"For years, a recurring narrative in the lower tiers of English women's football has been of the part-time player having to balance work with their love of the game. Common are tales of players finishing a nine-to-five job, rushing straight to training for two hours then home to sleep, with no time to eat properly or for a social life. An over-romanticised symbol of the poor investment that plagued women's football for years, it is thankfully no more in the Women's Super League 2."
"We used to play games behind a Morrisons car park. I was in an all-girls team in a boys league. My dad used to play football, we would play head tennis. But the game had not developed, now it has and it is huge to see. You want football to develop, and little girls to be able to play up there, join teams and play professionally."
Lower-tier English women's football previously featured part-time players juggling jobs, training and limited social life. The Women's Super League 2 becomes fully professional for all 12 clubs in 2025–26, enabling clubs to offer full-time contracts and attract marquee signings. Recent transfers include London City Lionesses signing Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani and Newcastle United signing 71-cap England midfielder Jordan Nobbs. Nobbs, born in Stockton-on-Tees and a Sunderland youth product, returns to the north east citing Newcastle's ambition after leaving because of limited regional opportunities. Nobbs recounts playing behind a Morrisons car park, participating in boys' leagues, and stresses the importance of expanded pathways for young girls.
Read at www.bbc.com
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