FA Women’s Championship Football Grounds

FA Women’s Championship Football Grounds is forever growing in popularity, with more and more exposure and interest in the Women’s game.

Originally established in 2014 as the FA women’s super league 2, the Women’s Championship is now recognised as the second-tier division in English women’s football.

In this article we will explore the FA Women’s Championship Football Grounds and the history behind them.

St Andrew’s – Birmingham City

Opened in 1906, St Andrew’s has since hosted a variety of events beyond football, including rugby union matches, boxing and even music concerts.

The ground is home to Birmingham City W.F.C, the Heart of England League welcomed the club in 1970.

Following its formation in 1968 by a collective of women supporters who engaged in friendly local games up until that year.

They joined the Heart of England League in 1970, and played in the league until 1973 when it underwent a major restructure and become known as the West Midland Regional League in 1974.

As part of what was described as “the largest commercial agreement in the club’s history,” Shelby Companies, the owners of the club, renamed the stadium St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park in January 2024.

Sir Tom Finney Stadium – Blackburn Rovers W.F.C

Sir Tom Finney Stadium is home to Blackburn Rovers Women Football Club, Formed in 1991 as part of Blackburn Rovers’ community programme.

The ladies’ club reached the Northern Combination Women’s Football League in 1998.

It was only in 2002, after spending a few years in mid-table, that the club began to experience significant progress.

In January 2010, Blackburn and Watford were the sole clubs from the top division that did not seek membership in the newly established FA Women’s Super League.

Blackburn chose not to apply, attributing their decision to a reluctance to create a separate entity from the men’s team.

The Oakwood – Charlton Athletic W.F.C.

Situated in Crayford, The Oakwood has served as the home ground for Charlton Athletic Women starting from the 2018/19 season, offering a captivating atmosphere.

Established in 1962 by students of St Wilfrids school, which had a strong inclination towards Rugby football, Oakwood Football Club was named after the estate where the school is located.

Charlton Athletic Women’s Football Club (CAWFC), initially established in 1991 under the name Bromley Borough, compete in the Women’s Championship.

Gander Green Lane – Crystal Palace F.C.

Originally established as a location for allotments and open fields in 1898, Gander Green Lane underwent its first transformation into a football ground in 1912.

Gander Green Lane is home to the Crystal Palace Women’s team that was first established in 1992, and ever since then they have worked their way up the football pyramid becoming a well established team in the FA Women’s Championship.

Since the commencement of the 2023–24 season, the club has been hosting their home games at Gander Green Lane, Sutton.

Prior to this, from 2014 to 2023, their matches were held at Hayes Lane, which is the home ground of Bromley F.C.

In the 2013–14 season, Palace ascended to the FA Women’s Premier League. The team clinched the Division One championship in the 2015–16 season, completing the entire campaign without suffering any defeats.

Maiden Castle – Durham W.F.C

The Graham Sports Centre, known as both the Maiden Castle Sports Centre and the Durham University Sport and Wellbeing Park, serves as Durham University’s principal sports complex.

The original sports centre was built in 1961 and has had many renovations since then expanding the grounds for many different sporting events.

It is the base for numerous university teams and hosts professional football matches, including those of Durham W.F.C.

In 2014, Durham W.F.C. emerged from a partnership involving South Durham & Cestria Girls and Durham University.

In the 2013–14 FA Women’s Cup, Durham’s initial competitive fixtures saw them advancing to the fifth round.

Durham Women were among the 41 clubs to sign as founding members of the Football Association’s Football Leadership Diversity Code.

More Information

Below are all of the FA Women’s Championship Football guides we’ve created, check them out!