Restructuring of Women’s Super League divisions set for 2018

On Wednesday, WSL clubs learned which division they have been granted for the 2018-19 season.

A full-time top division in women’s soccer is a rarity in Europe, but on Wednesday England announced which teams have been awarded a license to compete in the new top-tier division which will meet a new full-time criteria.

In September, the FA approved a WSL restructuring which would mean the top-tier division would only be for full-time clubs. All clubs were required to re-apply for their placement and new teams had to submit applications to be accepted. The plans for the top-tier division will be implemented for the 2018-19 season and will see 14 teams with full-time status. The second division will contain 12 semi-professional teams with players under part-time contracts.

So what does this really mean? This means women’s football is on the up in England — now the standard for excellence and support is in fine print. The restructuring was made with the intention of doubling participation in the women’s game, improving the fanbase and giving England teams a platform to reach the world stage. This is part of FA’s Gameplan for Growth strategy which is centered around these three principles.

Clubs had until Nov. 10 to reapply for their license. According to BBC Sport, 17 of the original 20 teams in the top divisions have submitted applications for re-entry into the top divisions. There will be an appeal period until January for any teams that were not approved.

But a part from the application technicalities, let’s dive into what this league will mean for the future of women’s soccer in Europe.

Having a full-time league will improve the overall performance and thus appeal to fans of the women’s game. A full-time commitment will mean clubs will be required to hold players to 16 hours during the week with the plan to bump up to 20-plus hours in 2020-2021. And of course, there will be money. According to the new license criteria, clubs will be held to a certain financial investment and Financial Fair Play regulations and a team cap. Another part crucial in the continuing growth of the women’s game is the requirement of a developmental academy.

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“The changes will continue our journey to transform key elements of the women’s game,” Katie Brazier, the FA’s head of women’s leagues and competitions said in the official FA press release last fall. “Providing an elite performance environment that will produce more and better players, increase the interest and excitement via a more competitive league, attract a greater number of fans and in turn deliver improved commercial viability for clubs and the leagues.”

The possibility for homegrown players in England is a huge focus of this restructuring because by creating an academy system within each top tier team, there will be an emphasis on bringing up talent as opposed to recruiting overseas. According to the BBC, there will be rules ongoing that will restrict the number of non-English players on matchday in an effort to bring up more home-grown players.

As of Wednesday, the top division includes Arsenal, Birmingham, Bristol City, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Reading, Sunderland and Yeovil Town. The second division includes Aston Villa, Brighton, Doncaster Belles, Durham, London Bees, Millwall Lionesses, Oxford United, Sheffield, Tottenham and Watford.

Yeovil Town’s general manager, Trevor Jenkins wrote an interesting piece on Tuesday as he awaited the club’s fate. He mentioned the lengthy application process the club had to complete, and discussed the difficulty of being a club without the support and financial backing of a men’s team, like many of the teams in the first division.

“There is no doubt that running a Tier 1 club will be challenging,” Jenkins said, “But isn’t that what football is all about? Surely we all want to be tested against the best and wake up every morning with a desire to push ourselves and be challenged?”

I’m all for this self-sustaining grit, and cheers to Yeovil Town for retaining their place in the top tier.

This restructuring has made clubs think strategically about ways to build within their means. If we want women’s soccer to grow globally, the kind of commitment shown through this entire application process is a promising step and also proof that even without the backing of a premier men’s team, there is so much that can be done.

So, as 2018 quickly approaches only time will tell how this new system works, but also one would hope the second-tier teams or teams not supported by a men’s side will continue to gain support within their communities and work for the chance to get bumped to full-time status.