its inaugural meeting in July 1993. In 2003 she was presented with the Special Achievement Award at The FA Women’s Awards." [2]

So, the current article may jump the gun, as the WFA still existed a little after June '93.

From the current article:

"In June 1993 the WFA ceased to exist* when power was transferred to the FA." (*Evidently that was the plan in March 1993) "The 1993–94 FA Women's Cup was the first to be run under direct control of the FA, while the league structure was taken over and re–branded in 1994–95. It was intended that the resources and experience of the FA would capitalise on increased participation levels and arrest a decline in fortunes for the women's national team."

- Demokra (talk) 02:47, 15 September 2020 (UTC)

Hi @Demokra:, congratulations on some excellent and very interesting work. The 93/94 League Cup final was actually delayed until 13 November 1994 (!) when it was played at Cambridge United. This must be what Pete Davies meant when he said the season "shambolically overran". Doncaster Belles' double-winning team had been substantially weakened when a few of their players joined the new Liverpool team in summer 1994 and they had to draft in some young replacements. This is described in Davies's book I lost my heart to the Belles, which I can't recommend enough if you are interested in this sort of stuff. Another consequence seemed to be that the 94/95 League Cup only featured lower division teams (hence the Villa Aztecs/Wimbledon final). I know Doncaster Belles didn't enter either the 91/92 or 92/93 League Cup, so it seemed to be optional at that stage. I've looked at a few programmes from that era and in 93/94 they all say Women's National League Premier Division (or Southern/Northern Division). Like you say the FA branding seems to have been withheld until the following season, even though the WFA had been rolled up into the FA. The WFA company still exists but is dormant and controlled by the FA. The 93/94 League Cup final programme is styled 'Women's National League Cup Final' and the programme notes are from Tim Stearn "Women's National League Chairman 1990-94". I know Tim was a veteran of the WFA, as were his vice chairman Tony Blair (no not that one!) and secretary Linda Whitehead. By the time of the 94/95 League Cup final there seemed to have been an influx of County FA 'blazers' including new "FA Women's Premier League" Chairman Peter Hough, who wrote: "This is the first season the The Football Association has run the Women's Premier League". Bring back Daz Sampson (talk) 22:02, 15 September 2020 (UTC)