Barclays WSL2 PLAYERS ELIGIBLE FOR PFA MEMBERSHIP AS WOMEN’S SECOND TIER BECOMES FULLY PROFESSIONAL FOR THE FIRST TIME
The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and Women’s Super League Football (WSL Football), the body responsible for running the Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) and the Barclays Women’s Super League 2 (BWSL2), have confirmed that, for the first time, BWSL2 players are now eligible for membership of the PFA, the players’ trade union.
Players from the second tier are now eligible to join the PFA and gain access, support and representation from the union across a range of issues relating to their contracts, rights and conditions. They will also qualify for the services and benefits provided by the PFA.
This is possible due to the positive changes WSL Football has introduced to make the BWSL2 fully professional and raise the minimum standards within the game, meaning that alongside the BWSL, England is the only country in the world with two fully professional women’s leagues.
The full professionalisation of BWSL2 follows the publication of the independent review into women’s football, commissioned by government and chaired by Karen Carney OBE, in 2023. Alongside recommendations in areas such as minimum standards for players, maternity rights and mental health support, the Review recommended that comprehensive and formalised union representation for both the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship (now BWSL2) players was funded.
WSL Football took over responsibility of the top two tiers of the women’s competition in 2024 and, as a result, the union and WSL Football have now reached a funding agreement which will help support the services provided by the PFA to players in both the BWSL and BWSL2.
The agreement also comes after a new PFNCC (Professional Football Negotiating and Consultative Committee) was established to cover issues affecting players in the BWSL and BWSL2. The committee, which has existed in the men’s game for decades, has now been introduced in the women’s game as a forum to ensure players have a voice on decisions which may impact them. The committee will now act as the primary formal mechanism for issues to be discussed and agreed between the league and the players.
Holly Murdoch, COO, WSL Football, said:
“The women’s game is on a steep upwards trajectory, evolving from amateur to professional in a remarkably short time. The steps we have put into place to fully professionalise the BWSL2 is another move forward and our commitment to a player-centred approach ensures every footballer in the BWSL and BWSL2 can benefit from the PFA’s comprehensive support and expertise.
Karen Carney’s Raise the Bar recommendations have been instrumental in shaping the future of the women’s game and since WSL Football was established, we have enjoyed a collaborative relationship with the PFA which we look forward to building on in the coming years.”
Maheta Molango, PFA CEO, said:
“Support for our members in the women’s game is at the heart of what the PFA does, and we’re pleased to be able to welcome players from a fully professional BWSL2 at such a vital time for the women’s game.
“For any union to represent its members effectively it needs recognition and a seat at the table when decisions are being made. It needs there to be agreed employee rights and conditions, and transparency and proper forums that allow employees and their union to speak up when they feel these are not being met.
“The reality is that a lot of that infrastructure just hasn’t been in place in the women’s game, but the change in management of the BWSL and BWSL2 has been a key moment for the women’s game in terms of embracing the need for far greater professional standards for players. We’ve been able to be a constructive partner in helping WSL Football drive that forward and we’re looking forward to continuing that relationship.
“On a practical level, as a trade union the PFA provides its members with an almost unprecedented range of support in their professional and personal lives. Karen Carney’s review rightly pointed out that the services provided by the PFA to players in the women’s game needed to be properly funded by the organisers of the competitions they play in. That’s something that for far too long had not happened but, with WSL Football now taking on the running of the leagues, we’re pleased that this has been addressed.”
Commenting on the Karen Carney, said ”“This is a proud and significant moment for the women’s game. It's such a clear step forward in delivering on one of the key recommendations from the review and will be essential to creating a sustainable, high-performance environment. It means players’ voices are heard, their rights are protected, and their welfare is prioritised. The professionalisation of BWSL2 and this agreement with the PFA show just how far the game has come and how seriously it is now being treated as a profession which can only drive women's football forward"
