The Sussex County Women & Girls Football League is an association football league in England. The competition covers the county of Sussex. The league was founded by the Sussex Football Association in 2004.
The League is divided into three divisions for adult players: Premier, Championship, and Division One at level 7 of the women's football pyramid. Child players are divided into age groups. It promotes to the London and South East Women's Regional Football League, and does not relegate to any league.
The League also organises its own knock-out cup competition, the Sussex County Women's League Challenge Cup.
The League won the Grassroots League of the Year Award as part of England FootballâÂÂs Grassroots Football Awards 2023.
In early 2004 the Sussex County Football Association (SCFA) was asked by The FA to set up a women's league for the 2004âÂÂ05 season. An inaugural meeting was held on 31 March 2004, chaired by the SCFA Chief Executive Ken Benham, with clubs from Brighton & Hove Albion, Crowborough Athletic, Crawley Down, Crawley Town, East Grinstead Town, Eastbourne Borough, Eastbourne Town, Hassocks, Hastings United, Haywards Heath Town, Lindfield, Seahaven Harriers and Whitehawk. A poll taken at that meeting determined the clubs were in favour of the League's creation. The League was to be managed by the SCFA council. In summer of 2004, The Sussex Girls League disbanded and in response, the SCFA council agreed to add a girl's section. The first Annual General Meeting of the Sussex Women & Girls Football League was held on 6 July 2004, where they elected the first management committee.
On 12 September 2004, the League began in Sussex with 17 adult clubs and 38 (80 teams) girl's clubs. Adults, Under 15, 14 and 13's played 11-a-side games while Under 14's and 13's played 9-a-side games. The Adult league originally started as two divisions, Division One and Division Two. Although just one division ran in 2005âÂÂ06 before returning to two divisions for two seasons but going back to the one division in 2008. With the coronavirus pandemic disrupting sport throughout England, the 2019âÂÂ20 and 2020âÂÂ21 seasons were both abandoned. The league returned to normal for the 2021âÂÂ22 season, this time running as three divisions, Premier, Division One and Division Two. Although each division had a different amount of teams, Divisions One and Two merged into Division One for the 2023âÂÂ24 season, the Premier Division with eight teams and Division One with twelve. The 2024âÂÂ25 season saw three divisions again, Division One renamed to Championship and Division One replacing the former Division Two.
From its formation in 2004, the league ran as just one division, apart from three seasons where a Division Two ran.
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In 2021, Division One was renamed to Premier Division and Divisions One and Two were created. In 2023 Division Two was discontinued with all teams joining Division One. In 2024 Division One was renamed Championship and Division Two renamed to Division One