The 2016–17 Women's FA Cup was the 47th staging of the FA Women's Cup, a knockout cup competition for women's football teams in England. Arsenal were the defending champions, having beaten Chelsea 1–0 in the previous final.[1] Manchester City won the cup by beating Birmingham City 4–1 in the final.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | England Wales |
| Teams | 254 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Manchester City (1st title) |
| Runner-up | Birmingham City |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 242 |
| Goals scored | 1,191 (4.92 per match) |
Teams
A total of 254 teams had their entries to the tournament accepted by The Football Association.[2] One hundred and sixty-two teams entered at the first or second round qualifying. Teams that play in the FA Women's Premier League Division One were given exemption to the third round qualifying, while teams in the Northern and Southern Division entered at the first round proper. Teams in the FA WSL 2 were exempted to the third round proper, with teams in the FA WSL 1 entering at the fifth round proper.[3]
| Round | Clubs remaining | Clubs involved | Winners from previous round | Games played | Goals scored | Prize money[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round qualifying | 254 | 4 | – | 2 | 3 | £350 |
| Second round qualifying | 252 | 160 | 2 | 72 | 389 | £450 |
| Third round qualifying | 172 | 128 | 80 | 64 | 357 | £500 |
| Fourth round qualifying | 108 | 64 | 64 | 32 | 175 | £600 |
| First round | 76 | 56 | 32 | 26 | 96 | £800 |
| Second round | 48 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 54 | £900 |
| Third round | 34 | 24 | 14 | 11 | 45 | £1,000 |
| Fourth round | 22 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 14 | £2,000 |
| Fifth round | 16 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 38 | £3,000 |
| Sixth round | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 12 | £4,000 |
| Semi-Final | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | £5,000 |
| The Final | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | £15,000 (runners-up) £25,000 (winners) |
The second round qualifying saw eight ties cancelled due to the withdrawal of one of the teams, the first round proper saw two ties cancelled due to the resignation of Nuneaton Town and Forest Green Rovers before the season started, and the third round proper saw one tie cancelled due to the withdrawal of Watford.
First round qualifying
There were only two first round qualifying matches, both of which were played on 4 September 2016.[5][6]
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Shields (6) | 2–0 | Gateshead Leam Rangers (7) | 25 |
| 2 | Wigan Athletic (5) | 1–0 | MSB Woolton (5) |
Second round qualifying
Eighty matches were scheduled for the second qualifying round. The 160 teams taking part consisted of 158 teams exempted to this stage, plus the two match winners from the previous round. Most matches were played on Sunday 18 September 2016, the only exception being Bishop's Stortford v Bungay Town, which took place on the preceding Saturday.[6][7]
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | ICA Sports (7) | W–O | Peterborough Northern Star (5) | |
| 42 | Newmarket Town (7) | 2–7 | Wymondham Town (6) | |
| 43 | Park (7) | 0–14 | Northampton Town (6) | |
| 44 | Kettering Town (5) | 4–0 | Thrapston Town (7) | 50 |
| 45 | Colchester Town (5) | 0–3 | AFC Sudbury (5) | |
| 46 | Brandon Town (7) | W–O | Great Wakering Rovers (5) | |
| 47 | Little Thurrock Dynamos (6) | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Brentwood Town (5) | |
| 48 | Harlow Town (7) | 2–3 | Billericay Town (5) | |
| 49 | Writtle (5) | 0–3 | Leyton Orient (5) | |
| 50 | Haringey Borough (5) | 12–0 | Chelmsford City (7) | |
| 51 | Bishop's Stortford (7) | 1–3 | Bungay Town (7) | |
| 52 | Hertford Town (6) | W–O | Garston (7) | |
| 53 | Houghton Athletic (7) | 2–1 | Sherrardswood (7) | |
| 54 | AFC Dunstable (5) | 8–0 | Sandy (7) | |
| 55 | Colney Heath (6) | 1–3 | Royston Town (5) | |
| 56 | Hemel Hempstead Town (6) | 2–1 | Bedford (5) | 60 |
| 57 | Queens Park Rangers Development (6) | 5–0 | Wargrave (6) | |
| 58 | Marlow (5) | 2–4 (a.e.t.) | Oxford City (5) | |
| 59 | Ascot United (6) | 3–2 | Milton Keynes City (5) | 60 |
| 60 | Newbury (5) | 6–2 | Chinnor (7) | |
| 61 | Brentford (7) | 0–8 | Chesham United (5) | |
| 62 | Carshalton Athletic (5) | 1–3 | Aylesford (5) | 53 |
| 63 | Meridian (6) | 2–0 | Eastbourne (6) | |
| 64 | Haywards Heath & Wivelsfield (7) | 1–5 | Cowfold (7) | |
| 65 | Burgess Hill Town (7) | 0–4 | Regents Park Rangers (6) | |
| 66 | Long Lane (6) | 2–3 | Fulham Foundation (5) | |
| 67 | Margate (7) | 1–10 | Bexhill United (6) | |
| 68 | Herne Bay (5) | 1–1 (3–1 p) | Parkwood Rangers (6) | 82 |
| 69 | London Corinthians (5) | 6–0 | Victoire (7) | |
| 70 | Abbey Rangers (6) | 1–7 | Crawley Wasps (5) | |
| 71 | Worthing Town (7) | W–O | Rottingdean Village (6) | |
| 72 | Warsash Wasps (7) | 1–2 | Poole Town (5) | |
| 73 | Fleet Town (6) | 6–0 | Team Solent (5) | |
| 74 | New Milton Town (6) | 1–0 | AFC Bournemouth (7) | |
| 75 | Bournemouth Sports (7) | 0–12 | Southampton (5) | |
| 76 | Middlezoy Rovers (5) | 2–2 (0–2 p) | Ilminster Town (6) | |
| 77 | AEK Boco (6) | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | Royal Wootton Bassett Town (7) | |
| 78 | Buckland Athletic (6) | W–O | Cheltenham Civil Service (6) | |
| 79 | Downend Flyers (5) | 7–1 | Pen Mill (7) | |
| 80 | Keynsham Town Development (5) | W–O | Torquay United (5) |
Third round qualifying
Sixty four matches were scheduled for the third qualifying round.[8] The 128 teams taking part consisted of 48 teams from the FA Women's Premier League Division One, plus the 80 match winners from the previous round. All 64 matches were played on Sunday 9 October 2016.[6]
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Milton Keynes Dons (4) | 4–0 | Actonians (4) | |
| 34 | Histon (5) | 0–5 | Peterborough Northern Star (5) | |
| 35 | Northampton Town (6) | 2–3 | Cambridge City (6) | |
| 36 | Denham United (4) | 4–1 | Ipswich Town (4) | 200 |
| 37 | Cambridge United (4) | 3–0 | Wymondham Town (6) | |
| 38 | AFC Sudbury (5) | 2–3 | Luton Town (4) | |
| 39 | Kettering Town (5) | 6–0 | Brandon Town (7) | 40 |
| 40 | Bungay Town (7) | 3–6 | Acle United (5) | 110 |
| 41 | Hemel Hempstead Town (6) | 2–0 | Herne Bay (5) | 65 |
| 42 | AFC Dunstable (5) | 4–1 | Meridian (6) | |
| 43 | Houghton Athletic (7) | 0–3 | Brentwood Town (5) | |
| 44 | Haringey Borough (5) | 2–8 | Chichester City (4) | |
| 45 | Crawley Wasps (5) | 0–2 | Oxford City (5) | |
| 46 | Newbury (5) | 2–1 | Hertford Town (6) | |
| 47 | Leyton Orient (5) | 16–0 | Ascot United (6) | |
| 48 | Billericay Town (5) | 1–2 | Basingstoke Town (4) | |
| 49 | Fulham Foundation (5) | 0–2 | Queens Park Rangers Development (6) | |
| 50 | Worthing Town (7) | 0–15 | Stevenage (4) | 51 |
| 51 | Cowfold (7) | 1–2 | Aylesford (5) | 40 |
| 52 | Chesham United (5) | 2–1 | London Corinthians (5) | |
| 53 | Bexhill United (6) | 0–6 | AFC Wimbledon (4) | |
| 54 | Royston Town (5) | 2–3 | Regents Park Rangers (6) | 35 |
| 55 | Gillingham (4) | 4–0 | Maidenhead United (4) | |
| 56 | Southampton Women (5) | 5–1 | Fleet Town (6) | |
| 57 | Shanklin (4) | 3–2 | St Nicholas (4) | |
| 58 | Buckland Athletic (6) | 2–3 | Keynsham Town (4) | |
| 59 | Torquay United (5) | 2–4 | Brislington (4) | |
| 60 | Poole Town (5) | 3–0 | AEK Boco (6) | |
| 61 | Ilminster Town (6) | 0–4 | Plymouth Argyle (4) | |
| 62 | Southampton Saints (4) | 8–2 | Downend Flyers (5) | |
| 63 | Larkhall Athletic (4) | 9–1 | Cheltenham Town (4) | 25 |
| 64 | New Milton Town (6) | 1–2 | Exeter City (4) |
Fourth round qualifying
Thirty two matches were scheduled for the fourth qualifying round.[9] Most matches were played on Sunday 13 November 2016, except three which were postponed to the following Sunday due to waterlogged pitches.[6]
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Norwich City (4) | 3–3 (4–3 p) | Lowestoft Town (4) | |
| 18 | Cambridge United (4) | 3–0 | Stevenage (4) | |
| 19 | Kettering Town (5) | 0–3 | Peterborough Northern Star (5) | 50 |
| 20 | Leyton Orient (5) | 3–1 | Cambridge City (6) | |
| 21 | Luton Town (4) | 6–1 | Oxford City (5) | 61 |
| 22 | Chesham United (5) | 2–4 | Regents Park Rangers (6) | |
| 23 | Hemel Hempstead Town (6) | 2–0 | AFC Dunstable (5) | 100 |
| 24 | AFC Wimbledon (4) | 4–2 | Denham United (4) | |
| 25 | Aylesford (5) | 0–7 | Gillingham (4) | |
| 26 | Queens Park Rangers Development (6) | 1–6 | Milton Keynes Dons (4) | |
| 27 | Brislington (4) | 8–0 | Poole Town (5) | |
| 28 | Southampton Saints (4) | 10–0 | Exeter City (4) | |
| 29 | Larkhall Athletic (4) | 8–1 | Newbury (5) | |
| 30 | Plymouth Argyle (4) | 3–1 | Basingstoke Town (4) | 43 |
| 31 | Shanklin (4) | 0–3 | Southampton Women (5) | |
| 32 | Chichester City (4) | 1–2 | Keynsham Town (4) |
First round proper
Twenty eight matches were scheduled for the first round proper.[10] The 56 teams taking part consists of 24 teams exempted to this stage, plus the 32 match winners from the previous round. Most matches were played on Sunday 4 December 2016, the only exception being Southampton Women v Swindon Town, which was postponed to the following Sunday.[6]
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Southampton Saints (4) | 1–7 | Gillingham (4) | |
| 16 | Acle United (5) | 0–2 | C&K Basildon (3) | 108 |
| 17 | Cardiff City (3) | 6–0 | Larkhall Athletic (4) | 105 |
| 18 | Tottenham Hotspur (3) | 1–0 | Leyton Orient (5) | 51 |
| 19 | Cambridge United (4) | 3–1 | Queens Park Rangers (3) | |
| 20 | Milton Keynes Dons (4) | 3–1 | Hemel Hempstead Town (6) | 95 |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle (4) | W–O | Forest Green Rovers (3) | |
| 22 | Lewes (3) | 5–0 | Brislington (4) | 60 |
| 23 | West Ham United (3) | 0–3 | Coventry United (3) | 47 |
| 24 | Crystal Palace (3) | 1–2 | Charlton Athletic (3) | 562 |
| 25 | Luton Town (4) | 1–4 | Portsmouth (3) | 44 |
| 26 | Norwich City (4) | 1–4 | AFC Wimbledon (4) | |
| 27 | Southampton Women (5) | 2–0 | Swindon Town (3) | |
| 28 | Regents Park Rangers (6) | 1–6 | Keynsham Town (4) |
Second round proper
Fourteen matches were scheduled for the second round proper.[11] All 14 matches were played on Sunday 8 January 2017.[6]
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Eaton United (4) | 3–4 | Brighouse Town (4) | |
| 2 | Derby County (3) | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Sheffield United (5) | |
| 3 | West Bromwich Albion (3) | 4–0 | Radcliffe Olympic (4) | |
| 4 | Nottingham Forest (3) | 4–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (4) | |
| 5 | Middlesbrough (3) | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Leicester City Women (3) | 175 |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers (3) | 5–0 | Hull City (4) | |
| 7 | Liverpool Marshall Feds (4) | 1–0 | Newcastle United (3) | |
| 8 | Coventry United (3) | 4–0 | Milton Keynes Dons (4) | 81 |
| 9 | C&K Basildon (3) | 1–3 | Keynsham Town (4) | |
| 10 | Lewes (3) | 2–0 | Cardiff City (3) | 110 |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur (3) | 3–0 | Gillingham (4) | 111 |
| 12 | Plymouth Argyle (4) | 0–3 | AFC Wimbledon (4) | |
| 13 | Cambridge United (4) | 4–0 | Southampton Women (5) | 110 |
| 14 | Charlton Athletic (3) | 5–0 | Portsmouth (3) |
Third round proper
Twelve matches were scheduled for the third round proper.[12] The 24 teams taking part consists of 10 teams exempted to this stage, plus the 14 match winners from the previous round. All 11 matches that took place were played on Sunday 5 February 2017.[6]
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackburn Rovers (3) | 1–2 | Tottenham Hotspur (3) | |
| 2 | Charlton Athletic (3) | 0–2 | Sheffield FC (2) | 153 |
| 3 | Aston Villa (2) | 7–1 | Cambridge United (4) | |
| 4 | Millwall Lionesses (2) | 1–0 | London Bees (2) | |
| 5 | Leicester City Women (3) | 2–1 | Liverpool Marshall Feds (4) | |
| 6 | Keynsham Town (4) | 0–7 | Durham (2) | 138 |
| 7 | Coventry United (3) | 2–0 | Oxford United (2) | 189 |
| 8 | West Bromwich Albion (3) | 3–1 | Lewes (3) | |
| 9 | Doncaster Rovers Belles (2) | W–O | Watford (2) | |
| 10 | Derby County (3) | 0–1 | Nottingham Forest (3) | 633 |
| 11 | Brighouse Town (4) | 1–8 | Everton (2) | |
| 12 | AFC Wimbledon (4) | 1–4 | Brighton & Hove Albion (2) |
Fourth round proper
Six matches were scheduled for the fourth round proper. All six matches were played on Sunday 19 February 2017.[6]
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham (2) | 2–2 (3–4 p) | Everton (2) | 365 |
| 2 | Coventry United (3) | 0–1 | Aston Villa (2) | 364 |
| 3 | Millwall Lionesses (2) | 3–1 | Nottingham Forest (3) | |
| 4 | West Bromwich Albion (3) | 2–1 | Leicester City Women (3) | |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur (3) | 1–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion (2) | 127 |
| 6 | Sheffield FC (2) | 0–1 | Doncaster Rovers Belles (2) |
Fifth round proper
Eight matches were scheduled for the fifth round proper.[13] The 16 teams taking part consists of 10 teams exempted to this stage, plus the six match winners from the previous round. Most matches were played on Sunday 19 March 2017, the only exception being Manchester City v Reading, which took place on the preceding Saturday.[6]
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notts County (1) | 3–2 | Yeovil Town (1) | 443 |
| 2 | Liverpool (1) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Everton (2) | 728 |
| 3 | Arsenal (1) | 10–0 | Tottenham Hotspur (3) | 1,400 |
| 4 | Sunderland (1) | 3–2 | Aston Villa (2) | 262 |
| 5 | Birmingham City (1) | 2–0 | West Bromwich Albion (3) | 1,122 |
| 6 | Bristol City (1) | 5–0 | Millwall Lionesses (2) | 466 |
| 7 | Manchester City (1) | 1–0 | Reading (1) | |
| 8 | Chelsea (1) | 7–0 | Doncaster Rovers Belles (2) | 806 |
Sixth round proper
Four matches were scheduled for the sixth round proper.[14] All four matches were played on Sunday 26 March 2017.[6]
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham City (1) | 1–0 | Arsenal (1) | 514 |
| 2 | Chelsea (1) | 5–1 | Sunderland (1) | 682 |
| 3 | Bristol City (1) | 1–2 | Manchester City (1) | 594 |
| 4 | Liverpool (1) | 2–0 | Notts County (1) | 302 |
Semi-finals
The two semi-finals were played on Monday 17 April 2017.[6][15]
| Manchester City | 1–0 | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Final
| Birmingham City | 1–4 | Manchester City |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
          Birmingham City |      Manchester City |