Plymouth Argyle Women have been devastated by news that after missing out on promotion to WSL 2, none of the players’ contracts will be renewed.
The Pilgrims had improved hugely on the previous season where they struggled to stay in the FAWNL Southern Premier, finishing runners-up, making the league cup final, and the promotion play-off to WSL 2.
The players of Plymouth Argyle Women have released a joint statement after ‘nearly all players have been informed via an email from the club that they will be released at the end of the season’#pafc pic.twitter.com/9yGyM1SBUM
— Argyle Life / Green & White Podcast (@ArgyleLife1886) May 31, 2026
In a statement on pafc.co.uk, the club said: ‘We remain committed to women’s football, and we will work on and share our visions for next season, and beyond, in the coming weeks, as we prepare for another season of FAWNL Southern Premier Division football.
‘After a lengthy, thorough review, we made the decision that, from next season, we would need to change our approach as regards the women’s team setup. Last season, to get to a cup final and to a play-off game, was a superb achievement, but it came at a cost; a higher financial cost than we had previously thought.’
‘Had we achieved promotion to the WSL2, with a great deal of central funding to assist us, we would have been able to continue our backing at similar levels.’
‘However, in tier three, taking into account some of the proposed administrative changes to the governance of women’s football in this country, and in light of the financial state of the football club overall, we made the difficult decision to not renew any of the players’ contracts for next season. This was not taken lightly. It was done with a view to sustainability, and with the club’s long-term interests in mind.’
‘We informed Head Coach Marie Hourihan of our decision, at which point she made the decision to step down.’
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