Wakefield AFC Women’s team has faced significant challenges after funding cuts forced them to pull out of the North East Regional Women’s Football League. Despite promises of support, the team experienced limited access to facilities, inadequate training conditions, and a lack of communication from the club.
The women’s side, which once played at the fifth level of the English football pyramid, found themselves training in substandard conditions, often without proper equipment or support. Efforts to improve the situation were ignored, leading to player frustration and eventual departures. As the women’s team ceases operations, the future of women’s football talent in West Yorkshire remains uncertain.
The women’s team was recently dropped after funding cuts, leaving both players and staff, including the coach, unable to see a way forward due to the lack of support. Founded in 2019, the non-league side played at the fifth level of the English football pyramid. Shockingly, the former players discovered the further decline in their situation not from their own club but through a message from another club’s manager. An open letter published on the women’s social media channels highlighted the ongoing lack of communication from the club and their minimal intent to support the women’s side over the past two seasons in particular. This neglect led to growing frustration, as all attempts by players and staff to improve the situation were ignored by higher-ups at the club.
It initially seemed promising when the women were told they could use Belle Vue Stadium, shared by Wakefield AFC Men and Wakefield Trinity RFL, in the summer of 2023. Sadly, they were no longer allowed and were limited to one-third of the pitch during pre-season because the men required the rest. This often led to training on the sidelines or behind the goals. Even when they could use the pitch, they were limited to a single floodlight to save electricity, which only lit up a quarter of the pitch. The women haven’t played or trained at Belle Vue Stadium since November 2023, as the club claimed the pitch needed to be protected, even though it is a brand new hybrid pitch, designed to withstand the British weather. These circumstances led to “ground-hopping” and partially playing games at local schools. The men, meanwhile, continued to play at the stadium because of the revenue their matches generated from food and drinks, while the club did not effectively promote the women’s game.
Moreover, it’s important to mention that all of the former players are working full-time jobs and do not earn any money from playing football. Furthermore the women weren’t involved in the team’s new kit launch and didn’t receive training gear, while the junior boys’ side did according to the Guardian. Emma Ayrton, Wakefield AFC’s chief operating officer and club secretary, stated that an agreement for the women’s team was planned but was abandoned when the club’s new management didn’t allow the women to play at the stadium. They have been trying to find a suitable location for all the sides together with the local council, but a solution has yet to be found.
