Manchester United announce they have applied to start a women's team

Manchester United have finally caught up with most of the rest of football by announcing plans for a women’s team for next season.

Women’s football is booming in the UK and from next season the structure of the top divisions is being changed and rebranded, with WSL1 – the top division in female football – becoming the Women’s Super League. The next step down, the WSL2, is being changed to the Women’s Championship.

The Football Association has received applications from 15 clubs to join the top two divisions and that includes the Red Devils who are one of the lsat clubs in England to field a female side. Up to four teams can join the top division and up to five tier two – with Crystal Palace and Sheffield United announcing they had made applications to join Women’s Championship. They, and the other applicants, will discover whether they have been successful at the end of May.

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United’s application to the FA to establish a team in the WSL2, meaning they will start a division below rivals Manchester City, who regularly challenge for the WSL1 title and UEFA Women’s Champions League.

The Red Devils ditched their women’s team in 2005 but continued to run sides at junior level, where they have worked with local schools and community groups through the Manchester United Foundation and if their application is successful, the move would provide a career pathway for some of those young players.

After Real Madrid’s application this year to create a Women’s team, United remained the only ‘superclub’ without one but are now catching up with pretty much every other English club in having a with a team that they plan to play at the club’s training centre at The Cliff.

Announcing the move, United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: “We are pleased to announce that the club intends to establish its first ever professional women’s team and has submitted an application to enter WSL2.

“The FA has provided excellent support through the process and we believe that launching a team in WSL2 would give many more of our graduates from the Regional Talent Club the chance to establish themselves as first-team players.

“The Manchester United women’s team must be built in the same image and with the same principles as the men’s first team and offer academy players a clear route to top-level football within the club.”

The announcement follows United’s decision to launch an official YouTube channel last month, another field where they lag behind rivals City, despite being the most searched football club on the social platform.