Barnsley FC Women have announced that they will be withdrawing from the FA Women’s National League, which comes as a massive shock when looking back at the ambition the club had previously shown.
In a recent club statement, Barnsley FC have announced that they will be withdrawing their women’s team from the FA Women’s National League.
The Reds finished in a respectable 8th place in the 2024/25 National League campaign, escaping relegation back to the 5th tier.
Barnsley FC Women’s status in the 4th tier has been in jeopardy due to financial uncertainties, and a statement by chairman Neerav Parekh confirmed the club’s feat.
It read: “Following weeks of discussions both internally as a board and externally with The Football Association (The FA), it is with great sadness that we can confirm that Barnsley FC’s Women’s team will be withdrawing from the FA Women’s National League ahead of the 25/26 season.
“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.
“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.”
This decision comes as quite a surprise from Barnsley FC, especially when reflecting on the comments previously made by co-owner Julie Anne Quayn and former chief executive officer Khaled El-Ahmad.
- READ MORE: Redefining the content industry: Meet the Barnsley-based social media sensation Kadie Leigh
Open letter from the Chairman regarding Barnsley FC Women’s team.
— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) June 4, 2025
What Julie Anne Quay said about Barnsley FC Women about ‘professional’ ambitions
Barnsley FC Women have undergone a brilliant emergence in recent years, having gone into the National League in 2024/25 after winning the North East Regional Premier division.
It looked set that they would continue that upwards trajectory, based on the fact that it seemed as though the ambition was met by the club.
Back in July 2024, speaking to The Mirror, Julie Anne Quay said: “They’re champions. They have a trophy. We’re up to tier four now, we can be professional. The goal is to get to the Championship. But it’s difficult to get that recognition.
“When I post about women’s football, I’m accused of only caring about the women’s team. They’ll say, ‘You better not be taking money from the men’s team to put in the women’s team.’ It’s really disheartening, derogatory. It’s embarrassing. If you talk to the girls about it, they just shake their heads, there’s a reluctant acceptance of it. But they shouldn’t have to accept it.”
“You see what’s happening with Manchester United, how Ineos are like, ‘no, uncheck that box’. For women’s football, it’s this constant cycle. Keep playing. Keep showing up. Keep doing it. Do more. More. More. Prove yourself. Then, we’ll see. That model is not really good.”
“We’re trying to grow a women’s team out of a men’s club. We’re trying to make it sustainable. But it can’t just be fathers bringing their daughters down for a day. We need everyone to lean into each other. We need everyone to be supportive. It has to be collective.”
This ambition was also met by former chief executive officer Khaled El-Ahmad, who, per The BBC, said back in 2023: “When we reconstituted the board just over a year ago, creating a women’s football programme was one of the most important agenda items for the next 12 months – and with one year now under our belt we are excited to announce it.
“We want to be a leading club in the promotion of women’s football. We believe that football is for everyone, and we are committed to providing opportunities for girls and women to play the game at all levels and play a central role at the club both on and off the pitch.”
At this stage, it is yet to be revealed where Barnsley FC Women will drop down to ahead of the 2025/26 season – what is known is that it will be a huge hit towards the ambitions previously set by the club.
