'It will cost £2m a year to finish mid-table': Portsmouth Women boss blasts Women's Super League financial 'dictatorship'
After a £465,486 deficit in 2024-25, Pompey Women’s boss fears league chiefs’ financial demands will see losses soar
Pompey Women boss Jay Sadler has raised concerns over spiralling financial demands in the women’s game, accusing league chiefs of making it ‘unsustainable for certain clubs’.
And, in the current climate, he warns Pompey owners Tornante would need to invest up to £2m every year, just to establish the club as a mid-table side in Women’s Super League 2.
In contrast, the Blues recorded a deficit of £201,425 in their 2023-24 title-winning Women’s Premier League Southern Division campaign.
While Sadler accepts the need for full-time status and improved facilities in the second tier of the women’s game, he feels many mandated staff requirements have created a league ‘dictatorship’ of where clubs can spend their money.
Pompey, who possess the lowest WSL2 wage bill and do not pay transfer fees, last season competed in the league with London City Lionesses, who in March posted losses of £10.6m.
And with WSL Football, the company which oversees the top-two tiers of the women’s game in England, reporting an operating loss of £8.2m in its first year, Sadler expects costs to escalate - for Pompey Women and the women’s game in general.
‘I’m concerned about where the league is heading’
He told The News: ‘On average, teams in the WSL2 are spending around £2-3m in operating costs in order to compete - and we are well below that.
‘We are really grateful for the journey we’ve been on with the owners, I understand they are trying to do it sustainably. However, the league are running too quickly and asking teams to compete when they are not in a position to do so right now.
‘The expectation and the demand from financials is getting bigger and bigger from the league and competitors. You are probably looking at £2-3m a year just to compete and be mid-table, that’s where it’s going now.
‘When you look at it from a financial position, a staffing position, a provision position, we probably are where we are in the league.
‘I’m concerned about where the league is heading. A lot of flack will come back to our owners’ investment, but my criticism isn't on them. I have so much gratitude for what they have invested.
‘My criticism is on how quickly the league are trying to grow the game to the point where it will become unsustainable for certain clubs.
‘London Lionesses last year lost £10.6m in a season when we were trying to compete with them in the same league. Their owner has injected £22m in two years - and you’re asking clubs to compete. If you try, your losses are going to be huge.
‘I think you’ll need to spend £1.5-2m to be mid-table. If you want to get out of the league, you're looking at £3-5m. Then if you go into the Super League, you’ll need £10m - and that’s just to stay afloat.
‘So where are you going to get that money from? Perhaps sponsorships, maybe you can bring in more fans - or are you asking owners to put monumental amounts of money in?
‘It’s hard to compete, but then again we’ve had games where we should have won and we could be higher than where we are. We’re just trying to do it the right way to stay afloat. It’s a challenge.
‘Everyone wrote us off at the start of the year because it’s little old Pompey, smallest budget, smallest work force, smallest provision. I am proud to still be in it with two games remaining - and I still believe we will stay up, I genuinely do.
‘Should we achieve that, next season it will be another monumental effort against these Goliath teams spending 2, 3, 4 times our budget.’
Battling relegation from WSL2
Pompey Women have entered the final fortnight of the season two points adrift of safety at the foot of WSL2.
On Sunday they host Nottingham Forest at Fratton Park (2pm) in their penultimate fixture, with a trip to Crystal Palace (May 2) bringing the curtain down on their season.
The Blues could be relegated this weekend should they fail to beat Nottingham Forest, albeit their fate is dependent on how rivals Durham, Ipswich and Sheffield United fare.
Having stayed up on the final day of last season, it is familiar territory for the long-serving Sadler, who oversaw a remarkable Great Escape by winning three of their last six matches that year.
And, taking into account Pompey’s financial power compared to other WSL2 teams, four of which are funded by Premier League clubs, he is proud of how they continue to compete.
‘I feel there has been a bit of a dictatorship’
He added: ‘As soon as you get promoted from Tier 3 to Tier 2, the club has to be full-time and run a professional set-up where your training hours are minimum standards, the training facilities minimum standards, match venues, mandated staffing, they all come at a significant cost. In tier three, there aren’t any.
‘You are told to employ a psychologist, nutritionist, performance life-style coach. These all have to be financially supported by the club, with no (financial) support from the league.
‘The problem with a club like us who are growing year-on-year is we would rather invest that money in medical provision or other coaching staff, but I feel there has been a bit of dictatorship on where you then have to spend your money.
‘It’s good for the growth of the game and great for the players to have access to nutrition and psychology, but not at the detriment of where we need to spend the money.
‘The costs will continue to rise. There have been a few loopholes in the floor salary which have been cemented. So, in terms of that, you are probably looking at increased salary costs, increased salary costs for staff, then everything else which comes with it, travel, hotels, etc.
‘The expenditure will be higher and then it will fall back on can we increase revenue through ticket sales if all of our games can be played at Fratton Park, which they will be. Then the commercial and marketing, and I know the team are working hard on trying to bring more money to reduce the potential ownership contribution.
‘Of course, you need to spend well - and that’s the biggest thing we have reflected on this year. How can we use what we have to be competitive? Well, I think we have been extremely competitive this year and hopefully we’re able to stay and give it another crack next season.’