Tyne-Wear derbies and a World Cup star: guide to the Women’s Championship

Birmingham City

Last season: 5th Predicted finish: 3rd

After looking on course for promotion when they won seven Championship games in a row last winter, Birmingham’s title chances faded towards the end of the season. They have fresh optimism as they approach their first full season under the former Brighton interim manager and former England youth coach Amy Merricks, who took over in April, and their American owner, Knighthead Capital, has been investing in the women’s team’s training facilities. The Northern Ireland striker Simone Magill, signed from local rivals Aston Villa, should add goals to an already strong-looking side, but they will need to become more consistent if they are to go up.

Blackburn Rovers

Last season: 6th Predicted finish: 11th

Blackburn finished last season in great form, going eight league games without a loss, but some of that momentum appears to have been lost after reports that the club would be paying players minimum wage on 16-hours-a-week contracts, something Blackburn have not wished to comment on. At the end of June, 10 players left at the end of their contracts, including last term’s top scorer, Megan Hornby, who joined Portsmouth. But under Simon Parker the team have proved they can punch above their weight.

Bristol City

Last season: Relegated Predicted finish: 4th

Hoping for an immediate return to the top tier but their preparations were hit by the shock exit on 27 August of the popular head coach Lauren Smith, whom the club did not want to leave but who is understood to have been offered another job. The caretaker, Loren Dykes, has ruled herself out of the running, saying she is happiest “on the grass” and that the club are close to appointing Smith’s replacement. The search is being led by the chairman, Gavin Marshall. On the pitch, the loss of the centre-back Naomi Layzell to Manchester City is a major blow.

Charlton Athletic

Last season: 2nd Predicted finish: 1st

Having missed out on promotion by a point last season, Charlton have gone about their business relatively quietly compared with some bigger-spending promotion rivals but, under the steady leadership of the former Tottenham manager Karen Hills, who has been in charge since 2021, they are not going to be easy to supplant. They lost three league games last term, the fewest in the division, and at one stage enjoyed a 12-game unbeaten league run. They are well-coached, consistent and the club are understandably excited about the summer signing of the former England youth international forward Ellie Brazil from Tottenham.

Durham

Last season: 9th Predicted finish: 8th

Continuity was the name of the game for Durham and their head of football, Lee Sanders, this summer, with 15 players signing contracts to stay with a club that have spent 11 consecutive seasons in the second tier. Defending was the team’s main issue last term, when they conceded the joint-highest number of goals in the division at an average of two a game. Some fans may fear the club’s independent status and modest budget will eventually see them dislodged by bigger-spending or Premier League-affiliated clubs, but they remain a well-run, stable side and their home ground, Maiden Castle, retains that classic footballing cliche of being a “difficult place to go”.

London City Lionesses

Last season: 8th Predicted finish: 2nd

Heavily backed with cash by their visionary owner Michele Kang, who also owns the American club Washington Spirit and the eight-time European champions Lyon, London City Lionesses have caught the eye this summer with several high-profile signings, not least the Sweden international Kosovare Asllani, who has played at the World Cup, Olympics and Euros. Kang has said she wants the club to win the WSL – high ambitions indeed – let alone the Championship. The new head coach, Jocelyn Prêcheur, was snapped up from Paris Saint-Germain, they’ve relocated their home ground to Bromley and Kang is building a “world-class training facility” in Kent. But winning promotion this season will be hugely difficult, with only one team able to go up. They struggled for goals last term, scoring fewer than half as many times as the title winners, Crystal Palace, so will need to improve in the final third. They will be fascinating to watch.

Newcastle United

Last season: Promoted Predicted finish: 6th

Newcastle have made no secret of their ambitions to be playing at the very highest level and, after back-to-back promotions, they are charging up the pyramid and have rewarded the head coach, Becky Langley, with a long-term contract. They have been busy over the summer – making big-name signings including the England left-back Demi Stokes, the Northern Ireland midfielder Rachel Furness and the former Chelsea and Reading defender Deanna Cooper, and have a rapidly growing and engaged fanbase ready to make a lot of noise on the terraces. A third straight promotion would be a very tall order but nobody is expecting them to go straight back down.

Portsmouth

Last season: Promoted Predicted finish: 9th

It has been a historic summer for Portsmouth as they transitioned to full-time, professional status for the first time after their promotion. Winning 20 of their 22 games last season and losing once, rattling along at a rate of almost four goals a game, the club made winning the title look easy, but it has been a long, hard and patient slog for the manager, Jay Sadler, and his staff over his eight years at the helm. Now debuting in tier two, the team will face their biggest challenges yet but believe they can be a competitive addition to the Championship.

Sheffield United

Last season: 7th Predicted finish: 10th

Ash Thompson has stepped up from his role as the under-21s’ head coach and inherited a much-changed and rather thin-looking squad, after 14 players left and – so far – only six have been brought in. Last season they were rather inconsistent, claiming big scalps, such as beating Palace, but also losing to relegated Lewes, before finishing mid-table. Repeating such a respectable final league position would probably go down as a big success, operating on what’s understood to be a small budget.

Southampton

Last season: 4th Predicted finish: 5th

The dawn of a new era at Southampton. After six years in charge, the former England and Arsenal forward Marieanne Spacey-Cale moved upstairs this summer, leaving her role as head coach and becoming the director of women’s football. She has hired the 33-year-old former Birmingham, Villa and Reading midfielder Remi Allen as her replacement. Before that, the club had signed one of Allen’s former Reading teammates, the Wales forward Rachel Rowe. Losing the highly rated England youth defender Ella Morris to Tottenham was a blow but Southampton’s midfield has been strengthened by the addition of Aimee Palmer, formerly of Bristol City, Leicester and Manchester United.

Sunderland

Last season: 3rd Predicted finish: 7th

Sunderland were excellent in defence last season – only Charlton conceded fewer goals – and Melanie Reay’s side kept 10 clean sheets out of a possible 22. However, the goalkeeper Claudia Moan, who played every minute of the league campaign, has been snapped up by Newcastle. The former Leicester player Demi Lambourne has arrived in her place, and at the other end of the pitch they have been boosted by the signing of the Everton striker Eleanor Dale. Expect their home Tyne-Wear derby fixture against Newcastle at the Stadium of Light in October to be feisty.