Also to add that CAST are engaging with the club more now on the development of the women's game/ team. The CAST constitution was changed at the AGM several years back to ensure the definition of "club" clearly encompassed both men's and women's. Recently Charlton were using a line that the club invests more as a % of turnover in the women than any other club - CAST pointed out the flaw in this statistic - our turnover is low because the men are in League One and it isn't right to frame our investment in CAFCW based on the success or otherwise of the men.
Gavin is right that there are plenty of challenges around the financing and development of the women's game - hopefully these will become opportunities and Charlton will be in the thick of it.
Here's another graphic of the new look:
While I don't really have a problem with the club pointing out that we manage to fund a competitive side against clubs like Newcastle, Sunderland and Southampton while having a much lower overall budget available, I think Durham and Lionesses would have grounds for objecting that they by definition put in 100% of their clubs' budgets. The same would be true for the independent clubs who used to be Cardiff (at tier 3) and Orient (at tier 4), both of which are now completely independent.
Rumours that Blackburns owners are withdrawing funding, and the team only have a week or so to secure alternative funding. Otherwise they may have to pull out of WSL2, similar to what Reading did before the start of last season. Will be interested if it does happen what they do. Do they allow Sheffield United to stay up, or do the same as this season and only have 1 down 2 up again.
Rumours that Blackburns owners are withdrawing funding, and the team only have a week or so to secure alternative funding. Otherwise they may have to pull out of WSL2, similar to what Reading did before the start of last season. Will be interested if it does happen what they do. Do they allow Sheffield United to stay up, or do the same as this season and only have 1 down 2 up again.
I reckon it depends on when it happens. If they pull out now pretty much, there's time to amend it.
I think Reading pulled out quite late on and that's what made last season an anomaly with the odd number of teams
Probably says something about the difficulty in making enormous bundles of money out of property development as well as the popularity of the women's football. It could turn out to be a really good move for Everton.
Rumours that Blackburns owners are withdrawing funding, and the team only have a week or so to secure alternative funding. Otherwise they may have to pull out of WSL2, similar to what Reading did before the start of last season. Will be interested if it does happen what they do. Do they allow Sheffield United to stay up, or do the same as this season and only have 1 down 2 up again.
This division is a big problem for any club that suddenly loses funding, because of the rule requiring clubs to be at least part-time professional. There's a limit to how low the budget can be, so clubs don't have the option of playing a season on zero budget, getting relegated and regrouping at a lower level like we did when our funding was cut in 2007.
Hopefully Blackburn will have time to work out what they can afford and apply for relegation to a suitable level, rather than having to drop all the way to tier 5 like Reading did. If it did come to that, and let's hope not, then the good news for them is that there's been a club withdrawing from the North West division at tier 5 this season, as there was in the Southern region last year, so there will be a space for them to slot into if they need it.
This emphasis`s that outside of the big clubs linked to the big name men`s teams, in the televised WSL there is little support as of the moment for women`s football games. I see Blackburn`s average gate was around 1000 a bit more than Charlton`s. That goes no where near covering the running costs of a professional team and the back room staff or the opening up of stadiums on match day.
Hopefully because they've done this earlier than Reading did the FA will be able to reinstate Sheffield United as well as promoting the two clubs due to come up from tier 3 - would be very frustrating if we had a second season with only 11 in the division.
Interesting article on the BBC reporting an interview with Rachel Dugdale who's caught up in the Blackburn withdrawal having been at Reading when they withdrew last year. She makes a couple of points that I hadn't been aware of. One is she refers to the league going fully professional next season. I don't know exactly what that means, but unlike a lot of the journalists she'll be completely familiar with the existing rules and the 18 hours a week minimum, so if she's saying it's going fully professional that must mean actual full time. Which will mean no group of part-time clubs at the bottom of the division protecting everyone else from any risk of relegation. It also gives some explanation of why Blackburn's notoriously unpopular owners would pull out now having funded the team before.
The other point is about the wages in the context of minimum wage. The point about her being on less than minimum wage is an extrapolation by the BBC and clearly not something she said. £15k isn't below the minimum wage for a job that's only paid 18 hours a week. But the reference to other players being on around £9k does suggest that a lot of players are on minimum wage, possibly even the lower minimum for under-21s. Which is pretty shocking given the high standard of the division.
The move to say full time professional footballers plus backroom staff will greatly increase the cost of women`s football. I expect more clubs pulling out of the women`s championship or what ever it will be called next season. Attendances of a few hundred at games, many of which are children at the prices charged for them does not go any where near covering the running costs. Even our clubs owners who are covering losses of £14 million a season for the club may see that saving £500,000 to £1000,000 a season by pulling out of the professional women`s league is an idea. I hope not, but they may well consider it.
Burnley have now gone full time and have applied to take Blackburn’s spot in the WSL2
I'm certainly not going to criticise them for trying their luck. And I'd definitely rather have them in the division than play with 11 again. I suspect Sheffield United will get first refusal though, and if Burnley were going to be considered the FA ought to consider a club that finished higher than 4th and had already applied during the season - Hashtag United being the obvious candidate, second in the southern division.
Burnley have now gone full time and have applied to take Blackburn’s spot in the WSL2
I'm certainly not going to criticise them for trying their luck. And I'd definitely rather have them in the division than play with 11 again. I suspect Sheffield United will get first refusal though, and if Burnley were going to be considered the FA ought to consider a club that finished higher than 4th and had already applied during the season - Hashtag United being the obvious candidate, second in the southern division.
Would be great if a last minute play off between Wolves (2nd in north) and Hashtag (2nd in south) could be arranged.
For a club to take Blackburn's place they have needed to submit a detailed application by now. Sheffield United will have done it.
Yes, I think that's right. Meeting the requirements for this division was already quite a challenge and it's been getting steadily harder as they gradually turn us into a second division of the WSL rather than having less tough qualifications. No-one's going to be able to put together a business case in a couple of weeks, it's going to come down to who's already applied. We know Wolves didn't, hence why I'd expect Hashtag to get it if Sheffield don't. But we know from what happens in the lower divisions when teams pull out that the FA have a very strong preference for reprieving a relegated club rather than promoting someone who didn't win their league, so I'd be staggered if Sheffield don't get it unless they've already cut their budgets in the expectation of going down.
Includes the news that Burnley have gone fully professional and have applied to replace Blackburn in WSL2, though Sheffield United getting a reprieve is still an option.
Comments
I think Reading pulled out quite late on and that's what made last season an anomaly with the odd number of teams
This is a weird move
The Guardian has a bit more context: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/may/13/goodison-park-saved-from-bulldozers-with-it-set-to-become-home-of-everton-women
Hopefully Blackburn will have time to work out what they can afford and apply for relegation to a suitable level, rather than having to drop all the way to tier 5 like Reading did. If it did come to that, and let's hope not, then the good news for them is that there's been a club withdrawing from the North West division at tier 5 this season, as there was in the Southern region last year, so there will be a space for them to slot into if they need it.
That goes no where near covering the running costs of a professional team and the back room staff or the opening up of stadiums on match day.
Costs are high.
Hopefully because they've done this earlier than Reading did the FA will be able to reinstate Sheffield United as well as promoting the two clubs due to come up from tier 3 - would be very frustrating if we had a second season with only 11 in the division.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c9wgg8y881lo
The other point is about the wages in the context of minimum wage. The point about her being on less than minimum wage is an extrapolation by the BBC and clearly not something she said. £15k isn't below the minimum wage for a job that's only paid 18 hours a week. But the reference to other players being on around £9k does suggest that a lot of players are on minimum wage, possibly even the lower minimum for under-21s. Which is pretty shocking given the high standard of the division.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5y88zdgzp8o
Attendances of a few hundred at games, many of which are children at the prices charged for them does not go any where near covering the running costs.
Even our clubs owners who are covering losses of £14 million a season for the club may see that saving £500,000 to £1000,000 a season by pulling out of the professional women`s league is an idea.
I hope not, but they may well consider it.
But much simpler to just keep Sheff Utd in WSL2.
Includes the news that Burnley have gone fully professional and have applied to replace Blackburn in WSL2, though Sheffield United getting a reprieve is still an option.
https://xd.wayin.com/display/container/dc/96f82fe6-053e-441b-9f7c-618c675fb31b/details