Women's FA Cup to resume in March

Women’s FA Cup to resume in March with ‘non-elite’ teams now able to play their matches after the competition was suspended during the Covid-19 lockdown

• The Women’s FA Cup will resume in March after it was suspended in January 
• Non-elite teams were unable to play the early rounds during lockdown 
• One first-round tie will take place on March 31 with the second round in April 
• WSL clubs do not enter the competition until the fourth round next month

The women’s FA Cup will resume on March 31, the Football Association said on Thursday, after the competition was suspended in January as Britain went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The competition was halted as it was considered ‘non-elite’ at the early stages, with clubs from the top two divisions only entering in the fourth round.

The FA’s women’s professional game director Kelly Simmons had previously said that tossing a coin to decide second and third round ties ‘might be the only way’ to complete the tournament.

The women’s FA Cup will resume on March 31 after the competition was suspended in January

However, that outcome has been avoided and the only remaining first-round tie will be played on March 31.

The second round games will kick off on April 4, while the draw for the third and fourth rounds has been made to help clubs plan ahead for the weekends of April 11 and 18 respectively.

Holders Manchester City will face Aston Villa at home in the fourth round, while Manchester United have four possible opponents – Burnley, Fylde, Sheffield FC or Sunderland.

Following the fifth round, up to three rounds, including the final, can be completed next season, the FA said, following talks with soccer’s world governing body FIFA.

Holders Manchester City will play Aston Villa at home in the fourth round in April

Manchester United could face Burnley, Sunderland, Sheffield FC or Fylde in the fourth round

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