2025/2026 Season Round Up: Division One North

Photography by Aidan Hunter

The 2025/26 campaign in Division One North has now come to a thrilling end after delivering an incredibly competitive and entertaining league campaign, as always. From highlighting team performances, standout individual performances and the key moments that defined this 25/26 campaign, read on for our take on this season's antics up north.

One team performance that simply cannot be ignored is that of Huddersfield Town Women who have clinched promotion back into the 3rd tier after their relegation at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. They have maintained remarkable consistency across the season, recording 17 wins, alongside just two draws and three defeats. Much of their success has been built on an outstanding defensive record, conceding only 11 league goals across a 22-game campaign.

That form also translated into silverware, as they secured the County Cup with victory over Sheffield FC Women. They will now look to carry this momentum into what promises to be an increasingly competitive Northern Premier Division.

Finishing second, just two points behind the Terriers, were Cheadle Town Stingers Women, who also suffered only three defeats across the entire league campaign. Notably, the top three - Huddersfield Town Women, Cheadle Town Stingers and Leeds United Women - each lost just three times, with draws ultimately proving decisive in determining the destination of the title.

Huddersfield’s title-defining victory on 19 April effectively settled the race, as the Stingers were handed a 4–0 away defeat, a result that underlined the champions’ quality at a crucial stage of the season.

Despite that setback, promotion to the third tier remained within reach. Another successive second-place finish secured Cheadle a spot in the play-off final, following the wider expansion of the women’s pyramid. However, they ultimately fell short, suffering a 3-0 defeat to Division One Midlands runners-up Boldmere St Michaels Women. The result once again highlighted the fine margins at the top, with Cheadle narrowly missing out on promotion despite an impressive campaign.

At the other end of the table, it proved a difficult season for Blackburn Rovers Women and Doncaster Rovers Belles, who were relegated after finishing on eight and 11 points respectively, with the latter ending just four points adrift of safety. Despite moments of resilience, including Doncaster’s 1–1 draw with third-placed Leeds United in March, neither side could find the consistency required to preserve their status.

One of the standout stories of the season came from newly promoted Wythenshawe FC Women, who exceeded expectations to secure a fourth-place finish. Recording 14 wins, one draw, and seven defeats, they finished just eight points behind the champions, marking themselves out as a side to watch next season. Their success also reflects the growing strength of Tier 5 sides, with newly promoted teams increasingly able to compete at Step 4 level.

Individually, several players delivered exceptional campaigns. Bianca Owens stood out for Norton & Stockton Ancients, registering 21 goals and 10 assists in 26 appearances, alongside eight opposition Player of the Match awards, a measure of her consistent influence. Ashley Tiripke, formerly of Huddersfield Town and now with Blackburn Rovers , also impressed, contributing seven goals and earning nine opposition Player of the Match awards, underlining her importance in midfield. Meanwhile, Chorley’s Mollie Finch emerged as one of the league’s brightest young talents, collecting seven opposition Player of the Match awards at just 21 years old.

Another notable mention goes to York City Ladies, whose impressive FA Cup run was one of the standout stories across Tier 4. They reached the fourth round before exiting in a closely contested tie against fellow Tier 4 side Chatham Town Women, further demonstrating the strength and competitiveness of the division.

Overall, the 2025/26 Division One North season was defined by a tightly contested title race and a consistently high standard across the league. Even sides near the bottom proved capable of challenging those at the top, highlighting the division’s competitiveness. With many teams set to return with renewed ambition, the 2026/27 campaign promises to be equally compelling.