‘We are only going up’ – London City in WSL to stay

A figure wearing a long white dress, high heels, and sunglasses stood out among the London City Lionesses’ teal shirts with the word “winners” on them.

Since taking over Lionesses last summer, Michele Kang has not relinquished her business, but with the promotion to the Women’s Super League under her belt.

The celebrations at St. Andrew’s after Lionesses held on to a stunning 2-2 draw against championship rivals Birmingham City to advance to the WSL were somewhat unusual, with club owner Kang permitted to carry the trophy onto the field.

She told Sky Sports, “We have been building a team that is at least in the mid-tier WSL.”

“When I first arrived, a lot of people were very concerned for me and questioned, “How can you do this because you don’t have a men’s team from which to draw the equity, the brand, and the fanbase?”

To accomplish this in a year as an independent team is evidence that anything is possible with proper funding and resources. This provides evidence that we are only increasing.

The first team to join the WSL is the London City Lionesses, which has no affiliation with a men’s club. Since splitting from Millwall in 2019, they have been a fixture in the second tier but have experienced a turbocharged state of affairs since their wealthy American owner, who is now 82, arrived in 2023.

Along with 2010 World Cup champion Saki Kumagai, former Barcelona midfielder Maria Perez, and seasoned Swedish international Sofia Jakobsson, former WSL champion Kosovare Asllani led several eye-catching arrivals on the pitch.

Promotion was only secured on the final day of this draw at second-placed Birmingham, who came from 2-0 down and worked hard until the very end to ensure them a victory.

Kang has spent a lot of money, both wisely and boldly. With a particular emphasis on women’s fitness needs, Kent has plans to build a state-of-the-art training facility. She has previously pressed for more money and research into the effects of sport on women’s bodies and delivered her claims without fals.

She stated that the hiring team will meet on Monday morning to discuss how to avoid Crystal Palace and Bristol City from the WSL last year.

And it is interesting to note that the two key players at St. Andrew’s were young British talents rather than recent headliners.

Izzy Goodwin, the championship top scorer this season with 16 strikes in 18 games, scored the first goal. It will be interesting to watch how she ascends after Sheffield United and the Lionesses both had high second-tier goals.

Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, signed in 2023, scored the second. In the opening period, she also made a crucial goalline clearance.

Although the WSL is a completely different league, “we have the experience, the players, the support, the fans, and hopefully they will continue to grow.” We “take each game as it comes,” Boye-Hlorkah said, “We put ourselves on the map.”

Lionesses’ desire to resurrect their position in the top flight will depend on that combination of investment and existing talent. They will want to maintain the spirit that made them triumph over Birmingham and that made them the championship scorers at the end of the season.

However, it will require a prudent use of the funds. In a deal worth £65m over five years across the WSL and Championship, clubs in the WSL receive three times as much TV money as those in the Championship.

The agreement is worth about $800,000 to WSL clubs, and $ 270,000 to Championship teams. Given that Lionesses don’t have any financial backing and are not affiliated with a men’s Premier League or Championship side, staying up might be necessary.

They will play all of their home games at 5, 000-capacity Hayes Lane, which they share with League Two men’s side Bromley, without having access to Premier League stadiums for big games.

The highest-paid WSL players make about $ 300,000 annually, which is more than the Championship club’s annual salary. The checkbook for Gang must be blank and open.

However, she and the players are up for the challenge, based on the available evidence.

Former England international Anita Asante told BBC Sport, “I have a lot of admiration for Michele Kang because I think she empowers women throughout the game, across all levels.”

She says, “It’s because she believes in the value of women’s football, and she’s driving that investment,” and she wants her players to continue exceling.