Chelsea manager Emma Hayes is open to the idea of the women’s game being a closed league.
The Women’s Super League and Championship operates on a promotion and relegation basis. A closed or franchised league, however, would have the same teams year on year.
A league may decide to expand by granting membership to another team.
Hayes is a contributor to the ongoing review into the future of domestic women’s football, launched by the UK government in September 2022, and chaired by former England and Great Britain footballer Karen Carney MBE.
“I’ve worked in (a franchise league) in the United States,” said Hayes. “I like the idea of relegation and promotion from a traditional perspective but it doesn’t mean we should be hamstrung by it.
“We should be open about it. I’ve seen the successes of promoting franchise type leagues and the consistency that can place in running it.
“The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a great example. We should be open to everything. Everything shouldn’t always be compared to something that is either traditional or just because of the men’s game. We should have an openness about reflecting on the pluses and minuses.”
“We’re looking into everything,” Carney said when asked about the possibility of closed…
