Women's FA Cup History: 6 Rogue Teams to Win the Competition Back in the Day

The first Women's FA Cup ​final was played in 1971, after the 50-year ban on women playing football in the UK was lifted. It originally began as the 'Mitre Challenge Trophy', and was open to teams across the UK. 

As the women's game has grown, more teams have become associated with an established men's side. This has seen your more traditional football clubs dominate the women's game, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all lifting the FA Cup in recent seasons.

But back in the day, when women's football was under the radar and before Bend It Like Beckham had been released, a selection of lesser known teams lifted the trophy.

Fodens Ladies 

Although they sound like they should be a group of middle aged women who have an unhealthy obsession with ​Phil Foden and run their own wildly inappropriate fan club, Fodens Ladies were actually the second side in history to win the Women's FA Cup.

Fodens were from Sandbach, a small market town on the outskirts of Crewe. They were simply a work team from a lorry manufacturing plant in the town, but pulled off a remarkable underdog story when they won the competition in 1974.

The team beat Southampton Women's FC 2-1 at Bedford Town's ground. Southampton were the dominant force at the time, having won the first three FA Cup finals, and would win eight out of the first 11 Women's FA Cups.

Fodens possessed four England internationals in their ranks, including attacking midfielder Sylvia Gore ('the Dennis Law of women's football'), scorer of the first official goal for the England women's national side. For a brief period in the mid 1970s, the team from a tiny town in Cheshire were the best women's football team in the country.

Where are they now?

There are no records of Fodens Ladies existing anymore. The club toured Holland in 1975, and Belgium in 1977, and even though the lorry manufacturing company that the Fodens players worked for went into administration in 1980, the side continued playing until 1989. Sandbach United FC are now the local women's side.

St Helens WFC

St Helens is more synonymous with rugby league than football, but the Merseyside town was home to the fourth side in history to win the Women's FA Cup.

Chris Slater and Liz Deighan met at England trials in the 1970s, and went on to play for Southport together. In 1976, they decided to set up their own women's team: St Helen's WFC. 

Four years later, the club were FA Cup champions.

They beat Preston North End 1-0 at Enfield Town thanks to a winner from Sue Holland.

Where are they now?

St Helens finished FA Cup runners on a further ​three occasions, reaching the final one last time in 1987, where they lost to Doncaster Belles. 

Deighan hung up her boots and pursued her coaching career in the England youth set up in 1987. She set up another new team, Newton Ladies, in 1989, suggesting the St Helens side were no more. Newton became Knowsley United in 1991, and in 1994 Knowsley linked with ​Liverpool to become Liverpool Ladies FC.

Lowestoft Town

For a spell in the late 1970s and early 80s, a selection of the finest female footballing talent in the country were all clustered in a small coastal town in Suffolk.

Lowestoft's men's side currently play in the seventh tier of English football. But in the 1980s, their women's team boasted an assortment of homegrown England internationals. England defender Terry Butcher - then at Ipswich Town - would pop down to watch their games.

The club were on the verge of collapse in 1981 due to a lack of players, but just 10 months later, they won the 1982 FA Cup.

England international and policewoman Linda Curl, who would go on to score in the final three years later for Norwich City, and Angela Poppy were on the scoresheet as Lowestoft beat Cleveland Spartans 2-0 at Loftus Road.

Where are they now?

Less than five months after Lowestoft celebrated winning the FA Cup, the side were forced to fold. 

Their relative geographic isolation soon became a disadvantage when their domestic league folded at the end of the 1982 season. Women's teams in the 1980s could not afford to travel all the way to most easterly point in East Anglia just for a game of football, meaning five leagues refused them entry and Lowestoft were left without a division to play in

The club had reformed at grassroots level in the 2000s, but folded once more in 2017 due to a lack of players.

Howbury Grange

England pioneer Debbie Bampton was part of the victorious Lowestoft side who won the cup in 1982, and two years later she was celebrating FA Cup success with Howbury Grange. 

The side from Bexley in south east London ​beat reining champions Doncaster Belles 4-2 in the final at Lincoln City's Sincil Bank.

Where are they now?

There are very few records of Howbury Grange existing in the first place. The club continued playing until at least 1990, when they reached the FA Cup quarter finals. However, the club have since disappeared without a trace.

Leasowe Pacific

It was second time lucky for Merseyside club Leasowe Pacific in 1989. Beaten finalists the previous year, they beat Friends of Fulham (now AFC Wimbledon) 3-2 at Old Trafford to win the FA Cup for the first time in their history.

Current England Under-19 coach Mo Marley, who would go on to win the FA Cup as Everton manager in 2010, turned out for the Merseysiders in the 1989 cup final

Where are they now?

In 1995, the club changed their name to ​Everton. They are now Willie Kirk's Toffees side that play in the WSL today. 

Everton have a rich history in the women's game, with Lionesses Fara Williams, Jill Scott, Toni Duggan and Nikita Parris all pulling on the Everton shirt in the last decade. Their 2010 FA Cup win over the hugely dominant Arsenal was a real underdog triumph.

Croydon

Croydon are two-time FA Cup winners, lifting the trophy in 1996 and 2000. The team were founded in 1991, originally under the name of Bromley Borough. They formed a partnership with Croydon FC in 1994 ahead of their inaugural top flight campaign, and Debbie Bampton was appointed player manager. 

Future England boss Hope Powell scored during Croydon's 1996 triumph over Liverpool. This was the first Women's FA Cup final to go to penalties after the game finished 1-1 after 120 minutes. Future England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis was in goal for Liverpool, aged just 16.

Croydon were victorious again four years later thanks to a 2-1 win over Doncaster Belles, and were beaten finalists in 1998. 

Where are they now?

Croydon were controversially taken over by Charlton in 2000. They would reach the FA Cup final a further four times, winning it once in 2005. 

Charlton almost disbanded in 2007 following the men's side's relegation from the Premier League, and although they were saved, the majority of their senior players departed. The club were prompted to the Women's Championship in 2018.

For more Ali Rampling, follow her on Twitter!