The prospect of B teams from Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship clubs entering tier four of the pyramid from the summer of 2026 onwards is dividing opinion in the game, as consultations over the idea continue.
The proposals, revealed by the Guardian, have been put forward by the Football Association to clubs this month as part of a major restructuring of tiers three to six of the English women’s pyramid. No final decisions would be made at board level until March or April but the proposals also involve expanding the number of teams in each regional division of the lower tiers, such as moving from 12 to 14 teams in each league in tiers three and four.
The concept of expanding the leagues appears to be receiving a relatively positive reaction from across the industry, but it is the potential introduction of B teams that could prove the most controversial issue. At present there is a limit on any such B team or reserve teams playing above tier six in the pyramid, but that ceiling could be lifted to tier four initially and any such B teams could be promoted as high as the third tier in the future, or up to two tiers below the league in which their first team competes. It is not yet clear what would happen to a B team’s position in the pyramid if their first team was relegated or what the implications would be for other promotion or relegation places.
What there does appear to be consensus on at a large number of higher-level clubs is that the current academy-league system is not providing a sufficiently challenging environment for elite youngsters to develop their skills. Indeed, the FA’s now-outgoing women’s technical director, Kay Cossington, said last July: “The pipeline is bursting. We now need to solve that next part of the jigsaw, which is to provide it with those meaningful minutes to allow it to survive and move to the top echelons of the game.”
Speaking last Friday, Liverpool’s assistant manager, Scott Rogers, who has also previously worked in youth coaching at Blackburn and at Liverpool’s centre of excellence, said, when asked about the prospect of B teams: “From a development point of view, I think it would be really good. It would bridge the gap between the under-21s and then first-team level.
“I think logistically it could be hard work, and that’s for cleverer people than me to solve. From a player point of view, for them to be playing senior football earlier, more minutes earlier, I think would be a positive. Sometimes under-21 football is very nice and it’s not actually the reality of when they hit first team, so they get a bit of a shock, so I think it could be a good way to bridge the gap. From our point of view, we think it would benefit our younger players.”
However, across many lower-league teams, there is understood to be considerable unease at the idea of pitting themselves against B teams in their competitive leagues, and a lot of fans on social media have reacted with concerns that the top teams would simply continue to dominate. The chairman of the third-tier side Rugby Borough, Lewis Taylor, whose team currently sit fourth in the Northern section of the tier three behind Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Burnley, welcomes the idea of the divisions’ expansion and the addition of more promotion places, but is worried B teams will affect the Women’s Nations League’s credibility.
“The idea of being able to play more competitive games is a good thing. We want to see the leagues expanded,” said Taylor, whose side have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup where they will face either West Ham or Liverpool on 9 February. “More teams going up and down is a really good thing for football overall. But I think what we’d see with the B-team inclusion is we’d end up seeing B teams starting to get promoted from tier four, and over the years we’d end up seeing a lot more B teams at tier-three level. Which is then going to hold other teams down that could have got promoted. So it’s kind of like a forcing down of the smaller teams.
“My concern is this plan is being seen as a long-term approach, whereas surely everybody concerned – fans, the FA, players – don’t want to be pitting themselves against B teams. They want to be playing other clubs. The biggest concern for me as a club owner and the players is that somebody at the FA is stating this is a long-term vision. I think ‘credibility’ is a key word here. While I think there might be some short-term benefits, within the next few years, tier three is probably going to be all-professional, and as a professional club, you don’t want to be playing against B teams in your league matches. Fans just won’t really be that interested in seeing that, as well. It’ll be seen as a friendly game.
“For me, I think it should be ‘build it and they will come’, so expand out the leagues, give clubs more support to then compete in those leagues, and let’s get more movement of players going out on loan and actually then I think you’d get more diverse set of fixtures that fans would engage with.”
It is understood the proposals are set to be scrutinised by clubs further over the coming weeks. An FA spokesperson told the Guardian: “It is our long-term objective to enhance the structure of tiers three to six of the women’s football pyramid to best serve clubs, players and fans. To fulfil that objective, we are undertaking a thorough review and consultation of the current pyramid system with all clubs and key stakeholders. No decisions stemming from this review have yet been made and we look forward to the two-way dialogue with clubs and stakeholders.”
Quote of the week
You can ask me: ‘Why are you working in the women’s game, shouldn’t you give the chance for a women’s coach to be head coach?’ I hope more and more [women] become head coaches. But my way of doing it is to make sure I’m a good ally for gender equity. You can say whatever you want to me but I choose a female over a male if I can do it because I feel like somebody needs to do that, because it [happens] so much the opposite way” – the Tottenham manager, Robert Vilahamn, to the BBC on being a male coach in the women’s game.
Talking points
A new world record: Chelsea completed the most expensive transfer that the women’s game has ever seen by signing the United States defender Naomi Girma from the NWSL club San Diego Wave for $1.1m (£890,000). Girma has arrived on a four-and-a-half-year contract and will boost Chelsea’s hopes of a first Champions League title. With Girma widely rated as one of the best defenders in the world, her move could be an ominous one for Chelsea’s rivals, with the defending English champions already seven points clear at the top of the table as they chase a sixth consecutive league title.
Sought-after defenders: Another Olympic gold medal-winning centre-back could also soon be on the move: the Guardian understands the Canada defender Vanessa Gilles has informed Angel City she would like to stay in Europe. The 28-year-old is now on loan at the French club Lyon, who want to keep her, but those talks seem to be stalling so it will not necessarily be Lyon who sign Gilles. At this stage a summer move seems to be more likely than a January transfer but sources are not ruling out a late deal this month as several clubs monitor her availability. But after missing out on signing Girma, Lyon’s desire to keep Gilles could strengthen.
More calls for VAR: The Arsenal head coach, Renée Slegers, called for VAR to be brought into the women’s game following her side’s loss at Chelsea to a late and much-debated Guro Reiten penalty. “The stakes are getting higher in women’s football so I think we need that in the game,” said Slegers. “I also think it’s important that the game is attractive for fans and VAR does slow things down, but I think it would be good for the women’s game.”
Recommended listening
Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzanne Wrack, Tom Garry and Tim Stillman to break down Chelsea’s win over Arsenal, Manchester City’s six-goal thriller, and the WSL title race in the latest Women’s Football Weekly.
Recommended viewing
Vivianne Miedema’s goal-of-the-season contender on Saturday at Villa Park gave fans a reminder of exactly how good she can be. The WSL’s all-time leading scorer effortlessly bent the ball into the far corner from outside the box and there are multiple camera angles to enjoy. And then there was also Watford having two players sent off in their game against Lewes, one of them after removing the flag to take a corner kick.
Still want more?
It’s the hope that kills you. Also conceding 21 shots on goal including six big chances: to be fair, that kills you. Jonathan Liew delivers his verdict on Sunday’s top-of-the table clash between Chelsea and Arsenal.
Suzanne sat down to speak to Kay Cossington on Euro success, leaving England and a new adventure with the Bay Collective.
Tom considers what Chelsea’s Girma deal means for the women’s game as a whole and the club’s competitors in the WSL.
Everton’s Hayley Ladd has met the club’s new owners and was impressed with what they had to say.
And the transfer window is nearing its end (the WSL one closes on Thursday night). Sarah Rendell has kept a record of all of the moves in the top five European leagues (160 and counting) and you can find them here.
