Women’s professional game enters new era in England as WPLL assume control from FA

The women’s professional game in England has officially entered a new era as the top two tiers have been taken over from the FA by an independent club-owned body, spearheaded by CEO Nikki Doucet.

The Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), as it will be temporarily known with a name change expected in the future, has taken over responsibility of the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship following the completion of the agreement to transfer ownership.

Each club in the top two tiers are now shareholders in the new company, and the mission is to transform women’s football by building the most distinctive, competitive, and entertaining women’s football club competition in the world for the players and fans of today and tomorrow.

CEO Nikki Doucet said: “The next successful era of the women’s professional game will be built on the foundations of collaboration, and we are excited to work together with all stakeholders to drive transformational and sustainable growth across our leagues by leveraging the distinctive qualities, values and principles which exist in the women’s game.

“Women's football in England has witnessed unprecedented growth in recent years, marked by increased fan engagement, rising attendance at matches, and a surge in participation at all levels. We are fiercely committed to building on this momentum by creating a thriving landscape which prioritises the welfare and development of players, fosters & excites a vibrant fan community, and nurtures the sport's growth.

“As we embark on this exciting journey, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to The FA for its outstanding work in developing the sport. We look forward to building upon this solid foundation and elevating women's professional football in England to unprecedented levels."

This new era marks the first time in England that an independent and dedicated organisation is in place with a singular focus on advancing and growing the women’s game. The focus will be on building a solid framework for the game to expand, long-term sustainable growth and ensuring governance is both transparent and accountable. 

The WPLL’s board of directors is made up of the chair, Dawn Airey CBE, who has chaired the women’s professional leagues within the Football Association since the amalgamation of the two divisions’ boards back in 2019. The FA will retain a seat through its special share, while the Premier League will also be on the board until the seed financing loan, which is an interest free £20m loan, is repaid.

The Premier League’s chief executive Richard Masters said: “This is a key moment in the development of the professional women’s game in England and we are pleased to be able to support Women’s Professional Leagues Limited both financially and by providing expertise in a number of key areas.

“The Premier League is proud to develop the game at all levels and in recent years we have enhanced our support for women’s and girls’ football. This ranges from investing in the development of pathways for young players to support for the professional game. We look forward to being closely involved in this exciting period for women’s football.”

Independent non-executive directors include experienced CEO Sean Cornwell, former Depop CEO Maria Raga Frances and Malcolm Kpedekpo, who is a partner at Panoramic Growth Equity, a business he co-founded in 2009.

The WPLL’s new leadership team, who will be reporting into Doucet, is made up of chief operating officer Holly Murdoch, interim chief marketing officer Ruth Hooper, chief football officer Mirelle Van Rijbroek and chief revenue officer Zarah Al Kudcy.

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