It has been a staggering 12 months for women's football in England, with the Lionesses crowned European champions at Wembley last summer, before beating Brazil at the same venue in the inaugural Finalissima in the spring, and a joyous run to this summer's World Cup final, which cruelly ended in defeat to Spain.

Domestically, there has been a swell in attendances for Women's Super League matches over the past year too, with Arsenal twice selling more than 40,000 tickets for games at the Emirates last season, played against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

At the Hamlet last season, we managed to break our own attendance record for a women's game, with 631 watching us take on Gillingham in the FA Cup, and with league attendances averaging 350 for the campaign, we are hoping this continues.

If you are still relatively new to watching either women's side, here is a guide to the level of the pyramid you will be watching, and the cups involved too!

London & South East Regional Women's Football League

This is one of eight leagues at Tier 5 of the football pyramid. We have played at this level since 2017, when we were still playing under the guise of AFC Phoenix. The league sits below the WSL, Women's Championship and two levels of the Women's National League.

For the 2023-24 Premier Division, there are once again 12 member clubs, with only one promotion place available at the end of each season, that going to the champions. At the other end of the table, the two bottom sides after 22 games will be relegated to either Division One North or South of the league.

We finished second in our first two years at this level, just missing out on promotion as AFC Phoenix, before finishing first in both of the Covid-19 cancelled seasons, but sadly not being granted promotion. After finishing 5th in 2021-22, we finished 4th last season.

Our Reserves side compete in Division One North, finishing third in their debut campaign in 2021-22, before finishing 9th last season. The two sides are not permitted to play in the same division, meaning were the reserves to win their league this year, they would not be promoted unless our first team also won their division. Similarly, if the first team were relegated, the reserves would have to drop down a division!

Women's FA Cup

The top cup competition in women's domestic football in England, which was founded in 1970. It was designed to be an equivalent competition to the men's version, which has been played for around a century longer. Clubs from the top six tiers of the English league system are eligible to enter, with occasional entries from tier seven.

A series of byes based on the level of the league means that lower-ranked sides begin their FA Cup run earlier than those higher up the pyramid. There are three qualifying rounds and eight proper rounds to the competition. Should one of the qualifying round matches end as as a draw after 90 minutes, the games are decided from the penalty mark, with extra time brought in for the proper stages of the competition.

The Hamlet, along with the other sides at Tier 5, enter the competition at the Second Qualifying Round stage. Our reserves are not permitted entry to this cup. The competition is currently sponsored by Vitality.

Last season saw our best run to date in the competition, as we not only reached the proper stages for the first time, we also reached the Second Round, which saw us lose to Gillingham at Champion Hill.

The previous Champion Hill actually hosted the 1977 final, in which around 3,000 people saw Queen's Park Rangers beat Southampton!

L&SERWFL League Cup

This competition is open to every side that plays in either the Premier Division or Divisions One North and South of the London & South East Regional Women's Football League, meaning both our sides are eligible to take part. Games are decided by penalties if level after 90 minutes. The Reserves will enter from Round 1, with the First Team commencing their competition a round later.

Last season brought the First Team their best run in this competition, as they reached the quarter-finals for the first time before losing at Dartford. The Reserves' best run came the year before, when they reached Round 3.

L&SERWFL League Trophy

This is the secondary cup competition for sides from Divisions One North & South of the league, which usually starts after the commencement of the League Cup. Last season saw our Reserves enter at the Second Round stage, eventually reaching the last eight.

Capital Women's Senior Cup

This trophy is jointly run by the London, Surrey and Middlesex Football Associations, as well as the Amateur Football Alliance, with the clubs entering affiliated to one of those four organisations. The First Team reached the final of this competition in 2022, losing 2-0 to Ashford Town (Middx) in the final at Dorking Wanderers. Last season, we lost 2-0 at home to Actonians in the last-16. Games are decided by penalties if level after 90 minutes.

Isthmian Women's Cup

Replacing the Combined Counties Midweek Cup for this season, we will be entering the Reposs Isthmian Women's Cup instead. Last season included sides from Essex, Kent and London, and was won by Charlton Athletic, who beat Billericay Town on penalties at the Dripping Pan in Lewes.