Blackburn might withdraw from Women's Championship

Blackburn might become the second club in two seasons to be demoted from the Championship because of financial concerns following Reading in 2024

Blackburn Rovers might withdraw from the Women's Championship next season because the club's owners are unwilling to meet the league's requirements on facilities, player welfare and staffing.

They are in discussions with Women's Super League Football (WSL Football) - the company overseeing the top two tiers in England - on whether special considerations can be made.

The deadline to decide if the club want to meet the licence requirements and retain their tier-two status is 19 May.

Club sources have told BBC Sport that players are scheduled to hold talks on 17 May with Blackburn regarding their contract situations and what the future holds.

WSL Football is expected to confirm internally which clubs will participate in the different tiers in the middle of next week.

Meetings are currently taking place with all parties but it is understood Blackburn are in a perilous position, with players claiming they were told by a team-mate via WhatsApp that there is a "99% chance the owners will not be financially supporting the team next season".

Defender Niamh Murphy, 22, said: "I have been a Blackburn Rovers player for three seasons and the only consistency there has been is the lack of financial support from the club.

"Whilst this season may not look successful to some, we have once again avoided relegation despite having the smallest budget.

"This is a huge success and a credit to the women's players and staff."

She goes on to say the team "deserves far better" and have been "left in the dark" over their future.

It would be the second year a club withdraws from the league because of financial concerns after Reading dropped to the fifth tier in June 2024.

All clubs in the Women's Super League (WSL) and Women's Championship must meet licence criteria to create a professional environment.

The criteria includes minimum standards on aspects such as elite facilities, the number of full-time staff, wellbeing support and contact hours with players.

A compliance and development review is carried out at each club at the start of the season.

Blackburn's women have a rich history of developing talent with England internationals Keira Walsh, Ella Toone and Georgia Stanway among those to have come through the club's academy.

But the news about the women's team comes amid wider issues around the club in recent months, and financial pressures.

While Blackburn Rovers' latest accounts, published in March, showed they made a £3.3m profit, that was because of significant sales of players in the men's team such as Adam Wharton, who joined Crystal Palace for £18m. The club was spending 119% of its turnover on wages.

Blackburn Rovers chief operating officer Suhail Pasha told BBC Radio Lancashire that every year the club was guaranteed to have a £20m shortfall that needed to be bridged by owners Venky's.

In March several fan groups called on Pasha and two other leading officials to stay away from men's matches at Ewood Park. They were also calling on Venky's to sell the club as the men's team fell out of Championship play-off contention and lost manager John Eustace to Derby.

The club were also set to host an awards evening in the last week of the season for their men's and women's first teams but it was cancelled.

The women's team have played matches at Ewood Park this season in an attempt to grow the fanbase, and in turn matchday revenue, but average crowds remain below 1,000.

Their players are on semi-professional contracts, with the average salary believed to be £9,000 and the highest paid on £15,000.

The repercussions of Blackburn's situation - should they withdraw from the second tier - are still unknown.

However, one option could be to reinstate relegated Sheffield United to the Women's Championship. As is stands, it is understood the Blades have been given no indication of a change to their league status.

Sources say Sheffield United have already made pre-season plans and have finalised their recruitment budget for the summer but there is leeway should they be reinstated to the Women’s Championship.