Tottenham Hotspur chairman and co-owner Daniel Levy is calling on major changes to the Women’s Super League (WSL). According to the Daily Mail, Levy wants the English top-flight women’s division to become a closed league. This would essentially end promotion and relegation for the division.

Levy is not the only team official to be lobbying for a closed league. The aforementioned news outlet claims that the Spurs chairman is one of several key members of the WSL to want to end promotion and relegation. These executives believe that the top-flight teams would invest more in the clubs if there was no threat of relegation. They also feel that closing the league would help grow the sport as well.

Levy and Spurs fighting for Women’s Super League survival

Timing of Levy’s involvement in potentially scrapping pro/rel in WSL is interesting. The Spurs women’s team is currently ninth in the league table and finds itself in a relegation battle. The north London club is in the midst of a disastrous season, particularly as of late. Spurs have managed just one victory over their last 13 league matches. Their sole win in the top flight during this stretch came against cellar dwellers Leicester City. The most recent result was a draw against

Chelsea manager also open to closed league

However, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has also previously agreed with Levy. The Blues are on the opposite end of the table compared to their London neighbors and are the reigning WSL champions. “I like the idea of relegation and promotion from a traditional perspective, but it doesn’t mean we should be hamstrung by it. We should be open about it,” said former Chicago Red Stars manager Hayes.

“We should be open to everything, and everything shouldn’t always be compared just because it’s traditional or just because of the men’s game. I think we should have an openness about reflecting on the pluses and minuses.”

A new company will be taking over the WSL ahead of the 2024/25 season. This means that the women’s league will break away from the FA, the governing body of the sport in England. Because of these changes, it appears as if anything can happen to the official rules in the WSL. Pro/rel has been in place in the top flight since 2014.

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