FA 'determined' to give Sheffield United Women chance to finish Championship campaign

On Thursday, the FA Council ratified the decision to expunge the campaign for all women’s leagues below the Championship due to the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus.

Sheffield United are currently second in the Championship, six points behind leaders Aston Villa with six league games remaining.

The Blades have lost just two Championship fixtures all season and, at this present time, will get a chance to play out the remainder of the campaign.

“The top two tiers of the women’s football pyramid have decided to indefinitely postpone their 2019-20 season to see if the remaining games can be played,” read a statement from the FA’s director of the women’s professional game, Kelly Simmons.

“Therefore, we are determined to finish the Barclays FA WSL, FA Women’s Championship seasons and the Women’s FA Cup in the most appropriate way.”

With the situation evolving at a fast pace, the FA claim they are working on various scenarios that would allow them to conclude the season.

Simmons continued: “Rest assured my team are working around the clock on various scenarios and to find the solutions which meet the needs of the clubs and players and place safety and welfare as the number one priority.

"I recognise that this is an extremely difficult time for the clubs at all levels of our game and we’re doing all we can to provide them with support and guidance to get through this period.”

Simmons expressed sympathy with teams in the lower reaches of the women’s game who have had their matches expunged but insisted that concluding the season via a points-per-game ratio would have been unfair.

She added: “With some clubs playing less than 50 per cent of games, a formula to decide promotion and relegation across the pyramid was deemed unfair.

“It was a very difficult decision for all involved, however it was made with the game’s best interest at heart.”