Women’s Super League to keep relegation after talks over controversial pause

Teams volition proceed to beryllium relegated from the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship beyond 2026, the Guardian tin reveal, with the idea of temporarily removing relegation nary longer being pursued.

The institution that runs the apical 2 women’s divisions successful England, Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), had discussed a four-year intermission to relegation to turn some leagues from 2026. That was 1 of a scope of options that clubs and different stakeholders person been consulted connected this season.

It is understood nary determination has been taken astir however the formats volition alteration from 2026. The league is believed to beryllium exploring respective innovative alterations that could marque the apical of the women’s pyramid look precise antithetic from the English men’s format.

WPLL did not privation to remark erstwhile approached by the Guardian. In March the WPLL’s main enforcement Nikki Doucet said, portion not denying that a relegation intermission was being explored: “We judge promotion and relegation is simply a large thing. It adds jeopardy and excitement.”

The thought was ne'er submitted to the Football Association for ratification. Sources person said determination was absorption to a relegation intermission among FA figures and astatine Sky Sports, which broadcasts astir unrecorded WSL fixtures. On Wednesday, the Football Supporters’ Association published the results of a survey of women’s shot fans, which showed that 53.8% of supporters surveyed opposed pausing relegation and 90.2% agreed that “promotion and relegation are a captious portion of the integrity of the pyramid”. A ample bulk (84%) supported expanding the divisions.

The FSA’s caput of women’s football, Deborah Dilworth, said: “We convey those fans who took the clip to supply america with their feedback connected these captious issues, and volition guarantee that the fans’ dependable is heard by the game’s determination makers arsenic the consultation process continues. While it’s wide that supporters are successful favour of an expanded apical 2 tiers, they’ve been arsenic wide that it can’t travel astatine the disbursal of competitory shot and the principles of earning your spot astatine the apical of the pyramid.”

The WSL was a closed league without relegation erstwhile it launched successful 2011 arsenic a breakaway league.

Currently 1 squad are relegated to the Championship and 1 promoted, which this summertime volition beryllium Crystal Palace and London City Lionesses respectively. At the bottommost of the Championship, 2 teams are usually relegated but this play Sheffield United volition beryllium the lone relegated squad aft Reading’s withdrawal from the 2nd tier for fiscal reasons past summer. Coming up from the 3rd tier are Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest, starring to 12 teams successful each of the 2 apical divisions.