The 2025–26 FA Women's National League Plate is the eleventh season of the competition, open to a ranked selection of teams eliminated from Women's National League Cup.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | England Wales |
| Dates | 12 October 2025 – 29 March 2026 |
| Teams | 32 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Cheadle Town Stingers (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Moneyfields |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Goals scored | 113 (3.65 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Ali Hall (Moneyfields) (4 goals) |
All statistics correct as of 29 March 2026. | |
The 2025–26 season saw a change to the format of the League Cup, with the introduction of a group stage and entry of Professional Game Academy sides for the first time, the season after the Plate had started to include U21 sides. Teams were initially drawn into 22 groups of four teams who played each other once (not twice), and from which the 22 group winners and 10 best runners-up advanced to the Cup knockout stages. The other 12 runners-up, and 20 best third-placed teams advanced to the National League Plate knockout stages.[1]
Reigning champions AFC Bournemouth Women placed in the top 32 teams in the group stages of the National League Cup, meaning that they did not defend their title.[2]
Results
editAll results are published by the Football Association.[3] Games are first listed by group in chronological order, and then in alphabetical order of the home team where matches were played simultaneously.
First Round
editThe draw for the first knockout round was made on 29 September 2025.[4]
| 12 October 2025 | Durham Cestria (N1) | 2–0 | Sheffield United U21 (PGA) | Sunderland |
| 14:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Leisure United Ford |
| 19 October 2025 | Cambridge United (SE1) | 3–4 | London Bees (SE1) | St Neots |
| 14:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Rowley Park Attendance: 96 |
| 19 October 2025 | Cheadle Town Stingers FC (N1) | 1–0 | Sheffield FC (MD1) | Cheadle |
| 14:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Park Road Stadium Attendance: 80 |
| 19 October 2025 | Chesham United (SE1) | 1–4 | Ascot United (SW1) | Chesham |
| 14:00 BST |
|
Report | Stadium: The Meadow |
| 19 October 2025 | Doncaster Rovers Belles (N1) | 0–3 | Birmingham City U21 (PGA) | Rotherham |
| 14:00 BST | Report |
|
Stadium: Millmoor Stadium |
| 19 October 2025 | Gwalia United (S) | 4–3 (a.e.t.) | Tottenham Hotspur U21 (PGA) | Pontypridd |
| 14:00 BST |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: University of South Wales Sports Park |
| 19 October 2025 | Huddersfield Town (N1) | 3–2 | Loughborough Lightning (N) | Kirkburton |
| 14:00 BST |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Stafflex Arena Attendance: 57 |
| 19 October 2025 | Luton Town (SE1) | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | London City Lionesses U21 (PGA) | Barton-le-Clay |
| 14:00 BST | Report |
|
Stadium: Sharpenhoe Road Attendance: 234 |
| 19 October 2025 | Maidenhead United (SW1) | 2–1 | Bridgwater United (SW1) | Maidenhead |
| 14:00 BST | Report |
|
Stadium: York Road Attendance: 40 |
| 19 October 2025 | Moneyfields (SW1) | 4–1 | Bristol City U21 (PGA) | Portsmouth |
| 14:00 BST | Report |
|
Stadium: The John Jenkins Stadium Attendance: 47 |
| 19 October 2025 | Northampton Town (MD1) | 0–2 | Norwich City (SE1) | Moulton |
| 14:00 BST | Report | Stadium: O'Riordan Bond Stadium |
| 19 October 2025 | Notts County (MD1) | 3–2 | Leicester City U21 (PGA) | Eastwood |
| 14:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Coronation Park |
| 19 October 2025 | Stockport County (N1) | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Sunderland U21 (PGA) | Stockport |
| 14:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Stockport Sports Village Attendance: 84 |
| 19 October 2025 | Worcester City (MD1) | 1–2 | Halifax F.C. (N) | Worcester |
| 14:00 BST |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Sixways Stadium Attendance: 113 |
| 22 October 2025 | Bristol Rovers (SW1) | 1–3 | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 (PGA) | Yate |
| 19:45 BST |
|
Report | Stadium: Lodge Road |
Second Round
editThe draw for the second knockout round was made on 20 October 2025.[6]
| 9 November 2025 | Ascot United (SW1) | 0–2 | London City Lionesses U21 (PGA) | Ascot |
| 14:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: Ascot Racecourse Attendance: 87 |
| 9 November 2025 | Chorley Women FC (N1) | 4–0 | Notts County (MD1) | Euxton |
| 14:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: Jim Fowler Memorial Ground Attendance: 159 |
| 9 November 2025 | Gwalia United (S) | 3–2 | London Bees (SE1) | Pontypridd |
| 14:00 GMT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: University of South Wales Sports Park Attendance: 147 |
| 9 November 2025 | Cheadle Town Stingers FC (N1) | 2–1 | Huddersfield Town (N1) | Cheadle |
| 14:00 GMT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Park Road Stadium Attendance: 81 |
| 9 November 2025 | Halifax F.C. (N) | 3–1 | Birmingham City U21 (PGA) | Bradford |
| 14:00 GMT | Report |
|
Stadium: Myra Shay Park Attendance: 90 |
| 9 November 2025 | Maidenhead United (SW1) | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (3–5 p) | Moneyfields (SW1) | Maidenhead |
| 14:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: York Road (Maidenhead) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| 9 November 2025 | Norwich City (SE1) | 1–2 | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 (PGA) | Horsford |
| 14:00 GMT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: The Nest Attendance: 308 Referee: Ellis Lander |
| 9 November 2025 | Stockport County (N1) | 1–2 | Durham Cestria (N1) | Stockport |
| 14:00 GMT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Stockport Sports Village Attendance: 82 |
Quarter-finals
edit| 11 January 2026 | Gwalia United (S) | 2–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 (PGA) | Pontypridd |
| 14:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: University of South Wales Sports Park Attendance: 240 |
| 11 January 2026 | Moneyfields (SW1) | 6–1 | London City Lionesses U21 (PGA) | Portsmouth |
| 14:00 GMT | Report |
|
Stadium: The John Jenkins Stadium Attendance: 87 |
| 25 January 2026 | Cheadle Town Stingers FC (N1) | 2–0 | Durham Cestria (N1) | Cheadle |
| 14:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: Park Road Stadium Attendance: 58 |
Semi-finals
edit| 1 February 2026 | Cheadle Town Stingers (N1) | 2–0 | Halifax F.C. (N) | Cheadle |
| 14:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: Ground Up Solutions Stadium Attendance: 121 |
| 1 February 2026 | Moneyfields (SW1) | 2–0 | Gwalia United (S) | Portsmouth |
| 14:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: The John Jenkins Stadium Attendance: 76 |
Final
edit| 29 March 2026 | Cheadle Town Stingers (N1) | 0–0 (3–0 p) | Moneyfields (SW1) | Slough |
| 14:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: Arbour Park[7] Attendance: 307 |
References
edit- ↑ "FA Women's National League announces key dates and changes to promotion for 2025/26 season". womenscompetitions.thefa.com. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ↑ "Cherries to visit QPR in FAWNL Cup". www.afcb.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ↑ "Fixtures".
- ↑ "FA WNL Cup and Plate First Round Draw". womenscompetitions.thefa.com. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ↑ "🚨 Game Postponed 🚨 Our match versus Aston Villa PGA has been postponed following a serious injury to an Aston Villa Player. Everyone at CWFC wishes her a speedy recovery 💛🖤". x.com. Chorley Women. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ↑ "Draws made for FA WNL Cup and Plate Second Round". womenscompetitions.thefa.com. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ↑ Barker, Stuart (12 February 2026). "Money's Women's FA WNL Plate Final Heads to Arbour Park on March 29th". moneyfieldsfootballclub.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2026.