Wolverhampton Wanderers women’s team, more commonly known as Wolves Women, currently compete in the FA Women’s National League North. They spent the entire 2024/25 season relentlessly pursuing promotion to the Championship. After a dominant 6–0 victory over Liverpool Feds in their final game, they finished just three points behind champions Nottingham Forest. But despite their impressive campaign, hopes of promotion quickly dissolved. The players were left disheartened upon discovering that their efforts had been in vain – the club had never intended to apply for promotion in the first place.
In order to compete in the Women’s Championship, there is a criteria that must be met by all football clubs within the division. This includes further investment, commercial requirements and player contracts. Currently, none of the players at Wolves are on full-time contracts, and implementing these changes would demand significant funding – an investment the club is not willing to make in its present state.
Last summer, there were signs of improvement as their manager Dan McNamara, Christos Christofides, a physio at the club, and physical performance coach Nathan Maxfield were given full-time positions. These positive developments behind the scenes gave the players renewed hope that the club was committed to supporting them and acting in their best interests moving forward.
Wolverhampton Wanderers embrace a “One Pack” mentality – a unifying motto that brings together fans, players, and staff as one cohesive unit. It’s designed to foster a strong sense of community, belonging, and the feeling of being part of a family. However, in light of recent events, the “One Pack” mentality seemed to fade into the background, as players were left devastated by the crushing realisation that their ambitions to compete in the Women’s Championship had been taken from them.
Some players took to social media to share their thoughts. Beth Merrick, Wolves midfielder, said:
“Imagine fighting for promotion all season to find out our championship bid was never submitted.”
“It speaks volumes about the club’s ambitions for the women’s team.”
The players are scheduled to meet with Sporting Director Matt Hobbs and Director of Professional Development Matt Jackson to voice their concerns and work toward establishing a shared path forward.
As the players seek answers and a clearer vision for the future, the meeting with club leadership may prove pivotal, not just for restoring trust, but for determining whether Wolves Women will ever be allowed to chase the ambitions they’ve worked so hard to earn.
