A new era has officially dawned for English women’s professional football after the top two divisions were taken over by the FA by an independent, club-owned association led by managing director Nikki Doucet.
The Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), as it will be provisionally called (a name change is expected in the future), has assumed responsibility for the Barclays Women’s Super League and the Barclays Women’s Championship following the completion of the ownership transfer agreement.
Every club in the top two divisions is now a shareholder 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 professional women’s football will be built on the foundations of collaboration and we look forward to working with all stakeholders to drive transformative and sustainable growth across our leagues by leveraging the special qualities, values and principles of the women’s game.
“Women’s football in England has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years, characterised by greater fan engagement, increasing attendances at matches and a rise in participation at all levels. We are determined to continue to build on this momentum by creating a thriving landscape that prioritises player welfare and development, encourages and excites a vibrant fanbase and supports the growth of the sport.
“As we embark on this exciting journey, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the FA for their outstanding work in developing the sport. We look forward to building on these solid foundations and taking professional women’s football in England to unprecedented levels.”
This new era sees, for the first time in England, an independent and dedicated organisation focused solely on the promotion and development of the women’s game, with a focus on creating a robust framework for the expansion of the game, long-term sustainable growth and ensuring transparent and accountable governance.
The WPLL board is comprised of chairwoman Dawn Airey CBE, who has chaired the women’s professional leagues within the Football Association since the boards of the two divisions merged in 2019. The FA will retain a seat through its special share, while the Premier League will also be on the board until the start-up loan, a £20 million interest-free loan, is repaid.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “This is a pivotal moment in the development of professional women’s football in England and we are delighted 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 prides itself on supporting football at all levels and over the last few years we have increased our support for women’s and girls’ football. This ranges from investing in developing career pathways for young players to supporting the professional game. We look forward to being closely involved at this exciting time for women’s football.”
Independent non-executive directors include experienced CEO Sean Cornwell, former Depop CEO Maria Raga Frances and Malcolm Kpedekpo, a partner at Panoramic Growth Equity, a company he co-founded in 2009.
The WPLL’s new leadership team, which will report to Doucet, consists of Chief Operating Officer Holly Murdoch, acting Chief Marketing Officer Ruth Hooper, Chief Football Officer Mirelle Van Rijbroek and Chief Revenue Officer Zarah Al Kudcy.
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