Blackburn Rovers pull out of Women's Championship due to league demands
Image Source: Getty
Blackburn Rovers have confirmed their withdrawal from the
FA Women's Championship
due to being unable to fund their squad as a professional side. The club is now in discussions with the FA Women's National League board regarding the level of the women's football pyramid that the team will be operating in next season, with a decision to be confirmed in due course over the coming weeks.
Financial challenges and league requirements
The move comes after the recent rebranding of the Women's Championship, which, from next season, will require its clubs to run fully professional sides with increased support and facilities in order to protect player welfare and the integrity of competition. The increased demands on clubs are taking a huge toll financially, especially on smaller clubs.
While the effort to save the club is in vain, league officials and other interested parties did what they could to help out Blackburn, who blamed unviable financial pressure for the situation, including ballooning wage bills and reliance on matchday revenue.
Rovers cited further problems of stagnant home crowds, despite playing their matches at Ewood Park.
There have been some grim reports of the club's financial shortcomings, with players on part-time contracts just being paid the minimum wage, which has brought public criticism from former players and leading figures in the sport. Players were also notified of the withdrawal via WhatsApp, underscoring communication problems in the club.
Also Read:
FA Cup: Tottenham Hotspur suffer two cup exits in a week after fourth-round defeat to Aston Villa
Impact on players and future prospects
The withdrawal has left players, coaches, and staff in limbo. Defender Niamh Murphy expressed her frustration on social media, revealing that management had issued a seven-day deadline for securing funding and criticizing the ongoing lack of financial support from the club. The team, which is coming off a 10th-place finish in the division despite having one of the smaller budgets, has a proud tradition of developing talents such as Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, and Keira Walsh.
The club's exit from the Championship has come in the wake of a similar announcement from Reading FC Women last year, which also cited financial pressures and an inability to comply with regulations. Such changes highlight the wider pressure point on women's football clubs to remain financially viable with higher professionalisation requirements.
Get
IPL 2025
match
schedules
,
squads
,
points table
, and live scores for
CSK
,
MI
,
RCB
,
KKR
,
SRH
,
LSG
,
DC
,
GT
,
PBKS
, and
RR
. Check the latest
IPL Orange Cap
and
Purple Cap
standings.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Every Test like a knockout in WTC for Sri Lanka, says Dhananjaya de Silva
Colombo: Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva hailed the significance of the World Test Championship (WTC) after his side thumped Bangladesh by an innings and 78 runs at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) here to secure their first win of the current cycle. De Silva, reflecting on Sri Lanka's position in the global competition, acknowledged that with his team playing fewer Tests than most, every match takes on the feel of a knockout encounter. 'The WTC is like other World Cups — a lot of matches are like knockouts for us,' de Silva said after the victory. 'We've talked about how we win when we make the fewest mistakes, and we need those wins to get those extra points. In the last cycle, we made a few mistakes, and that's what cost us. Hopefully, we can correct that this cycle.' Sri Lanka, who are currently scheduled to play only a two-match series in this WTC cycle, relies heavily on the 'percentage of points won' system that allows teams with fewer matches to remain in contention for a top-two finish. De Silva underlined how the WTC had changed the mindset of his players. 'It's become a competitive trophy. We've even started thinking about our run rates in light of what's happening. The Championship is a great thing for Test cricket,' he said. 'We saw last time how well South Africa did and how they performed well recently, and they deserved to win it. They hadn't won an ICC trophy, and the Test Championship meant a lot to them. As a country, they can value that highly.' But while Sri Lanka's Test ambitions remain high, their schedule paints a stark picture — the team is not slated to play another Test until May 2026. For their red-ball specialists, this presents a unique challenge. 'We only have domestic matches,' de Silva said. 'Right now there's a One-day tournament, and after that, there will be a three-day tournament. There's also the National Super League. That's how we'll have to keep our form. Unfortunately, there are no Tests. We've made requests to SLC to play more Tests. I think they are talking about it with other teams. Even if we can play three or four extra Tests, we'll be able to continue the good things we're doing.' De Silva also shed light on the team's tactical evolution in the series against Bangladesh. Beyond scoring at a brisk pace, Sri Lanka's bowlers focused on building pressure with more maiden overs — an area the captain said they had specifically targeted. 'Whenever we come into a Test series, we have some key performance indicators,' he explained. 'One of the things we analysed this time was that our maiden percentage needed to be higher. So that's what we planned to do. We have to keep some pressure on the opposition in Tests, in order to get some wickets at the other end. I think our bowlers did that very well.'
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Jofra Archer To Feature For England At Edgbaston? ECB Managing Director Rob Key Says...
ECB managing director of men's cricket, Rob Key, dropped a subtle hint about tearaway Jofra Archer 's return in the forthcoming second Test against India in Birmingham, which is scheduled to kick off on Wednesday. Archer returned to England's Test fold for the first time since February 2021 after being named in the 14-player squad for the contest at Edgbaston. His inclusion comes in the aftermath of his return to first-class action in the County Championship on Sunday for the first time in more than four years. The 30-year-old, known to test the speed gun with his scorching pace, scalped a solitary wicket and struck 31 runs with the bat in 34 deliveries for Durham against Sussex in the County Championship. Archer's last appearance dates back to England's 10-wicket defeat by India in Ahmedabad in February 2021, following which numerous injuries plagued him and kept the promising speedster out of the format. While Archer's inclusion has left former cricketers and fans with split opinions, Key hinted at the prospect of the right-arm seamer charging at the Indian batters with his blistering pace at Edgbaston. "I would imagine [that he will play at least one of the next two Tests]. As I stand here now, that's where it's heading, but who knows? He could bowl the first ball of the [Edgbaston] Test. All options are available. The amount of work Jofra has put in over the last six months almost... There is a point where your [bowling] loads are there because of the building up you've been doing," Key said as quoted from Sky Sports. "We have to be careful with all of our bowlers but if you didn't want bowlers to get injured you would never play them. That's not what it's about. It's about getting your bowlers out there as much as possible so they can impact games of cricket," he added. If Archer fails to make the cut for the final XI, Archer could appear in the final stages of Sussex's next Championship fixture at home to Warwickshire, which will take place from Sunday to Wednesday at Hove. In 13 Test appearances, Archer has scythed 42 wickets at 31.04. "There is a chance he could play in the Championship if we think that is the best thing or it might be that if he doesn't play at Edgbaston having him around is the best thing," he said. While Archer's return to County didn't glisten with magical numbers, Key feels the 30-year-old managed to achieve his potential and added, "It was a question of could he hit his straps and could he get up to a decent pace, which we felt he did. Jofra is such a talent and was straight on the money. You need a lot of different things to be a world-class bowler, and he has all of them - pace, release point, skill, accuracy." England are currently leading 1-0 in the series after gunning down a record 371-run chase at Headingly, fuelled by Ben Duckett 's flamboyant 149, Joe Root 's composed 54* and Jamie Smith 's (44*) finishing touches. England Men's Test squad for 2nd Test: Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes. [4:32 pm, 28/06/2025] Abhishek Paul Sir NDTV: India clubbed alongside Pakistan in Pool B in Junior Men''s Hockey World Cup Lausanne (Switzerland), Jun 28 Hosts India were on Saturday clubbed alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Chile and Switzerland in Pool B of the expanded FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup to be co-hosted by Chennai and Madurai from November 28 till December 10 this year. The draw ceremony for the tournament was held at the FIH headquarters here, and this edition will feature 24 teams for the very first time. Pool A consists of Germany, South Africa, Canada and Ireland while Pool C will feature Argentina, New Zealand, Japan and China. Spain, Belgium, Egypt and Namibia are in Pool D, while Netherlands, Malaysia, England and Austria are in Pool E. Pool F will feature France, Australia, Korea and Bangladesh. International Hockey Federation president Tayyab Ikram participated in the draw ceremony along with Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, and Hockey India Director General RK Srivastava. "It is a great pleasure for me to be here ahead of a milestone moment as we start the journey towards the first ever 24-team FIH Junior Hockey World Cup! "It is a part of the FIH strategy to empower and engage the youth from all nations, including the emerging nations, and this event will be the first step towards doing that," FIH chief Ikram said in a statement. "This World Cup also brings with it the opportunity to enhance our hockey infrastructure, and in the city of Madurai, introduce a new state-of-art hockey stadium." HI secretary general Bhola Nath added: "Today marks a landmark moment for the world of hockey as we witness the pool draw for the inaugural FIH Junior Men's Hockey World Cup, featuring 24 nations." Germany are the current junior Men's World Champions, having defeated France 2-1 in the final of the 2023 edition, to win a record-extending seventh title.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
" Andar Ka Bihar London Mein Nikal Gaya": Ignored India Star's Joy Ride In England Goes Viral
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who was part of the India A squad that toured England recently, is currently playing in the County Championship. Once a regular in the Indian cricket team, Kishan saw his stocks drop after he returned midway from a Tour of South Africa in 2023-24 season. Recently, he kickstarted his County Championship campaign with Nottinghamshire with a fiery half-century against Yorkshire. On Monday, Kishan played against a Yorkshire bowling unit featuring international level talent like England's Dom Bess and New Zealand's Will O'Rourke in his trademark fearless style. He scored 87 in just 98 balls, with his knock consisting of 12 fours and a six. His runs came at a strike rate of 88.77. He was also recently spotted having a joy ride in London. He posted the video on his instagram story, with the caption: "Andar ka Bihar London mein nikal gaya. (The Bihar within me came out in London)". He can be seen dancing to a song while on a joy ride. — Cricket Fan (@Cricketfan_five) June 28, 2025 Kishan signed for Nottinghamshire, on a short-term deal covering two County Championship fixtures, according to ESPNcricinfo. This made him eligible for selection for the Championship fixtures against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge and Somerset in Taunton. The left-hander is serving as Kyle Verreynne 's replacement while the World Test Championship-winning South African is away playing a two-Test series in Zimbabwe. Kishan has played two Tests for India, scoring 78 runs in three innings with a fifty. His most prolific format is ODIs, scoring 933 runs in 27 matches and 24 innings at an average of 42.40, strike rate of 102.19, with a century and seven fifties and best score of 210. In 32 T20Is for India, he scored 796 runs at an average of 25.67, with a strike rate of 124.37, with six half-centuries and best score of 89. After losing out his central contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) last year, Kishan regained it for this year, being placed in the C-grade category. He headed into the Championship with a decent Indian Premier League (IPL) season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, scoring 354 runs in 13 innings at an average of 35.40, with a strike rate of over 152, with a century and a fifty.
