WSL restructure

[ProudDad01]

Just wondering if restructure from next season will impact on current RTC system.

If Top Tier clubs have to have an academy in place, will this then mean that those Academy sides also play in a league? Will it be regionalised?

Any thoughts?

[Macca23]

I hope not because those who do not live in the North West or London will be severely restricted for starters!!

 If there are, for example, 10 full time WSL 1 clubs all with compulsory academies, will the FA pull the plug on their RTCs? If so this will be very poor news for the many girls in this system as there are currently 34 RTCs. So 34 decent academies into just 10? I really hope not 

[croc]

Girls will still be able to play football, be better if the money went into the situation for all rather than just those in rtcs.  It'd even be better for 90% of rtc players when they find WSL clubs don't want them.

[Aphrodites Child]

"Girls will still be able to play football, be better if the money went into the situation for all rather than just those in rtcs.  It'd even be better for 90% of rtc players when they find WSL clubs don't want them."

yet another step towards equality with men's game; we have had fixture changes to accommodate tv, some less than convenient kick off times etc etc

[Kelly]

The FA have set up an U21 Elite Academy in partnership with Ipswich Town Academy. The girls train 3 times a week and have Wednesday as day release from which ever college they attend (aimed at 16-21 years). This season the fixtures list is a mix of boys academies, good boys teams and WSL development squads. The intention next year is to play in the WSL Development league. The FA have appreciated that there are areas of the UK that are do not have a WSL team and that the girls need a quality alternative post RTC. I believe that some girls travel quite a distance to train and for day release there is a mini bus from the station. The academy has a full time main coach and utilises all the facilities of the Ipswich town academy including the physio department, strength and conditioning coach gym etc. Its possible that this is going to be rolled out in other areas of the country and is possibly also linked to the WSL restructuring. I suspect that the structure is somewhat better than you would find in many of the WSL Development squads.

If you need more information then contact Ipswich Town or the FA, I also understand that they will consider any elite player who may wish to join this season and they will help negotiate day release for them.