da brdice： Women's Super League and Women's Championship clubs have agreed to form a club-owned organisation that will breakaway from the Football Association.

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FA welcome WSL takeover proposals in 2018Independent organisation created2024-25 takeover in placeGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Each club across the two tiers of English football will act as a shareholder in the new organisation, as they look to take control of women's professional football from the 2024-25 campaign onwards. It is a move that follows the example of the men's Premier League, which broke away from the old Division One back in 1992. Former Nike director Nikki Doucet will be appointed to the role of chief executive moving forward.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Women's Super League has been run by the FA since its launch back in 2010, however, a takeover has been in the works since 2018, when the FA revealed they would be accepting proposals to takeover the leagues in the long-run. It is hoped that the formation of an independent organisation will help capitalise on the current rise of women's football in the immediate future.

Getty ImagesWHAT NIKKI DOUCET SAID

Doucet, a former investment banker, led takeover discussions as a consultant, and has outlined how "exciting" the move is for the women's game as she oversees the transition into the new era. She said: "This is an incredibly exciting time for women's football. Having already worked with the clubs and the FA for a number of months, I've been incredibly encouraged by the collective desire and shared ambition to make our leagues the most distinctive, competitive and entertaining women's club competitions in the world. It's a great privilege to help lead the next phase of this inspirational journey, which has been started by the FA through passion, investment and a steadfast commitment to the evolution of women's football."

FA director of women's football Baroness Sue Campbell added: "The women's professional game is in the strongest place that it has ever been thanks to the hard work of everybody involved in its development so far, but we firmly believe that the NewCo will take it to another level entirely. Each of our 24 clubs and the league itself wants the WSL and Championship to be setting the standards for women's football around the world, and this venture into a new governing body is the next step in us achieving that ambition."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR THE WSL?

The independent body is set to takeover at the start of the 2024-25 campaign, with the current season to remain under the control of the FA. Women's football is in a very strong place currently, as fans, players and team officials look ahead to an exciting future under their new system.