Former professional footballer, Gary Neville, has expressed his strong disapproval over the potential suspension of relegation in the Women's Super League (WSL). The proposal is currently under consideration by clubs in the top two tiers and has sparked a heated debate within the sports community.
The idea of temporarily suspending relegation from the top-flight while still allowing promotion from the second-tier was discussed at a meeting held last month. Representatives from Women's Championship and WSL clubs attended this meeting. The objective behind this move is to expand both leagues into 16-team leagues, up from their current sizes of 12 teams in WSL and 11 teams in Championship.
Closer look at the bigger picture
Proposals put forth by Women's Professional League Limited (WPLL), which manages these leagues, are still being refined. According to reports, one such proposal would see relegation suspended for four seasons. This would provide newly-promoted teams with ample time to adjust to top-flight competition and invest adequately into their facilities, staff, and playing squad.
Crystal Palace serves as an example here; they were promoted to WSL this season but are currently struggling at four points adrift at the bottom of table after winning just one out of their fifteen games so far. Bristol City faced a similar fate last year when they were unable to avoid relegation after securing only one victory throughout their campaign.
Neville’s strong reaction
Neville voiced his opinion on this matter during an episode of Stick To Football podcast where he referred to it as an 'absolute scandal'. His vehement opposition reflects concerns that such changes could potentially disrupt competitive balance within these leagues.
Gary Neville, Manchester United legend, said:
"I think it's an absolute scandal. And look, I'm not as close to the women's game as you two are, but I think it's an absolute scandal. And what's a scandal about it is the entitlement, the entitlement of football club owners who think they can invest money, but they need a guarantee and a certainty.
"'Scrap relegation or I won't invest in the women's game'. That isn't a position of a good person. F*ck off then. No, seriously, f*** off out the game because, to be honest with you, fact of the matter is, in football, you're going to lose money, you're going to make money. You have no problem with basically spending £350,000 a week on a player and losing £20 million a year on them and spending £60m on a fee for a player that you might only get £10m back for. But you won't put £15m - I'd say less if it was £100m - into the women's game. What I am against is this idea that basically they want to close shop and they think that basically they should only be in it."
The final decision on these proposals will be made through a vote scheduled for May - at end of the current season. A two-thirds majority vote across clubs in both WSL and Championship is required for these changes to be implemented. The potential suspension of relegation has certainly stirred up controversy within the sports community. As fans and stakeholders eagerly await the final decision, it's clear that this proposal could significantly impact the future structure of women's football in England.
