Blackburn’s place in next season’s Women’s Super League 2 is in major doubt after their players were informed on Tuesday morning that the club is highly unlikely to provide the funding to meet the division’s new minimum licence requirement.
No decision has yet been made by the club for next season but the Blackburn defender Niamh Murphy wrote on X that the players had been warned the club’s mind was already “99%” made up. Multiple sources have told the Guardian that the club have been given a deadline to confirm by next week whether or not they wish to participate, or face demotion.
The situation is understood to have left the players and staff anxious, angry and feeling like they are in a state of limbo, while they await a formal decision. Some of the squad have posted their concerns on social media, with the Scotland youth international Murphy writing: “We, Blackburn Rovers women’s first team, were made aware there is a 99% chance that the club’s owners won’t be financially supporting the team next season.
“Us players and staff deserve far better than what we’ve experienced in recent seasons. We’ve once again been left in the dark, waiting to see if the owners will have the decency to do what’s best for their players, staff and women’s football.”
Simon Parker’s team finished 10th, second-from-bottom, in the women’s second tier this term, five points clear of danger, despite operating on what was understood on a comparatively-low playing budget. The second tier – which was previously known as the Women’s Championship – was renamed as WSL 2 on Monday.
This summer, the minimum requirements to take part in the division are being increased in a bid to raise minimum standards for the players involved, to an extent whereby it is understood second-tier women’s clubs will now have to essentially operate a full-time, professional operation.
The list of criteria is believed to include requirements for clubs to commit to appointing the following staff within one month of next season starting: a head of women’s football, marketing manager, head coach, assistant coach, physiotherapist or sports therapist, doctor, a strength and conditioning coach, a goalkeeping coach and several people in specific safeguarding and player-welfare roles.
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Blackburn played all of their home women’s matches at Ewood Park this season and their former players include the England internationals Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone and Keira Walsh and have a proud history of developing young players.
The league will be keen to avoid a repeat of last summer’s situation which saw Reading withdraw from the second tier at the end of June, for financial reasons, at such a relatively late point in the summer there was deemed to not be sufficient time before pre-season to begin a process of promoting a replacement club, which led to the division only including 11 teams this season.
A source told the Guardian that one reason Blackburn have been given a deadline of next week by which to make their decision is to avoid another eleventh-hour withdrawal and ensure there is time for a contingency plan, should Blackburn decide to pull out.
The Blackburn goalkeeper Alex Brooks shared the same message posted on X by Murphy, which added: “Whilst this season may have looked successful to others, we have once again avoided relegation despite having the smallest budget. This group has worked relentlessly hard all season for so little reward.”
If they withdraw, Blackburn would not be the only club to decide not to fund a WSL 2 licence this summer, after third-tier Wolves did not submit a bid for promotion despite finishing second in their division. On Monday, the Wolves chairman Jeff Shi promised to apply next season instead.
