Plans for the 2026/27 season are well under way, and we feel it is a good time to share with you all our strategies for the Argyle Women’s team.
Firstly, we accept that the way we handled breaking the news to the players was poor, and for that we apologise.
We want to assure supporters that the women’s team still has a place at Argyle, will compete in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division this season, and will be supported by a long-term strategy.
Our revised approach is designed around two key aspects. One is to ensure that we grow our team and structure sustainably, in line with the current trajectory of the women’s game. The second is to give more opportunities to local players and staff, with a view to longer-term development.
We have invested in Foulston Park, a superb facility for the women’s team and the Academy, and it will play a vital role in how we develop our future. This will, in time, be our permanent training base, and a hub for the organisational aspects of the team. We will continue to play home fixtures at Home Park, where possible.
We have many excellent young players in our player pathway, and are excited to give them the opportunities to develop, and shine. We intend to recruit smartly to augment what we have, and to give ourselves a chance to be competitive.
It is, though, an uncertain time in the development of women’s football in England. We, among many clubs, have expressed our concern at the proposals to bring Professional Game Academy (PGA) teams into the third tier. This would mean some of the country’s leading teams playing lower-age teams, or ‘B’ teams, in the third tier, which would, in our opinion, be stifling for talent, and would work against clubs developing talent.
These changes may also have an effect on finances for clubs, especially from the third tier downwards, where financial support from authorities is negligible.
We feel it would be a backwards step for the women’s football pyramid should the plans be implemented and are pleased that an SGM may now be called in order for clubs to vote on proposals.
We will soon in a position to bring further news on the playing and coaching side of Argyle Women, as we get ready for the season starting in a couple of months’ time.
