A “concerned” WSL supporters group has set up a petition opposing “the idea of no relegation” from the Women’s Super League.
Their online plea in response to proposals to put a pause on teams dropping into the second tier, went live on Monday.
Clubs are set to be given a chance to vote on proposals to temporarily pause relegation from the WSL the Women’s Championship[/caption]
An petition calling for supporters to have their say on the proposal went live on Monday 3 February[/caption]
As of 8:30pm this evening their petition on Change.org had attracted 892 signatures.
Later this year WSL and Women’s Championship clubs are set to vote on plans for a temporary halt on sides dropping down into the second tier.
The aim would be to increase the top-flight from 12 to 16 sides.
On Sunday The Guardian reported the suggestions were put forward by Women’s Professional League Limited, the football authority in charge of overseeing both divisions. .
A vote involving all 23 sides in WSL and the second tier is reportedly set to take place by the end of this term.
The WPLL’s proposals would entail relegation from the top-flight being halted from the 2026-27 season and then returning for the 2030-31 campaign.
Promotion of one team per term from the Championship to the league would remain in place.
The motivation behind the proposal is to encourage more investment in top-flight women’s teams in a bid to make the top-flight more competitive.
However a group called Concerned WSL fans believe such a move would go against “all English football tradition”.
They believe pausing relegation could go “against the interests of those outside the very top of the football chain”.
And on its Change.org page, the group says it wants football fans to “voice their opinion”.
It also stated: “This petition is for all those against this idea of no relegation and a closed league for any amount of years, in an attempt to be heard before having the rug pulled out from under our feet before we even have a chance.”
In the first year of its existence in 2011 the WSL operated as a closed league of eight teams without promotion or relegation.
A second tier was established in 2014 and was initially called WSL 2 before being renamed the Women’s Championship.
Calls for the WSL’s expansion have been made in the past by some of the game’s most influential figures.
These include ex-Chelsea boss Emma Hayes who now manages the United States women’s national team.
Plans to expand the WSL from 12 to 16 teams would involve a pause on relegation for four seasons[/caption]
Back in 2023 the then Blues chief stated more teams should be added in order to grow the game.
In October that year, Hayes said: “I think the question we should be asking is, ‘when are we going to make our league a little bit bigger?’
“It’s time to grow. It’s time to go from 12 to 16 or 18 teams.”
