The English Football Association has announced that the Women’s FA Cup will return on March 31 after it was suspended in January as the United Kingdom went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The women’s competition is considered “non-elite” at this stage as the 23 clubs from the Women’s Super League don’t enter until the fourth round and under UK guidelines it was not allowed to continue.
The FA’s women’s professional game director Kelly Simmons had said previously that tossing a coin to decide the second and third round ties “might be the only way” to complete the competition.
However, that outcome has been avoided and the only first round tie left will be played on March 31.
The second round will kick off on April 4 before the third round is completed on April 11.
The fourth round, which is where the Women’s Super League teams enter, will begin on April 18.
The FA also released the ties for these rounds with holders Manchester City facing Aston Villa at home in the fourth round.
Chelsea will come up against London City Lionesses while Arsenal will have to wait a while to see who they face with four teams still waiting to play ties.
Manchester United will travel to Burnley and 2019-20 runners up Everton will welcome Durham FC.
The dates for the later rounds of the competition have yet to be announced.
