Footballers ‘scared’ after Reading Women collapse

Footballers are “scared” and “anxious” about the collapse of major women’s teams following the demotion of Reading, according to Bristol City midfielder Amy Rodgers.

Reading, who were a Women’s Super League team as recently as 2023, will play in the fifth division next season after the club withdrew from the Women’s Championship amid financial difficulties.

Despite the growth of support and media coverage of English women’s football in recent years, Rodgers says the fate of Reading shows how even professional players’ livelihoods can be on shaky ground.

“There are aspects of the women’s game which are scary, and as a player it causes anxiety about where the game is going,” she said.

“Reading is the most recent one, but it has happened over the last five to 10 years where a team has just folded overnight. A team in the WSL recently now being in the fifth tier, it is scary at times. I just think investment will hopefully grow the game, making it sustainable.”

In 2021-22, Championship club Coventry United were deducted 10 points after being declared insolvent, while in 2018-19 Yeovil Town were relegated from the WSL on minus-three points having entered administration.

Reading meanwhile have been demoted after the club said they cannot meet the criteria to compete in the second tier of the women’s game, with a statement claiming the Royals would not see a “direct financial return” from investing in their women’s team for “at least five years”.

It forms a stark counterpoint to the promises of investment by the new governing board of the English women’s leagues, currently known as NewCo, and of clubs like Bristol City, who will be playing all of their Championship matches at Ashton Gate this season and were due to play Reading in 2024-25.

“It is something I think about regularly, I crave stability, and I am very grateful to be at a club where it feels stable, where it doesn’t feel like the rug will be pulled from under you at any minute,” said Rodgers.

“I feel so much for players and staff [at Reading], it is so sad and livelihoods get affected which is really unfortunate. I hope those affected get new clubs, jobs and everything.”

‘It’s people’s lives, people’s money’

Rodgers’ views were echoed by team-mate Jesse Woolley, who spent last season on loan at Reading and said she was surprised by the lack of investment in women’s football at the Royals.

“Going from Bristol to Reading, I realised it was such a shock and a culture change,” she said. “But it just proves that women’s football still needs to come a long way. And half of the teams aren’t as lucky as the others and it can change within an instant.

“I think just because we’re women in football it doesn’t mean we get treated any differently and we shouldn’t get treated any differently. It’s our jobs at the end of the day, it’s people’s lives, people’s money, and you know, some have to leave and work normal jobs just to pay the bills.”

Bristol City will share Ashton Gate with the men’s senior team, despite being relegated from the WSL with six points.

Rodgers said the campaign was difficult as they lost every home league game, with the toughest period coming as they picked up just one point after the 2023-24 winter break – but says the dressing room was and remains strong.

“There were never any moments we turned on each other,” she said. “The toughest moment, we got some good results before Christmas and we weren’t bottom.

“Then there was a period after Christmas when there were games we wanted to get results from in the lower half of the table, and we didn’t get any results in that time.

“That was a tough period, you can’t think like that but you have to be realistic. We still gave our best, it wasn’t enough but we did stick together as a group.”