This could be helpful for them if they keep improving.
WSL adding two more teams.

Hope she has consulted Jesus about the best formation when selecting her team

I don't know enough about it, so are WSL and WSL2 teams all professional, and what league are our ladies in?

distortiondave wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 18, 2025 7:00 pm

I don't know enough about it, so are WSL and WSL2 teams all professional, and what league are our ladies in?

Supposed to be professional from this season. Whether there’s a bit of leeway for WSL2 teams to transition, I’m not sure.

Our ladies are in the league below, forget the name. They need to win their league to get promoted which makes it hard.

Won’t be playing Rovers Women in any division

Only one goes up from the national league north which makes it difficult, however now we've gone pro I presume we will give it a good go

Matt Beard set to become the new head coach. Former Liverpool and chelsea women's manager

It will be different in Burnley's league moving forward as well. Top of the North and South leagues will be automatically promoted (as it is now) but the 2nd place teams in each league will have a play off match with the winner promoted to WSL2

claretburns wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 19, 2025 2:52 pm

It will be different in Burnley's league moving forward as well. Top of the North and South leagues will be automatically promoted (as it is now) but the 2nd place teams in each league will have a play off match with the winner promoted to WSL2

That’s really good news. Is that starting next season? Gives something to play for. With the current system if one team is running away with it the season dies off.

A 2nd/3rd place semi final and then final vs the winner of the Southern semi would be better still.

Andym26 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 19, 2025 11:30 am

Matt Beard set to become the new head coach. Former Liverpool and chelsea women's manager

Can’t say I’ve ever heard of him but a quick google would suggest that’s an impressive signing on paper.

With Chris Casper and the CEO from Man United (is he still joining?), we seem to be making some good leadership appointments recently.

In the last few seasons it's been the team that's turned professional that's tended to win the league (unsurprisingly) and I think there's only been one each time. I wonder if Burnley will be the only pro team in the division next year or whether there will be more.

aggi wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 19, 2025 9:00 pm

In the last few seasons it's been the team that's turned professional that's tended to win the league (unsurprisingly) and I think there's only been one each time. I wonder if Burnley will be the only pro team in the division next year or whether there will be more.

This is a good point. Not certain on this as haven’t checked every team, but the only one that seemed possible was Wolves. They have no players on full time contracts and apparently wouldn’t have been promoted last year even if they won the league as the club didn’t apply:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 0contracts.

Given they’re our main competition next year, perhaps we could poach a few. They don’t sound happy!

Our women’s team turning professional could well be connected to PSR.
Chelsea recently valued their women’s team at £250m. This is actually a future value estimate based on what they believe they will be worth in a number of years time (think it’s 2050 ?).
You can use this future value within your PSR calculations. It’s a blatant getting round the rules strategy from Chelsea and the rest of the league did not object because I’m pretty sure they will start to do this too. Things like this will effectively see the end of PSR.

Big Vinny K wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 20, 2025 6:07 am

Our women’s team turning professional could well be connected to PSR.
Chelsea recently valued their women’s team at £250m. This is actually a future value estimate based on what they believe they will be worth in a number of years time (think it’s 2050 ?).
You can use this future value within your PSR calculations. It’s a blatant getting round the rules strategy from Chelsea and the rest of the league did not object because I’m pretty sure they will start to do this too. Things like this will effectively see the end of PSR.

I don't think it was just a valuation - it was an actual sale to its parent company. Either way, it's wrong. Rather than it ending PSR, hopefully the PL is able to tighten its associated-party transaction rules to align to UEFA and EFL. As you suggest, it does make your wonder about our club's motives with its complex company structures and funding flows.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... d2egjrp31o

They actually sold the ladies team to their holding company for £198m.

That would be like ALK selling the ladies team to Calder Vale Holdings or Kettering capital or Velocity capital.

Basically they bought it off themselves to ensure the mens team made profit to avoid PSR.

taio wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 20, 2025 6:43 am

I don't think it was just a valuation - it was an actual sale to its parent company. Either way, it's wrong. Rather than it ending PSR, hopefully the PL is able to tighten its associated-party transaction rules to align to UEFA and EFL. As you suggest, it does make your wonder about our club's motives with its complex company structures and funding flows.

Yep I remember that now.
The most recent clip I saw was talking about the future valuation aspect. Basically saying you can put any number you want on it based on an assumption of the growth of the women’s game in the future and also based on how the value of football clubs has grown so much in the last decade or so.
Guess the transaction of actually selling your club to effectively yourself using these ridiculous future valuations is the bit that keeps you within PSR.

The only reason this was allowed to happen without other clubs objecting has got to be so they can follow suit at some point

Matt Beard also did well as West Ham ladies manager- there's a documentary on either Netflix or Amazon I think about his time there. Good watch

NewClaret » Thu Jun 19, 2025 10:33 am
Our ladies are in the league below, forget the name. They need to win their league to get promoted which makes it hard.

No need for talk like that!

Matt Beard appointment confirmed.

And if Martin Slater posts on this board, well played, sir

Taffy on the wing wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 20, 2025 11:45 am

NewClaret » Thu Jun 19, 2025 10:33 am
Our ladies are in the league below, forget the name. They need to win their league to get promoted which makes it hard.

No need for talk like that!

Filth Taffy!

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 19, 2025 6:31 pm

That’s really good news. Is that starting next season? Gives something to play for. With the current system if one team is running away with it the season dies off.

A 2nd/3rd place semi final and then final vs the winner of the Southern semi would be better still.

According to the BBC article I read it is waiting on the FA to confirm the plans but it is more than likely to come through for this coming season.

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 19, 2025 9:24 pm

This is a good point. Not certain on this as haven’t checked every team, but the only one that seemed possible was Wolves. They have no players on full time contracts and apparently wouldn’t have been promoted last year even if they won the league as the club didn’t apply:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 0contracts.

Given they’re our main competition next year, perhaps we could poach a few. They don’t sound happy!

Another potential competition could be Middlesbrough, promoted from the 4th tier, whilst not yet fully professional they merged with the men's team 2 years ago and have had a lot of finance put behind them.

claretburns wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 21, 2025 11:45 pm

Another potential competition could be Middlesbrough, promoted from the 4th tier, whilst not yet fully professional they merged with the men's team 2 years ago and have had a lot of finance put behind them.

Good information, thanks. Feel we need to throw a bit of cash at it this year and get ourselves up.

claretburns wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 21, 2025 11:44 pm

According to the BBC article I read it is waiting on the FA to confirm the plans but it is more than likely to come through for this coming season.

Cheers, let’s hope that comes through then.