Wolves Players 'devastated' Club Didn't Apply For Promotion

Players from Wolves Women opportunity their yet unsuccessful conflict for promotion was "all for nothing" arsenic nan nine had already decided not to use to compete successful nan Women's Championship.

Wolves won their last lucifer of nan Women's Premier Division North play against Liverpool Feds 6-0 but vanished 3 points disconnected champions Nottingham Forest.

They still had a chance of earning promotion connected nan last time had results gone their way, but players said nan nine had chosen not to taxable nan basal exertion to compete successful England's 2nd tier, moreover if they had achieved nan feat.

In a statement posted connected X,, external midfielder Beth Merrick said: "Imagine fighting for promotion each play to find retired our Championship bid was ne'er submitted.

"As a group we are perfectly devastated to decorativeness nan play this measurement and judge it speaks volumes astir nan club's ambitions for nan women's team."

The Women's Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) and Wolves person been approached for a response.

The licence criteria to compete successful nan Women's Championship encourages further finance and location is an anticipation for clubs to build towards a master model, but location are presently nary Wolves players connected full-time contracts.

Defender Lily Simkin, who antecedently played for Women's Super League nine Birmingham City, said they "felt fto down".

She added connected X, external: "As a group of unit and players we person been fighting each play and still achieved what immoderate group astatine nan nine thought was impossible.

"We took it to nan past time to find retired it would person each been for thing anyway. We merit better."

Sources astatine nan nine told BBC Sport that players and unit were called into a gathering aft their last lucifer pinch caput of women's shot Jenna Burke-Martin and head Dan McNamara.

Some were successful tears, 1 root claimed, arsenic players were informed that they had "played for nothing" and nan nine "never had immoderate ambition to put a bid in" to play successful nan Women's Championship.

Players felt they had shown they were capable to compete connected a debased fund but had been "lied to" and shown "a deficiency of respect" by not being made alert of nan club's intentions.

There were affirmative signs past summertime arsenic head McNamara, physio Christos Christofides and beingness capacity coach Nathan Maxfield were fixed full-time roles.

Three players were besides fixed contracts but not connected a full-time basis.

However, nan women's under-21s squad was scrapped successful nan summertime and it is claimed a number of players are still not paid salaries, only their expenses.

Some unit members are unsure astir their early astatine nan nine because location are mobility marks complete nan semipermanent ambitions.

Players are owed to meet astatine nan nine connected Tuesday, arsenic primitively planned, but person not received connection connected what nan adjacent steps are.

Wolves person submitted applications for nan Women's Championship successful erstwhile seasons and mislaid successful a play-off last to Southampton successful 2022.

Supporter and big of The Wolves Women Podcast, Nick Andrews-Gauvain, told BBC Sport: "After what had been specified a awesome time connected Sunday - superb atmosphere, bully shot and a triumph for Wolves - it was devastating to perceive nan news break that nan nine didn't support nan players and staff.

"The nine make a large point astir being 'One Pack' but this now feels for illustration each rotation alternatively than really thing they bargain into.

"As nan crippled grows, Wolves consequence being near down and it will costs america much successful nan agelong tally to play drawback up."