Blackburn Women ‘set to make at least 20 staff members redundant and release all senior players’ | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers Women are reportedly set to take part in a redundancy process affecting staff. Pictured: Blackburn in action against Birmingham City on March 2nd, 2025. (Sean Chandler / SPP)

Blackburn Rovers Women are reportedly set to make at least 20 staff members redundant and release all senior players at the end of June.

The report comes just over a week after it was confirmed that Blackburn will drop to the fourth tier of women’s football after voluntarily withdrawing from the Championship.

Blackburn will play in the FA Women’s National League Division 1 North for the 2025-26 season.

Blackburn Rovers Women’s redundancy process

The Athletic reports that Blackburn Rovers Women will take part in a redundancy process that will affect at least 20 staff members.

It’s also claimed that all senior players are set to be released at the end of June.

Blackburn’s current squad includes international players such as Rachel Dugdale, Tyler Toland, and Chloe Williams.

The report claims that senior women’s staff received an email on Thursday about a ‘group consultation process’ regarding their employment within the club.

It’s said that it will impact all staff within the football department, including pathway, operations, medical, marketing, and communications roles.

The number of redundancies is expected to exceed 20 which will remove the majority of contracted staff within the club’s women’s football department.

Staff will continue to be paid until a consultation process has been finalised. Players were previously informed that the club would not offer them a contract beyond the 2024-25 campaign.

Why was Blackburn dropped to the fourth tier of women’s football?

Blackburn Rovers Women voluntarily withdrew from the Championship and have been dropped to the fourth tier of English football.

The club’s owners were unwilling to meet the league’s criteria for next season. This includes requirements on facilities, player welfare, and staffing set up by the league.

A club statement said: “The growing financial and operational constraints tied to Tier 2 status, including the requirement to move to a fully-professional model, have reached a point where they can no longer be sustained under the club’s current financial framework.

“Key factors influencing this decision include the significant rise in minimum criteria set by the league, including extended contact hours for players and the requirement for a full-time professional contract model, an increase in staffing levels, leading to further escalating wage costs, and a greater strain on training ground and stadium facilities.

“Regrettably, despite all Rovers Women’s league fixtures being played at Ewood Park last season for the first time, there was no noticeable upturn in home attendances, resulting in the absence of the substantial matchday commercial revenue and sponsorships required to support continued investment at Tier 2.”

Current regulations state that clubs who withdraw from a league must re-enter the pyramid two tiers below.

Burnley Women failed in their bid to take the place of Blackburn in the second tier of English football. Sheffield United though were handed a reprieve and will maintain their Championship status despite finishing last in the 2024-25 season.