The FA Women's National League, England's semi-professional tier, hosted three successive days of playoff football at Burton-on-Trent's Pirelli Stadium over the May Day Bank Holiday Weekend.
All this action is because WSL is expanding from 12 to 14 teams, while other divisions remain at 12. Since in open leagues, promotion and relegation are decided mainly on sporting merit, a system of playoffs was introduced, like canal locks, with the winners lifted up to join the traditionally promoted division winners in making the numbers up to 12 in each. Later in May, there will be one final playoff (officially, and melodramatically called The Playoff) between the bottom team in WSL and the third-placed team in WSL2. More about that closer to that date.
The WNL Division One Playoff - Midlands v North
First to play at the home of Burton Albion, on Saturday, were the second-place teams from the WNL Division One Midlands, Boldmere St Michaels, and its counterpart from the North, Cheadle Town Stingers. The Stingers missed out on automatic promotion by two points. 2024-25 was even closer, with the newly promoted side only missing out on goal difference.
In truth, they were never really in the Play-Off, losing 3-0. Boldmere has been a yo-yo club, having been promoted twice and relegated once in the 6 years under its present name.
The WNL Division One Playoff - Southeast v Southwest
Moneyfields, from the WNL Division One Southwest, played its counterpart from the Southeast, Norwich City, on Sunday. Moneyfields is in Hampshire, Norwich is in East Anglia - but there's no Division One East or Division One South, so here we are.
The Moneys went into the final round of the regular season on top of their division, but lost the match (and automatic promotion) to Swindon Town by two points. Their opponents were solidly in playoff position, too far back from automatic promotion but firmly in second for the past few weeks as Fulham tore their way to a second successive undefeated promotion.
The match was a back-and-forth affair, with the Canaries taking a 2-0 lead before Moneyfields tied it before half-time. The second half and extra time went scoreless before a tight penalty shootout went the way 6-5 to Norwich City. I can't help but feel for Moneyfields after their last game loss.
The WNL Premier Playoff
The second-place teams in the FA Women's National League Premier North and its South counterpart, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle, respectively, played a one-off match on the Bank Holiday Monday to decide who will join the division winners in promotion to the full-time professional ranks, specifically WSL2.
Wolves won 1-0, although they were clinging on at the end.
WSL2 wraps up
Meanwhile, who would they play in the second division and who will be playing in WSL next season? The WSL2 season ended on Saturday with 6 games. Amongst the six, though, all eyes were on the Valley - where Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City dropped the gloves and slugged it out for the automatic promotion, with a Charlton loss, and Palace win versus Portsmouth, flipping the two South London rivals and sending Birmingham up as division winners. In fact, the two automatic promotion spots from WSL2 were eventually separated by only goal difference. Charlton now face Leicester in The Playoff (ahem).
WSL
In perhaps what is the most predictable result of the season, Arsenal seized a chance to jump back into the Champions League spots. That said, a 7-0 demolition was perhaps beyond the scale that either team expected, with doubles from Smilla Holmberg, and Stina Blackstenius - compatriots albeit ones from opposite ends of the experience range. Arsenal is now out of the Champions League, courtesy of a 87th minute winner by OL Lyonnes. Crystal Palace will play Leicester City for the remaining spot in the top division next year.
United v Brighton was a critical match for the Champions League-hunting hosts, but the Red Devils dropped more points and, in the process, more firmly cemented what has been a disappointing European chase by the Mancunians.
Across town on Sunday, Manchester City took a 1-0 win against Liverpool and the Sky Blues re-established their margin at the top for a final time. This week ended with Brighton hosting Arsenal. The hosts took the lead and secured a point, meaning City won the league for the first time in a decade and only their second time overall.
Since the vast majority of issues are settled, we'll be back on the 24th to round-up events from the end of the WSL season and The Playoff.
