The football club has had to make some very tough decisions regarding the Argyle Women’s team, and we would like to clarify the situation.
We recognise concerns regarding the way this news was communicated, internally and externally, and will review this.
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. Marie was then asked to communicate this decision directly to the playing squad and coaching staff, including informing players that the club would not be renewing contracts for the forthcoming season. This was then followed by an official letter from the club.
We are still passionate about participation in sport at every level, and we will be pleased to offer great opportunities for local women to be part of a football team at a high level.
We thank every player who is moving on, for their contributions to the football club, and wish them nothing but success in the future.