March 22 – Manchester United is officially crossing the gender divide and launching a women’s team that will for the first time play under the famous club’s name and in its club colours.
England’s biggest club – and alongside Barcelona and Real Madrid, one of the three biggest in the world – has applied to join the second tier of the Women’s Super League, WSL2.
It will be joining fellow Premier League giants Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in the WSL, albeit in the tier below their more established women’s club rivals.
The club’s previous involvement with the women’s game was through its Girls’ Regional Talent Club, which has seen 15 of its graduates playing international football this season alone.
Now girls emerging from that scheme will be have the opportunity to progress to professional football as Manchester United players. The women’s team will be based at Manchester United’s training centre at The Cliff.
Manchester United chairman Ed Woodward said: ““The FA has provided excellent support through the process and we believe that launching a team in WSL2 would give many more of our graduates from the Regional Talent Club the chance to establish themselves as first team players. The Manchester United women’s team must be built in the same image and with the same principles as the men’s first team and offer academy players a clear route to top level football within the club.”
The English FA is revamping its women’s league structure and has received 15 new club applications to join the expanded top two tiers of women’s competition. West Ham United have applied to join the tip tier of the WSL.
Crystal Palace, Charlton Athletic, Coventry United, Derby County and Sheffield United have all applied for WSL2, where Manchester United. The league looks set to be made up of 14 teams expanding the current 7-team semi-professional division.
Under the new women’s club licensing structure WSL top tier teams will have to minimum of 16 contact hours per week for players, rising to 20 hours per week by 2020-21; there will be a minimum level of financial investment required by each club; they will be subject to Financial Fair Play regulations and a squad cap; and they have to run an academy as part of the licence.
WSL2 criteria are more relaxed but teams will have to commit to contact time for players of eight hours per week plus matches, as well as running a reserve team.
The entry of Manchester United is a big boost for the women’s game in England. Previously the bulk of Manchester United’s involvement in women’s football had been through the Manchester United Foundation which runs a number of programmes for young females in schools and communities across Greater Manchester and is also partnered with the South Manchester Girls Football League, developing girls’ football at a grassroots level.
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