SYWF have been exclusively told when they were told about Barnsley FC’s decision to withdraw their women’s side from the National League ahead of the 2025/26 season.
On Wednesday morning, Barnsley FC revealed their decision, via a club statement, they announced changes to their women’s set-up amid financial challenges.
This notably includes dropping down from the FA Women’s National League, meaning that Doncaster Rovers Belles were handed a reprieve and saved from the drop to regional football.
The club statement read: ‘Whilst as a Club we applaud the efforts of The FA to provide financial backing to the WSL and the Women’s Championship, that funding does not trickle down sufficiently to the Women’s National League and the financial restraints put upon the Club this summer has driven us to make this difficult decision.’
It continued: ‘Despite our Men’s Academy teams being able to play competitive League fixtures on both our Showcase and 4G pitches, under EFL and Premier League regulations, we have been informed by the FA that these facilities do not meet the criteria for the fourth tier of the Women’s game and therefore the full operation would need to be moved either onto Oakwell Stadium or a local grassroots club, both are financially and logistically not possible with resources available.’
Open letter from the Chairman regarding Barnsley FC Women’s team.
— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) June 4, 2025
SYWF can exclusively reveal, per a reliable source, that players were informed of the decision on the morning of the club statement.
Later on on Wednesday, the women’s football pyramid revealed that Barnsley FC Women will not be playing in the top six tiers, despite being eligible to play in the North East Regional Women’s Football League South division, the sixth tier that houses Sheffield Wednesday Ladies notably.
The news of Barnsley FC Women’s drop out of the National League has come as a sudden shock, especially considering the ambition the club and Julie Anne Quay showed before the 2024/25 season.
