Blackburn might withdraw from Women's Championship
Blackburn Rovers might withdraw from the Women's Championship next season because the club's owners are unwilling to meet the league's requirements on facilities, player welfare and staffing.They are in discussions with Women's Super League Football (WSL Football) - the company overseeing the top two tiers in England - on whether special considerations can be made.Meetings are taking place over the next week but it is understood they are in a perilous position, with players claiming they were told by a team-mate via WhatsApp that there is a "99% chance the owners will not be financially supporting the team next season".Defender Niamh Murphy, 22, said: "I have been a Blackburn Rovers player for three seasons and the only consistency there has been is the lack of financial support from the club."Whilst this season may not look successful to some, we have once again avoided relegation despite having the smallest budget."This is a huge success and a credit to the women's players and staff."
She goes on to say the team "deserves far better" and have been "left in the dark" over their future.It would be the second year a club withdraws from the league because of financial concerns after Reading dropped to the fifth tier in June 2024.All clubs in the Women's Super League (WSL) and Women's Championship must meet licence criteria to create a professional environment. The criteria includes minimum standards on aspects such as elite facilities, the number of full-time staff, wellbeing support and contact hours with players.A compliance and development review is carried out at each club at the start of the season.Blackburn's women have a rich history of developing talent with England internationals Keira Walsh, Ella Toone and Georgia Stanway among those to have come through the club's academy. But the news about the women's team comes amid wider issues around the club in recent months, and financial pressures.While Blackburn Rovers' latest accounts, published in March, showed they made a £3.3m profit, that was because of significant sales of players in the men's team such as Adam Wharton, who joined Crystal Palace for £18m. The club was spending 119% of its turnover on wages.Blackburn Rovers chief operating officer Suhail Pasha told BBC Radio Lancashire that every year the club was guaranteed to have a £20m shortfall that needed to be bridged by owners Venky's.In March several fan groups called on Pasha and two other leading officials to stay away from men's matches at Ewood Park. They were also calling on Venky's to sell the club as the men's team fell out of Championship play-off contention and lost manager John Eustace to Derby.The women's team have played matches at Ewood Park this season in an attempt to grow the fanbase, and in turn matchday revenue, but average crowds remain under 1,000.The repercussions of Blackburn's situation - should they withdraw from the second tier - are still unknown. However, one option could be to reinstate relegated Sheffield United to the Women's Championship. As is stands, it is understood the Blades have been given no indication of a change to their league status.
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Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Fury as Brighton Council plan for gender-neutral changing village at new pool being built by firm founded by Olympic swimmers
A new £5.5million pool in Brighton designed by a firm founded by Olympic swimming stars have provoked fury over plans suggesting a gender-neutral changing village. Campaigners say women and children could be put at risk as they raised questions about the mooted new facilities at Withdean Sports Complex. Venue owner Brighton and Hove City Council has handed the contract for the pool's design to ReCreation, a company set up by four-time Olympic medallist Dame Rebecca Adlington and fellow Olympic swimmers Steve Parry and Adrian Turner. Councillors have hailed 'plans for this much needed new swimming pool' to be built at the Withdean sports base, which has an athletics stadium that was formerly home to Brighton and Hove Albion FC between 1999 and 2011. But critics have drawn attention to how the newly published plans, put out to public consultation, promise 'Gender neutral changing village and toilets'. The local authority has since said there has been a 'misunderstanding' about the published plans, while suggesting they had been wrongly phrased. Complaints are now pouring in to the council's online questionnaire seeking reaction, with gender-critical campaigners raising concerns about single-sex only facilities potentially allowing predatory men access to women and children. Planning documents shared as part of an ongoing public consultation plan show designs for the new pool's footprint, accompanied by a page listing 'Key considerations' and headed 'Accessible for everyone'. The document says the proposals are for 'a new facility designed for inclusion and wellbeing' that would 'ensure access for all users'. The design features are listed as including 'ramped and stair access to suit all levels of mobility', a 'wheelchair-accessible changing cubicle' and 'designated wheelchair spaces in the spectator area'. Yet critics have highlighted one of the other bullet points which states: 'Gender-neutral changing village and toilets designed with inclusivity in mind.' Similar concerns have been raised over gender-neutral changing facilities at other leisure centres nationwide, with the group Women's Rights Network calling for curbs. Brighton and Hove City Council has shared a possible floor plan for the proposed new pool - saying cubicles would include 'a mix of single, double, family and accessible'. Human rights charity Sex Matters have said the floor plan did not appear to indicate provision for single-sex facilities. The organisation's director of advocacy Helen Joyce said: 'It's incomprehensible that any council would choose to build a new community pool with only "gender neutral" - that is, mixed sex - changing facilities. 'Most people, of both sexes, prefer single sex facilities for privacy and dignity, and for women they are important for safety too. 'There is increasing evidence that mixed sex changing rooms and toilets are a gift to predatory men who seek to harass, abuse and sexually assault women and girls.' She told of increasing reports of phone-related incidents in 'gender-neutral' changing rooms and toilets as well as complaints that men have been hiding cameras in such facilities to record women in a state of undress. Ms Joyce added: 'If Withdean Sports Complex really wants to be "inclusive", it shouldn't design its facilities in a way that will put off women and girls, especially those who have suffered abuse or are from religions and cultures where sharing changing rooms with men is unacceptable.' Faye McGinty, of Women's Rights Network which has been campaigning against such 'gender-neutral changing villages', called for authorities to show more concern. She said: 'We know that the changing village design for swimming pools is a magnet for predatory males. 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Councillor Alan Robins, cabinet member for sports, recreation and libraries, today said: 'There has been a misunderstanding over the naming of the facilities on the designs. 'But to be clear, they are for the industry standard, individual, lockable cubicles used at leisure facilities up and down the country. 'We are delighted to be consulting on a new state of the art swimming pool for residents of Brighton and Hove.' A formal planning application related to the proposed new pool is expected to be submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council later this year. But initial designs and plans for the five-lane, 25m facility were revealed this month, with councillor Mr Robins describing the unveiling as 'incredibly exciting'. 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The Guardian
29 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Poorest to benefit from Reeves's spending but tax rises likely, says thinktank
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The Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Sun
Ryanair introduces strict new £500 fine for passengers
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