Blackburn withdraw from Women’s Championship

Due to club owner Venky’s’ unwillingness to meet the league’s requirements for facilities, player welfare, and staffing, Blackburn Rovers will no longer compete in the Women’s Championship.

Blackburn claim to be in “ongoing discussions with the Football Association (FA) regarding the division we will be competing in” next season in an email sent to players by the club’s HR department on Tuesday, seen by BBC Sport.

According to FA regulations, a league’s clubs may only re-enter the pyramid at least two tiers below the one from which they departed.

The players and staff at Blackburn are unsure of their future, whether they will continue to play semi-professional football or whether their contracts will renew.

On Monday, May 19, 2018, the club had until May 19 to decide whether or not they wanted to comply with the requirements for licensing and maintain their tier-two status.

Your role may be affected as a result of the minimum standards required at the tiers below the Women’s Championship, according to the email’s conclusion.

We’re trying to let you know which tier you’re operating in once you’ve received this confirmation, because we know it might be unpleasant to read.

The top two tiers of English women’s football are expected to meet later on Tuesday to discuss the next steps with the FA Board and WSL Football, the company that controls the league.

According to Blackburn, the club’s current financial framework has reached a point where the club’s growing financial and operational constraints, including the requirement to switch to a fully professional model, cannot be continued.

The league has increased the minimum requirements for players, including extended contact times for players and the need for a full-time professional contract model, an increase in staffing levels, which has increased wages, which has caused the strain on the training facilities and stadium facilities, among others.

Sheffield United, who sources claim had discussions in the lead up to their return to the Women’s Championship, may be reinstated as a result of Blackburn’s withdrawal.

WSL Football stated that it “operates with 12 clubs” and that its “intention is to ensure” the Women’s Championship, which will be renamed WSL 2 from the following year.

Last week, players revealed that there was a “99% chance the owners will not be financially supporting the team next season,” making it clear that Blackburn were in a dangerous position.

Defender Niamh Murphy, 22, said: “I have been a Blackburn Rovers player for three seasons, and the only consistency I have had is the club’s lack of financial support.

Despite having the smallest budget, we have once more avoided relegation, despite the fact that this season may not look successful to some.

“The women’s players and staff deserve a lot of credit,” she said.

A meeting was reportedly postponed on Monday night and then delayed on Tuesday, according to sources who spoke with the club over the weekend while the players and staff were waiting for answers.

At 15:30 BST on Tuesday, coaching staff finally agreed to a call with the board and HR department, and manager Simon Parker made the announcement.

According to sources, the club’s lack of transparency is causing a lot of “frustration” and “confusion” in the playing group.

Following Reading’s transition to the fifth tier in June 2024, a club will withdraw from the league for the second year in a row due to financial concerns.

To create a professional environment, all clubs in the Women’s Super League (WSL) and Women’s Championship must adhere to the requirements for licensing.

The criteria include minimum standards for things like elite facilities, full-time staff, wellbeing, and contact hours with players.

At the start of the season, each club conducts a compliance and development review.

The club’s women have a long history of developing talent, with Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, and Keira Walsh among those who have already graduated from the academy.

The club continued in a statement, “We acknowledge the disappointment this may lead to for our players, supporters, and staff, and we express our sincere gratitude for their unwavering dedication last year,” but this decision was not taken lightly.

“Blackburn Rovers is not leaving the Women’s game,” to be absolutely clear.

We are taking the necessary steps to ensure that Blackburn Rovers’ long-term success is based on the success of other reputable clubs with a rich history in the game.

However, the news about the women’s team comes as a result of recent club concerns, including financial strains.

Although Blackburn Rovers’ most recent accounts, which were released in March, revealed a £3.3 million profit, the significant sales of players from the men’s team, including Adam Wharton, who signed for £18 million. The club’s turnover was 119% paid for by wages.

Suhail Pasha, the club’s chief operating officer, claimed that owners Venky’s would have to make a $ 20 million shortfall every year.

In March, several leading officials and fans demanded that Pasha and two others stay away from Ewood Park men’s games. In addition, they requested Venky’s to sell the business because Derby had lost manager John Eustace to the men’s team and the men’s team lost them to the Championship play-off.

The club’s men’s and women’s first teams had planned to hold an awards evening in their final week of the season, but it was postponed.

Although the women’s team has played at Ewood Park this year in an effort to increase fanbase and revenue, the average crowds are still below 1, 000.

Their current players are working on semi-professional contracts, with the highest salary being reported to be £9, 000.

The decision to terminate Blackburn Rovers Women has caused a sad day for women’s football, according to Chief Executive Officer of WSL Football Nikki Doucet.

We have worked with the club all season to stop this, and we are disappointed that this has happened.