Man utd Secures Women’s Championship Place
Manchester United has been awarded a licence to join next season’s Women’s Championship, ending their 13-year absence from the senior women’s game, while West Ham United will move straight up to the top flight, after details of the restructured Women’s Super League (WSL) were announced.
The news comes after a restructure of the women’s leagues, with existing clubs required to reapply for their places, before a second, open application phase.
There had been spaces for up to 14 teams in the new WSL, but only 11 clubs have met the new criteria, which included being full time and running a youth academy.
Of the 15 clubs who were not already playing in the top two tiers who applied for a licence, West Ham will be the only club to join the top flight.
Speaking of the successful application, Manchester United’s executive vice chairman, Ed Woodward, commented: “The board is delighted that the FA has approved the application. The new women’s team will build on the success of the Girls’ Regional Talent Club and have the same philosophy as all Manchester United sides, creating a pathway from academy to first team.
“We will be making some exciting announcements in the coming days and weeks. Starting a professional team from scratch is challenging but rewarding and we will make every effort to provide the support and experience for the new women’s team to be successful and to uphold the fine traditions of our great club.”
Charlton, Leicester, Sheffield United and Lewes will join Manchester United in being added to the second tier, however, current top-flight side Sunderland and second-tier Watford and Oxford will drop out of England’s top two tiers. The teams could yet be offered spots in the third tier, the new Women’s National League.
Southampton, Crystal Palace and Derby County were among the other sides to bid to join the new second division, but were unsuccessful.
Manchester United, who disbanded their women’s team in 2005, are expected to be managed by former England international Casey Stoney.
Yeovil, who finished bottom of the table without a league win this term, have kept their place, having initially expressed fears at needing to raise £350,000 to stay up.
Brighton, who finished second in WSL 2 in May, were already assured of their ‘promotion’ to tier one, having successfully bid for a WSL licence in the first, closed phase of applications last autumn.
Third-tier club Lewes FC – who reached the Women’s FA Cup fifth round this term – are among the surprise names to join the new division. Lewes have a policy of equal pay for both their men’s and women’s sides, the first football club in the United Kingdom to do so.
The 2018-19 season will begin on 18th August, with the opening round of group fixtures of the Continental League Cup, with the WSL – won by Chelsea in 2017/18 – to start on 8th September.
