2. The New WSL Promotion/Relegation Pathway
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
2. The New WSL Promotion/Relegation Pathway
-
Narrated by:
-
By:
About this listen
This week on She Shoots, She Tours! – The Deep Dive, Cath Hurley gets into one of the biggest structural shifts in the women’s game: how promotion and relegation will work in the WSL as it expands. With the top flight moving to 14 teams and a new playoff on the way, what happens in the 2025–26 bridge season, and what does the long-term system look like from 2026–27 onward? Cath breaks the rules down in plain English, then digs into why they matter: more jeopardy at both ends of the table, more meaningful games, and a clearer route into the elite tier.
From licensing standards and the real cost of being “WSL-ready,” to the risks of yo-yo clubs, financial cliff edges, fixture load, and talent dilution, this episode weighs the upside and the danger of a more open league. And because the WSL doesn’t exist in a bubble, Cath zooms out to tiers 3 and below - where the FA is still reshaping the staircase with bigger divisions, lower-tier playoffs, regionalisation, and even the spicy B-team proposal. Honest, balanced, and properly in the weeds - let’s deep dive.