The FA Women’s Super League and Championship board has agreed to end the seasons of the top two divisions with immediate effect.
Decisions on whether the tables will be voided or teams will have their positions determined using a points per game formulation have yet to be taken, along with how promotion and/or relegation will be dealt with. A proposal on sporting outcomes will be taken to the full FA board.
An FA statement said: “Following overwhelming feedback from the clubs, the decision to bring an end to the 2019-20 season was made in the best interest of the women’s game. This will also enable clubs, the FA Women’s Super League & Women’s Championship board and the FA to plan, prepare and focus on next season when football returns for the 2020-21 campaign.
“Supporting the welfare of the clubs and players will continue to be our primary concern throughout this process, which also involved a robust and thorough examination of the logistical, operational and financial challenges that the game currently faces.”
Clubs in the professional top tier and semi-professional second tier were last Wednesday asked to comment on whether they would be able to meet the logistical and financial requirements to complete the 2019-20 season, whether the leagues should be terminated and, if so, how they should be concluded.
The options included voiding with only the Champions League positions determined, whether the leagues should be decided using a points-per-game (PPG) formula and if there should be promotion and relegation, just promotion, or neither.
The Manchester United manager, Casey Stoney, said: “It’s obviously disappointing not to be able to complete the season but it is the right decision for the safety of everyone involved. Our focus now moves to our development for next season, which we have been continuously planning for throughout the year, and we can’t wait to be back on the pitch again when it is safe to do so.”
Manchester City are one point ahead of Chelsea at the top of the WSL but have played a game more. Should the FA decide to determine the league using PPG (either weighted, to take into account the number of home and away fixtures played, or unweighted) then Chelsea will leapfrog City and be awarded the title having played a game fewer than their rivals.
Champions League places and relegation from and promotion to the WSL would be unaffected in any PPG scenario. Chelsea and Manchester City remain in the Champions League spots, Liverpool face relegation and Aston Villa are ready to go up. With no promotion or relegation between steps three and seven on the women’s football pyramid there will be no relegation from the Championship.
However, with just 71.9% of WSL games and 67.3% of Championship games having been played, it may be deemed that too little of the season has been completed. In the WSL Chelsea and Everton have not met at all.
The decision on relegation and promotion is fraught. Aston Villa have arguably earned promotion as they sit six points clear of Sheffield United at the top of the Championship. Liverpool, though, while bottom of the WSL on six points, are one point behind Birmingham, who have a game in hand, and three points behind Bristol City, and so are not adrift.
Promote Villa and keep Liverpool in the WSL and the FA’s decision making lacks consistency. While the top tier would begin a new season with a frustrating odd number of teams and the Championship would have only 10 teams fighting it out across nine months.