The Women’s Championship could be renamed as Women’s Super League 2 from next season. The division, which sits directly below the Women’s Super League in the English pyramid, was known originally as WSL 2 when it was introduced in 2014 and was rebranded as the Women’s Championship before the 2018‑19 campaign, when the domestic women’s calendar switched from a summer to a winter season.
No final decision regarding a name change has yet been ratified, but the proposal was first tabled more than a month ago. It is believed to have the provisional support of the majority of shareholders after a meeting in October.
It has been known since July that the names of the top two leagues might be changed. The name of top tier, the WSL, will remain unchanged, in contrast to the period between 2014 and 2018 when the top tier was labelled WSL 1 alongside WSL 2.
The proposed new combination is said to have been tabled because it would “unify the brands”, according to those with knowledge of the discussions.
Any change to the second tier’s name would need to go through further legal hurdles before it could be agreed by the new company that is running the division – known temporarily as Women’s Professional Leagues Limited – but it is understood to have passed its first key hurdle, when the shareholders meeting was held in October. The member clubs are, in essence, the principal shareholders in the new entity, which took over from the Football Association in running the top two tiers in August.
It has also been proposed that the long-term name of the company operating the Women’s Super League and the second tier could be Women’s Super League Ltd. Similarly, no final decision on that has been finalised but it would be another move towards placing emphasis on the WSL from a branding point of view.
League officials have said WPLL was merely a temporary company name after originally being dubbed “Newco”. The name of the company matters merely for administrative purposes primarily.
There are 11 teams in the second tier after Reading’s withdrawal from the league in June for financial reasons, but it is expeccted to return to 12 teams next summer. Crystal Palace won the division last season and Birmingham City sit top of the table this term. The Guardian revealed on Monday that every match in the second tier will be streamed live on YouTube from next season.
