National League clubs urge FA to end academy proposals

Fifty-two Women's National League clubs have signed a letter urging the Football Association to end its proposals to bring Women's Super League academy teams into the league structure.

The BBC reported on Thursday that the clubs have sent the letter to the FA in a coordinated show of opposition to the plan, which would introduce top-tier academy sides into the Women's National League from 2027.

The dispute has become the latest flashpoint in a consultation that has already drawn criticism from clubs and coaches across the lower tiers of the women's game. The Women's National League sits at tiers three and four of the English pyramid.

What the proposal would change

The FA has been exploring changes to the Women's National League with the stated aim of improving quality, professionalism and competitiveness, while creating better development opportunities for young English players.

Earlier reporting said the plan would add four WSL academy teams, described by the FA as Pro Game Academies, to tier three. It also included expanding the third tier from 24 to 28 teams and introducing a mid-season split, although later reporting said that split had been dropped.

Backlash from clubs

Opponents of the idea have argued that it would weaken competition and alter the identity of the league. Coaches and lower-tier figures previously described the proposals as effectively repackaged B teams.

The pushback has gathered pace over the past two months. The plan was first reported in April, when it was still under consultation and not formally ratified. In May, the Women's National League board approved the idea for further FA consideration, but no final decision had been made.

The new letter marks an escalation from criticism to organised resistance, with the clubs now asking the FA to stop the proposals altogether.

What happens next

It is not yet clear how the FA will respond to the letter. The next developments are likely to depend on whether the governing body revises, delays or drops the plan, or sets out a final decision timetable.

For now, the debate remains centred on a familiar fault line in women's football: how to improve the development pathway for elite academy players without reducing opportunities for existing clubs in the pyramid.