Recap all the in's and out's of the twelve Women's Championship teams

The 2023/24 Women’s Championship season looks set to be close and unpredictable! On the first weekend alone, Blackburn Rovers beat one of the favourites Birmingham City, Southampton were the only side to score more than one goal as they won 4-1 at Lewes, whilst the other four matches ended in draws with Sheffield United and Crystal Palace scoring late equalisers. The fight to be champions with promotion spot to the WSL and to avoid the two relegation places looks like it could be thrilling. 

Reading and Watford join the league for this season replacing Bristol City and Coventry United (now Rugby Borough). 

Four of the clubs have new managers for this season, with perhaps the most interesting appointment being that of former Italian international and Italy, Canada, Lazio and AC Milan manager Carolina Morace at London City Lionesses.  

There have been a lot of player movements in the Championship and the full list for each side can be seen below in the club information.  London City Lionesses have seen the biggest turnover with 16 players leaving and 13 joining.

After relegation from the WSL, Reading announced they will be operating under a part-time model for this season. Sheffield United announced during the summer they will begin the transition towards operating a full-time playing model, whilst Sunderland have adopted a hybrid playing model for the 2023/24 season.

Here is information about all 12 sides in the league including where they play, links for tickets, social media accounts, and all the comings and goings during the summer (correct as of Saturday 2nd September 2023).

Birmingham City

Ground – St Andrew’s Stadium B9 4RL

Tickets – Event Tickets List - Online ticket office (eticketing.co.uk)

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @BCFCWomen  Instagram - bcfcwomen

Manager – Darren Carter

Last season – 2nd Women’s Championship

Players joined – Ellie Mason (Lewes), Charlie Devlin (Leicester City), Charlotte Clarke (Liverpool), Katie Dungate (Chelsea), Remi Allen (Aston Villa), Neve Herron (Sunderland), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Jade Moore (Manchester United)

Players left – Charlie Estcourt (Reading), Eleanor Ryan-Doyle (Durham), Lily Simkin, Mollie Green (Nottingham Forest), Harriet Scott (retired), Lucy Jones (West Bromwich Albion – dual registration)

Blackburn Rovers

Ground – Lancashire FA County Ground PR25 2LF (Clubs main ground - Ewood Park BB2 4JF)

Tickets – Event Tickets List - eTickets (eticketing.co.uk)

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @RoversWFC  Instagram - roverswfc

Manager – Simon Parker

Last season – 10th Women’s Championship

Players joined – Chloe Williams (Manchester United), Niamh Murphy (Manchester United), Tyler Toland (Levante), Georgia Walters (Sheffield United), Lucy Shepherd (London City Lionesses), Hannah Silcock (Liverpool – loan)

Players left – Camilla Kur (retired), Ellie Leek (Stoke City), Saffron Jordan (Stoke City), Natasha Fenton (Sunderland), Chloe Dixon (Nottingham Forest), Kayleigh McDonald (Stoke City)

Charlton Athletic

Ground – The Oakwood DA1 4EU (Clubs main ground – The Valley SE7 8BL)

Tickets – Buy Tickets: Charlton Athletic Ticketing (cafc.co.uk)

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @CAFCWomen  Instagram - cafcwomen

Manager – Karen Hills

Last season – 4th Women’s Championship

Players joined – Kate Longhurst (West Ham United), Sian Rogers (Aston Villa), Kayleigh Green (Brighton & Hove Albion), Elisha N’Dow (Aston Villa), Rebecca McKenna (Lewes), Carla Humphrey (Liverpool), Karin Muya (London City Lionesses), Freya Godfrey (Arsenal – loan)

Players left – Lauren Bruton (retired), Alex Hennessy (Billericay Town), Corinne Henson (Watford), Emma Folis, Emily Simpkins (retired), Poppy Soper (Ipswich Town – loan), Heidi Logan (Stoke City – loan)

Crystal Palace

Ground – VBS Community Stadium SM1 2EY (Clubs main ground – Selhurst Park SE25 6PU)

Tickets – Event Tickets List - eTickets (eticketing.co.uk)

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @cpfc_w  Instagram – cpfc_w

Manager – Laura Kaminski

Last season – 5th Women’s Championship

Players joined – Lia Cataldo (Bristol City), Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), Shanade Hopcroft (London City Lionesses), Keira Berry (Manchester United – loan), Araya Dennis (Arsenal)

Players left – Rianna Dean (Southampton), Hollie Olding (Lewes), Emily Wilson-White, Lizzie Waldie (Hearts), Coral-Jade Haines (Watford)

Durham

Ground – Maiden Castle DH1 3SE

Tickets – Durham Women FC (ticketco.events)

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @DurhamWFC  Instagram - durhamwfc

Manager – Lee Sanders

Last season – 7th Women’s Championship

Players joined – Eleanor Ryan-Doyle (Birmingham City), Amy Andrews (Western Illinois University), Abby Holmes (Sunderland)

Players left – Maria Farrugia (Lewes), Rio Hardy (Rangers), Bridget Galloway (Newcastle United), Hannah Greenwood (Newcastle United)

Lewes

Ground – The Dripping Pan BN7 2XA

Tickets – Buy tickets for Lewes Football Club (tickettailor.com)

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @LewesFCWomen  Instagram - lewesfcwomen

Manager – Scott Booth

Last season – 9th Women’s Championship

Players joined – Caragh Hamilton (Glentoran), Anna Grey (Ipswich Town), Maria Farrugia (Durham), Sarah Brasero-Carreira (Ipswich Town), Hollie Olding (Crystal Palace), Grace Riglar (Sheffield United), Grace Garrad (Stabaek), Kate Oakley (Liverpool), Shauna Vassell (London Bees), Reanna Blades (Chelsea – loan)

Players left – Izzy Dalton (Perth Glory), Ellie Mason (Birmingham City), Paula Howells (Saltdean United), Rebecca McKenna (Charlton Athletic), Amber-Keegan Stobbs (Newcastle United), Emily Kraft (Southampton), Nat Johnson (Nottingham Forest)

London City Lionesses

Ground – Princes Park DA1 1RT

Tickets – Single Match & Season Tickets | London City Lionesses

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @LC_Lionesses  Instagram - londoncitylionesses

Manager – Carolina Morace

Last season – 3rd Women’s Championship

Players joined – Connie Scofield (Leicester City), Sophie Hillyerd (West Ham United), Tinaya Alexander (Reading), Georgia Brougham, Paige Satchell (Wellington Phoenix), Sonia O’Neill (Turbine Potsdam), Grace Moloney (Reading), Niamh Farrelly (Parma Calcio), Emma Mukandi (Reading), Danielle Carter (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah (Aston Villa), Maddi Wilde (Bristol City – loan)

Players left – Shae Yanez (San Diego Wave), Amy Rodgers (Bristol City), Lily Agg (Birmingham City), Harley Bennett (Watford), Charlotte Fleming (Watford), Carly Girasoli (Hearts), Katie Kitching (Sunderland), Anna Pedersen, Lucy Shepherd (Blackburn Rovers), Hayley Nolan (Crystal Palace), Shanade Hopcroft (Crystal Palace), Sarah Ewens (Rangers), Jamie-Lee Napier (Bristol City), Atlanta Primus (Southampton), Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Karin Muya (Charlton Athletic)

Reading

Ground – Select Car Leasing Stadium RG2 0FL

Tickets – Buy Tickets: Reading FC Ticketing

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @ReadingFCWomen  Instagram - readingwomenfc

Manager – Liam Gilbert

Last season – 12th Women’s Super League

Players joined – Charlie Estcourt (Birmingham City), Ava Kuyken (Hibernian), Rose Kite (Oxford United), Rachel Dugdale (Rugby Borough), Georgia Wilson (Aab Kvinder), Emily Orman (Chelsea – loan), Josie Longhurst (Lewes)

Players left – Emma Mukandi (London City Lionesses), Faye Bryson, Chloe Peplow (Southampton), Grace Moloney (London City Lionesses), Becky Jane, Amalie Eikeland (SK Brann), Emma Harries (West Ham United), Gemma Evans (Manchester United), Justine Vanhaevermaet (Everton), Natasha Dowie, Deanne Rose, Tinaya Alexander (London City Lionesses), Hannah Poulter (Southern California University), Rachel Rowe (Rangers)

Sheffield United

Ground – Bramall Lane S2 4SU

Tickets – Buy Tickets: Sheffield United Ticketing (sufc.co.uk)

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @sufc_women  Instagram – sufc_women

Manager – Jonathan Morgan

Last season – 8th Women’s Championship

Players joined – Sophie Barker (Leicester City), Jess Sigsworth (Leicester City), Isobel Goodwin (Rugby Borough), Ashley Hodson (Liverpool), Jodie Hutton (Bristol City), Ella Kinzett (Manchester United), Fran Stenson (Arsenal), Tara Bourne (Manchester United), Olivia Page (Eastern Suburbs AFC), Alanta Brown (Burnley), Juliet Adebowale-Arimoro (London Bees), Ellie May (Burnley)

Players left – Ellie Wilson (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Nina Wilson (Hibernian), Georgia Walters (Blackburn Rovers), Grace Riglar (Lewes), Naomi Hartley, Mia Enderby (Liverpool), Courtney Sweetman-Kirk, Alethea Paul (Burnley), Rhema Lord-Mears (Burnley)

Southampton

Ground – St Mary’s Stadium SO14 5FP

Tickets – Men | Fixture Listing | Southampton FC Official Site

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @SaintsFCWomen (matchday)/@SouthamptonFC  Instagram - saintsfcwomen

Manager – Marieanne Spacey-Cale

Last season – 6th Women’s Championship

Players joined – Chloe Peplow (Reading), Rianna Dean (Crystal Palace), Emily Kraft (Lewes), Molly Pike (Leicester City), Jemma Purfield (Leicester City), Isabel Milne (Chelsea), Atlanta Primus (London City Lionesses), Emma Thompson (Chelsea)

Players left – Georgie Freeland (Portsmouth), Phoebe Williams (Oxford United), Ella Pusey, Beth Lumsden (Portsmouth), Ella Hunkin

Sunderland

Ground – Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground DH5 9NA (Clubs main ground – Stadium of Light SR5 1SU)

Tickets – Event Tickets List - eTickets (eticketing.co.uk)

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @SAFCWomen  Instagram - safcwomen

Manager – Mel Reay

Last season – 11th Women’s Championship

Players joined – Mary McAteer (Rugby Borough), Katie Kitching (London City Lionesses), Natasha Fenton (Blackburn Rovers), Jenna Dear (Valerenga), Amy Goddard (Oxford United), Ellen Jones (Leicester City)

Players left – Abbey Joice (retired), Abby Towers (Middlesbrough), Danielle Brown, Allison Cowling, Brenna McPartlan (Burnley), Emma Kelly (Newcastle United), Neve Herron (Birmingham City), Nicki Gears, Tyler Dodds (Newcastle United), Abby Holmes (Durham)

Watford

Ground – Grosvenor Vale HA4 6JQ (Clubs main ground – Vicarage Road Stadium WD18 0ER)

Tickets – Buy Tickets: Watford FC Ticketing

Social Media – X (Twitter) - @WatfordFCWomen  Instagram - watfordfcwomen

Manager – Damon Lathrope

Last season – 1st Women’s National League

Players joined – Ellie Head (Arsenal), Harley Bennett (London City Lionesses), Coral-Jade Haines (Crystal Palace), Abbie Lafayette (Ipswich Town), Lucia Leon (Real Betis), Corinne Henson (Charlton Athletic), Carly Johns (Oxford United), Charlotte Fleming (London City Lionesses), Olivia Clark (Bristol City – loan), Michelle Agyemang (Arsenal – dual registration), Laila Harbert (Arsenal – dual registration), Katie Reid (Arsenal – dual registration)

Players left – Helen Ward (retired), Adekite Fatuga-Dada, Emily Wallace, Faye Brough (Elfen), Georgie Ferguson (Stoke City), Nicola Gibson (AFC Wimbledon)