On Tuesday Morning, Reading Women made the announcement that they are switching to operating on a part-time basis, following their relegation to the Championship next season.
Reading departed the Women’s Super League on the final day of the season following a 3-0 defeat to champions Chelsea, having picked up just 11 points in 22 games. They had spent 8 years in the top-flight after promotion in 2015.
Reading, guided by manager Kelly Chambers, have defied the odds of staying in the Women’s Super League for the time they have, given the considerable difference in financial backing compared to other clubs with Premier League counterparts. However, both the men’s and women’s teams were relegated this season, to League One and the Women’s Championship. Reading Men were deducted 6 points for breaching financial rules of the EFL, which certainly contributed to the relegation.
It’s been an emotional time for Kelly Chambers, having spent over 20 years at the club: first as a player, captaining Reading until 2012, then taking over as manager in 2015. After their last defeat in the WSL, she gave an tearful interview, explaining how they simply ‘can’t compete with the investment that other clubs are putting in’. She used the January transfer window as an example of the transfers that surrounding WSL teams made in comparison, to ensure their survival in the league. For each of their 8 years in the WSL, Reading have had the lowest budget, yet still found ways to compete. In retrospect, it was only a matter of time before they fell short.
Reading were no stranger to injuries this season, with players such as Brooke Hendrix and Deanna Cooper sidelined. In their final game of the season, we saw the return of Deanna Rose, who missed Reading’s whole season with an Achilles injury. This speaks volumes about their squad depth and availability (or lack of, so to speak), and Reading are ultimately in this position because of their financial situation.
Reading Football Club Women can today confirm that we will switch to operating on a part-time basis ahead of the 2023-24 season in the WSL Championship.
— Reading FC Women (@ReadingFCWomen) June 6, 2023
Full information ⬇️
In their statement, Reading Football Club explain how costs across both the men’s and women’s sides had been ‘considerably’ cut, with the men’s wages being halved since 2019. Reading owner Dai Yongge has been personally funding the women’s side since his arrival in 2018, investing £6 million. Reading CEO Dayong Pang explained how ‘difficult but necessary financial decisions are being made across the business’, and that the women’s team switching to operating on a part-time basis is ‘the most viable solution at the present time’.
As a result of relegation, Reading Women will experience a fundamental drop in broadcasting fees and central FA funding. Leaving the Super League means their games will be less visible, for instance league games not being broadcast on BBC or Sky Sports. With no appeal of being in the Women’s Super League, it will be considerably harder to attract more fans. However, Reading’s current fans have backed them all the way through a difficult season, and it’s safe to say that they will continue to support their journey in the championship.
The personal investment into the women’s team and the one-team mentality is great. However, the growth of women’s teams needs sustainability, and this alone is not sustainable. Reading’s disparity in budget compared to other clubs means limited facilities, limited funds for players, and limited players who would choose Reading over a club with better finances. As a result, their transfer windows cannot contend with those of other WSL clubs, and so it becomes harder to progress up the table, and consequently harder to increase finances. It’s a vicious cycle.
Perhaps the most heart-breaking part of Reading’s relegation is the fact that Reading have produced some of the top stars in women’s football. It’s difficult to watch them struggle to this extent, while the top echelons of the sport reap the benefits of the growth of the game. The most notable example of Fran Kirby. Joining her hometown club at the age of 7, she starred for Reading’s senior team in 2012, netting 68 goals in 43 appearances before transferring to Chelsea in 2015: understandably- a club with unmatched facilities and funds. Reading’s defeat to reigning WSL champions Chelsea on the final day was rather symbolic of this. Without Reading, women’s football wouldn’t have some of the stars that it does. But while these stars are moving on to bigger and better stages, Reading is slipping further and further behind.
Meetings are being held for players under contract, to discuss the financial implications, and it appears that the club will still honour those on full-time contracts. However, it is likely that many of these players will wish to terminate their contracts to continue playing full-time, which is crucial to maintain their high ability. Players who had a one-year extension option in their contract were informed that these would not be triggered, and they are essentially free agents. Players such as captain Emma Mukandi and Chloe Peplow have already announced their departure from the club, with Mukandi writing that she hopes the club does the right thing, giving the players and staff the respect that they deserve by investing.
It goes without saying that many players will feel a motivation to do the club justice and get it back into the WSL. However, despite what players would choose to do, and their commitment to the club, many will have no other choice but to leave, simply to ensure that they can pay their bills. It seems absurd that in 2023, especially after the England’s Euros victory triggering the significant growth of women’s football and propelling the game forward, such established players find themselves in this position.
It’s been a journey of ups and downs for Reading, from finishing 4th in the Super League in 2017/18, to relegation. Their time in the WSL is something they should be proud of, and despite everything, they will be no doubt aiming to return. However, it’s difficult to see how Reading will bounce back, with many teams even in the Championship still being fully professional. This announcement for many, diminishes the hope of them playing in the top flight any time soon.
Written by Emily Cleland
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