The chart attached to the right demonstrates the steps and progressions through the various tiers of women’s adult football.
In Norfolk there are many female youth teams, notably within the Norfolk Women’s & Girls, Fenland Youth and Norfolk and Suffolk Youth Leagues.
Most of the teams affiliated to the County FA’s around the country will be playing at Step 6, against other local clubs in area based leagues.
In Norfolk there are 32 women’s teams competing at different levels. For example, the Norfolk Women’s & Girls Football League have two divisions for the 2008-2009 season, demonstrating the recent growth of the female game in our area.
Norfolk also has representatives competing at adult level in the Fenland Women’s League. No less than 26 teams compete at this level on a weekly basis, offering realistic exit routes into the women’s game for the counties aspiring youth teams.
The regional league, through which clubs can progress further, is the Eastern Region Women’s League. This comprises of Division 1 North, Division 1 South and the Eastern Region Premier. These are made up of teams from Norfolk, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire.
At present, there are 5 teams from Norfolk competing at this level, 4 of whom play in Eastern Region Division 1 North (Step 5). These are Swanton United, Taverham, West Lynn and newly promoted Wymondham Town. In Hethersett Athletic we also have a team playing in the Eastern Region Premier (Step 4) of the women’s pyramid.
Norfolk’s highest based club side at present is Norwich City Ladies FC who compete in the South East Combination League (Step 3). This being one step away from the National League set up, where the likes of Tottenham, Luton and Northampton Town ply their trade.