September 20 – England’s Women’s Super League breakaway plan from the apron strings of the FA towards a fully independent entity is progressing with a ‘newco’ expected to be launched to hold the league’s ownership and operations at the end of the year.
Unlike the Men’s Premier League which is a separate entity to the EFL Championship, the new plans for the WSL and its sister Championship place both leagues under the same body.
A key issue for the new league will be the revenue split between the two divisions and whether the 75/25 current revenue split between them would only increase the gap between the premier and second division of women’s football in England.
WSL chair Dawn Airey has said the WSL plans to put their rights up for tender before the year’s end. This move signifies a pivotal moment as it paves the way for the separation of their rights from the FA and the eventual transition to independent management within the new corporate entity.
Speaking ahead of the WSL kick off on October 1, Airey said: “One of the stated goals that we have is to make this league the first billion pound women’s league in the world, that is league revenue and club revenue and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t do it.
“That’s our goal, at every level to get more finances in this business, as well as…developing a pathway and the investment that is required at every level.”
She added: “We will be going to market, I would like to think before the end of the year. The Premier League go to market in the middle of October. It would be daft to put our rights into the market when they’re in because that’s going to get the primary attention. We will go in after.
“It’s always interesting to see who responds to the tender but there’s no reason why it can’t be quite speedy. You know who the players are. In terms of who’s interested, everybody is, as they should be. It’s just a question of assessing the tenders.”
The move towards growing the women’s league away from the FA was taken when it became clear that the FA was unable to commit the investment that the clubs and the WSL wanted for their expansion plans, due to its other commitments in disability football and the grassroots game.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1714402566labto1714402566ofdlr1714402566owedi1714402566sni@g1714402566niwe.1714402566yrrah1714402566