UNITED TO FORM NEW WOMEN’S TEAM

MANCHESTER UNITED will take the historic step of forming a professional women’s team and have applied for an FA licence,

Sportsmail can reveal. United have been heavily criticised for a lack of involvement in the women’s game but club bosses have taken huge strides to rectify that over the past few months. The decision comes as the FA are completely restructuring the pyramid, including a full-time Super League division for the first time. United are set to enter the second division, WSL2, should the FA accept their application as expected. They will train at the club’s old training ground, The Cliff. United are the only Premier League club not to have a senior side, while rivals Manchester City have grown into one of the country’s powerhouses. United’s girls’ team has 85

registered players and were beaten in the FA Youth Cup semi-final by reading last week.

The move has been in the offing for some time, with a club representative attending a recent Women in Football conference and asking pertinent financial questions at the event.

United have always maintained the situation is ‘under review’, and talks have taken place over a period of months. Leigh Sports Village, where the men’s Under 23 team play, has been earmarked as a potential ground for their home matches.

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said: ‘We are pleased to announce that the club intends to establish its first ever professional women’s team and has submitted an application to enter WSL2.’

Former United defender Phil Neville had urged the club to form a team on being unveiled as England coach in January.

‘i will be encouraging them,’ he said. ‘A club the size of United should be the leaders. i am sure they are working to do that.’

The club ran a non-professional women’s team from 2000 to 2005.