Former Reading captain: Players 'devastated' after demotion

Lily Woodham was Reading's captain before leaving for the United States

Reading Women’s former captain has spoken out about the “devastation” felt by some of her ex-teammates after the club was demoted to the fifth tier.

Lily Woodham left Berkshire in January to play in the United States but had joined the Royals in 2018.

The club, which owner Dai Yongge has put up for sale, has faced severe financial problems over recent years.

It said without a "cash injection", its women's side could not meet the criteria to compete in the Championship, the second tier it was part of last season.

Deanna Cooper has left Reading after making 79 appearances

Instead Reading will play at the same level as Ascot United Women and Woodley Town Ladies in the Southern Region Women's Football League next season.

The club was relegated from the Women’s Super League (WSL), the top tier of women’s football, in 2023 and went part-time.

Woodham, who now plays for Seattle Reign, said Reading's demotion is “devastating for everyone involved”.

She said players “hoped [it] wouldn’t happen” but, with conditions at the cash-strapped club over recent years, they were “always fighting against it”.

“Reading’s been a club in the women’s game for so long now and people who have been [there] know you have to work really hard to keep the women’s side going," she added.

"A lot of the coaches we used to work with were doing the academy, the women’s team, other jobs around the club to keep us going."

Tia Primmer is another one of Reading's stars who has moved on

“When we did perform in the WSL, we were a team that probably had the lowest budget in the league and we managed to compete with those teams. When we got relegated we all kind of knew that that investment wouldn’t be there," she told BBC Radio Berkshire.

On Tuesday, Reading announced 16 players have left after the demotion.

They include Deanna Cooper, who made 79 appearances after joining in 2020, and academy graduates Tia Primmer and Charlie Estcourt, who played 56 and 53 times respectively.

“Everyone’s gutted. Everyone loved the club and had been there for a while," Woodham said.

“It’s tough to find a club with such short notice.”

On Sunday, Woodham is set to play for Seattle Reign against Utah Royals, currently managed by former Reading boss Kelly Chambers, who left last year.

Chambers, who took the Royals to their highest ever finish of fourth in the WSL in 2017, told the BBC in May that investment was “decreasing by the week" during her tenure.