Dragan Solak makes 'cruel' Southampton FC decision | OneFootball

Southampton's decision to downgrade their women's academy catagory has led to some heartbreak

With Southampton not securing an immediate return to the Premier League last season, some difficult decisions have had to be made to cut back on costs and ensure the club's sustainability.

The Saints were expelled from the play-off final last month after being found guilty of spying on Middlesbrough's training session before their semi-final first leg matchup, denying Tonda Eckert's side the chance to earn top-flight promotion.

Consequently, Southampton will now play consecutive seasons in the Championship for the first time in close to two decades. Their Premier League parachute payments will decrease this summer, and the commercial top-flight revenue that the club had been used to for the better part of a decade still eludes them, too.

Therefore, Saints owner Dragan Solak decided on Monday to downgrade the women's academy from St Mary's from Catagory One to Catagory Two, meaning that the club only needs to operate an under-21s squad, rather than both an under-21's and under-16's group.

The club is subsequently moving their existing under-16's, alongside their under-15's and under-14's groups, into an Emerging Talent Centre set-up, which requires just 1.5 hours of development time per week, rather than the mandatory 8-12 that an under-16's team in a Catagory One academy has to provide.

Southampton women's academy decision have left parents heartbroken

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Ultimately, the decision will mean that the number of full-time staff and players within the academy will decrease, which helps the club cut back on costs.

Southampton insisted that the decision to downgrade the academy "should not be seen as a step away from the women's game, but rather an attempt to create a structure that can be supported responsibly and sustainably in the years ahead." But it's left those affected feeling like they've "nowhere to go."

The Southern Daily Echo has reported that girls within the academy pathway who were playing below under-14 level have had offers withdrawn to join the older age groups, with no prior warning. Some families described the decision as "cruel" and "devastating."

One father who had been travelling with his 14-year-old daughter from Aldershot to Southampton for the past two years said that she "burst into tears" when she found out about the news, stating that they're now left "scrambling about at the last minute to find another team."

The report adds that tryouts for other clubs took place towards the beginning of June, so it'll be difficult for these young girls to find another Catagory One club to play for. Understandably, it has brought into question equality within the girls' game at St Mary's.

A grandparent of one of the players called the decision "staggering," and said that the family "struggled to understand [it], especially as this is part of the England Lionesses pathway for young girls."

Questions asked at Southampton after recent decision

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Southampton have stressed that the decision to downgrade the women's academy is the result of a wider sustainability review at their training ground at Staplewood, but with the men's youth pathway unaffected and remaining at catagory one, questions are, understandably, being asked.

Saints women finished 5th in the WSL2 last season, seven points off a place in the promotion play-off spot and scored the third most goals in the division.

The likes of Milly Mott and Megan Collett have come through the youth system to play in the Southampton squad now, with current Lioness Lucia Kendall setting her roots down on the south coast before her move to Aston Villa last year.

Those success stories will have acted as inspiration for the young girls in the academy setup, for them to feel like they, too, can make it into the WSL and perhaps break into England contention, but now they'll have to go and find somewhere else to play at such short notice.

Cost-cutting is an unfortunate part of ensuring a club remains sustainable, but questions will definitely be asked about the timing of this from Dragan Solak.