Sheffield United Ladies take next step on journey to the top

Sheffield United players celebrate scoring against Leeds United back in October 2017. On Monday their application to join the second tier of English women's football was accepted. (Picture: Glenn Ashley)

United have been accepted along with the newly formed Manchester United Women plus Leicester City Women and Lewes FC Women.

It means there will be three South Yorkshire sides in women’s football’s 12-team second tier with Sheffield FC Ladies and newly-crowned champions Doncaster Rovers Belles already established in the division.

Charlton Athletic Women will also enter FAWSL2 after beating Blackburn Rovers in the Women’s Premier League Championship play-off final at Bramall Lane on Sunday.

Lee Walshaw, general manager of Sheffield United Ladies.

The acceptance of Carla Ward’s United side comes as part of another restructuring of the women’s game in England with top tier FAWSL1 going full-time from the start of next season.

Ward said: “This is a momentous day for Sheffield United. There’s total commitment, right at the highest level of the club, to get to where we want to be.

“That’s great to see and now, thanks to a successful bid, we have a busy summer ahead as we prepare to make our mark on the FA Women’s Championship.”

United Ladies’ general manager, Lee Walshaw, added: “We’ve been planning for this for the past 18 months and now we have the green light we can begin to roll out our plans. We are ready to go, we can begin straight away. Everything is set and in place.

“Carla has played in the FA Women’s Super League, she has contacts and relationships and now it is a case of pulling everything together ahead of kicking off in the new league in September.”

Manchester United’s inclusion comes just two months after setting up a women’s team.

Chairman Ed Woodward said: “Starting a professional team from scratch is challenging and we will make every effort to provide the support and experience for the new women’s team to uphold the traditions of our club.”

Next season’s Women’s Super League will be extended to 11 teams, with Brighton & Hove Albion Women and West Ham United Ladies replacing Sunderland Ladies – who turned part-time and this week revealed losses of £400,000.