Featured image credit: FA
Football clubs in England’s Women’s Super League (WSL) and Women’s Championship (WC) have agreed to proceed with the formation of a new organisation, which will be led by chief executive Nikki Doucet.
NewCo will act as an independent body, with each club in the top two tiers to become a shareholder. It is hoped the organisation will lead women’s football in England into a “new era”.
The governance structure will be put in place ahead of the 2024-25 season. Both the WSL and the WC are currently run by the Football Association (FA) but from next year the leagues will be operated by an independent organisation.
As NewCo chief executive, Doucet (pictured) will manage and oversee all aspects of the WSL and WC, including the transition of both leagues to the new body for the start of the 2024-25 season. Doucet has over 20 years of experience in the sport and financial sectors and previously served as general manager of Nike Women UK & Ireland.
The FA announced today (Tuesday) that WSL and WC clubs had “unanimously” agreed to the launch of NewCo. The breakthrough comes after reports emerged last week that the majority of WC clubs had rejected the proposals.
Terms of the new structure have not been disclosed, but it has been widely reported that WSL clubs will receive 75% of the combined revenues generated by the two leagues.
Dawn Airey, chair of the WSL and WC, said: “We are delighted to have the unanimous backing of our 24 clubs regarding the NewCo proposal, and also to have appointed Nikki.
“Nikki is an exceptional talent, and we are thrilled that she is joining us. She’s a world-class leader who combines extraordinary marketing skills with a background in finance and a deep love of sport – particularly women’s football.
“She is a visionary who passionately believes in the power of women’s football to help create positive change and a more equitable society – whilst also recognising the immense opportunity the game has to realise its financial potential. We look forward to her seminal contribution to the leagues, which have the eyes of the world on them.”
Doucet added: “Having already worked with the clubs and the FA for a number of months, I’ve been incredibly encouraged by the collective desire and shared ambition to make our leagues the most distinctive, competitive and entertaining women’s club competitions in the world.
“It’s a great privilege to help lead the next phase of this inspirational journey, which has been started by the FA through passion, investment and a steadfast commitment to the evolution of women’s football.
“Together, we now have an opportunity to see further transformational growth across our leagues by maximising the unique qualities, values and principles that we see in the women’s game, and keeping the players and the fans at the heart of everything we do.”
The profile of women’s football in England has been boosted by the Lionesses’ European Championship win on home soil in the summer of 2022. Since then, a number of WSL games have been held at Premier League stadiums, attracting impressive crowds.
Last month, a motion was put forward to construct a purpose-built stadium for Brighton & Hove Albion’s WSL team. It would become the first stadium in England specifically built for a women’s football team.
In September, Manchester City set a first for the WSL after announcing a deal with baby gear brand Joie for naming rights to the Academy Stadium. The multi-year deal is the first stadium naming-rights agreement for a top-tier women’s team in England.
Share this