The Women's FA Cup Final is one of the most highly anticipated events in women's football, and this year's competition promises to be no different. Taking place at the iconic Wembley Stadium this Sunday 14th May, the final will be a showcase of the very best talent in women's football.
The history of the UK women’s game
Despite the recent surge in popularity of women's football, many may be surprised to know that the Women's FA Cup tournament dates back to 1970. However, the history of women's football in the UK goes back even further than that. The English Ladies Football Association Challenge Cup was first played in 1922, and it was won by Stoke Ladies. This was a significant moment in the history of women's football, as it marked the first time that the women's game had been officially recognised by the Football Association.
However, it wasn't until the Mitre Challenge Trophy of 1970 that women's football began to really take hold. The tournament saw 71 teams from England, Scotland, and Wales participate, and it was a huge success. The Women's Football Association (WFA) ran the competition for the first 23 seasons until the Football Association took over in 1993, renaming it The Women's FA Cup in 2015.
Today, the tournament is known as the Vitality Women's FA Cup, thanks to sponsorship from the insurance company. The competition is open to all women's teams, from grassroots clubs to professional teams. This year's final will be between current cup-holders Chelsea and Manchester United, with a total of 417 teams participating in the competition.
Over the years, the Women's FA Cup has seen some truly great teams and players. Southampton won eight of the first cup competitions, while Doncaster Belles were dominant between 1983 and 1994, winning the trophy six times. However, it is Arsenal who holds the record for most titles overall, having won an impressive fourteen times.
Fun fact
Continuing the tradition of mishaps involving football cups - a case in point being the curious lost and found incident surrounding the FIFA World Cup in 1966 (which was famously solved by a dog called ‘Pickles’!) - the original Mitre Challenge Trophy also went missing in 1979. It was never recovered and had to be replaced with a new one donated by the Football Association. This also marked the WFA's tenth anniversary.
“Come on, you reds (or blues, or whatever!)”
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