Women's Championship Chaos: Blackburn Rovers Removed From League

The Football Association have dropped Blackburn Rovers Women from the Women's Championship (WSL 2) into tier 4's Women's National League Division 1 North for the 2025/26 season, following their voluntary withdrawal from tier 2.

The Women's Championship will have no relegations from the 2024/25 season due to Blackburn's withdrawal from the league. This is also because of Reading's removal from the Championship at the start of the season, leaving only 11 teams for 2024/25.

This means that Sheffield United, who should have been relegated having only achieved a mere 7 points, including only one win, will remain in the WSL 2 next season.

Following the conclusion of the 2024/25 Women's Championship season, Blackburn Rovers announced their withdrawal from the Championship for the upcoming 2025/26 season. An official statement from the club said, "This decision follows a comprehensive review of the evolving demands placed on second tier clubs, which have become unsustainable under our current model."

With the new rebrand of the Women's Super League, including the Women's Championship returning to it's original name of WSL 2, every club participating in the top two tiers of English women's football are required to move to a fully-professional model if they haven't already.

The move to a professional league for the second tier of English women's football is long overdue, and should allow for a more competitive league that can produce more talent and clubs that can compete with those in the WSL.

Blackburn Rovers have made it clear that they cannot afford, or are unwilling to pay, for their women's side to become fully-professional, with the WSL 2 requiring extended contract hours, increased staffing, and full-time professional contracts for players.

The FA's regulations determine that any club choosing to withdraw from a league are required to drop at least two tiers from the one they exited, forcing Blackburn to re-enter in tier 4's National League Division 1 North.

Despite finishing second-to-last in the Women's Championship this season, Blackburn had avoided relegation due to Reading's departure from the league at the start of the season, which left only one relegation spot.

However, the players' efforts were wasted, as they will now compete in tier 4 of the English women's football pyramid, with Sheffield United retaining their spot in the WSL 2 next season.

With Blackburn Rovers' women playing all of their home fixtures at Ewood Park for the first time last season, it looked as though they were taking a step in the right direction. However, with "no noticeable upturn in home attendances, resulting in the absence of the substantial matchday commercial revenue", the club have announced they cannot support continued investment for a tier 2 women's side under a professional model.

Blackburn Rovers have confirmed that they are in discussion with club staff over the structure of their women's side going forward.

An official statement from the WSL said "after careful consideration of all the options in accordance with the FA Women's Football Pyramid Regulations, WSL Football requested that Sheffield United Women FC be given a reprieve from relegation to take what would otherwise have been the vacant space," and "the promotions of Nottingham Forest Women FC and Ipswich Town FC Women from the Women's National League are unaffected by this process."

Sheffield United are not the only team to benefit from Blackburn's withdrawal, as Halifax Women, who should have been relegated from the National League Northern Premier into tier 4, also avoid relegation.

Although these clubs avoiding relegation may seem unfair, it is the simplest solution to an otherwise chaotic problem. With the Women's Championship (WSL 2) already forced to play a season with only 11 teams, WSL Football wanted to avoid this occurring once again.

The only other fair option to ensure 12 clubs played in the WSL 2 could have been to allow a play-off between the last-placed tier 2 side, Sheffield United, and the second-placed (Southern) tier 3 side, Hashtag United. But with the season already concluded, this wasn't a realistic possibility.

Although tier 3 of the English women's football pyramid is divided into the National league North and South, second-place Wolves in the North could not have been allowed to compete in a WSL 2 play-off due to their owners not submitting a Championship bid.

However, WSL Football deemed the easiest solution is to not relegate a club from the second tier following the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, with Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town being promoted to restore the WSL 2 to a 12-club league ahead of the 2025/26 season.