Wolves Women Step into the Fully Professional WSL 2

Wolves Women secured promotion to the Women’s Super League 2 (WSL 2) in May after winning the third-tier promotion playoff against Plymouth. The club’s inaugural home match in the new division is scheduled against Sheffield United. The promotion marks the team’s transition from an amateur side to a fully professional outfit, with players now receiving contracts rather than balancing day jobs.

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The club’s rise began with a northern division title in 2022, followed by a missed promotion opportunity when the playoff final was lost while head coach Dan McNamara was stationed in the Falkland Islands. After two seasons in the second tier, Wolves finished second in 2025 but were denied a licence for promotion. A change in executive leadership—Nathan Shi becoming chair—prompted a revamp of the women’s program. New facilities at the Sir Jack Hayward training ground now include private changing cabins, a dedicated analysis room, and shared relaxation spaces. This summer the club appointed Russ Fraser as head of women’s and girls football; Fraser previously worked with Reading, West Ham, Leicester, Liverpool and Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia. Recruitment has focused on former WSL players such as Mel Lawley, Jasmine Matthews, Yana Daniëls and Mel Filis, as well as England youth goalkeeper Emily Orman on loan from London City Lionesses.

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• Dan McNamara – Wolves head coach, RAF elite-athlete scheme participant.

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• Russ Fraser – Head of women’s and girls football, tasked with building a sustainable professional squad.

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• Anna Morphet – Team captain, former physiotherapist who left her day job after promotion.

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• Jenny Wilkes – Chair of Wolves Women since 1999, longtime advocate for the team’s growth.

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McNamara emphasized that the club aims to avoid immediate relegation, describing the post-playoff work as “almost nonstop” and stressing the need for players who embody the club’s values. Fraser expressed confidence that opponents will be surprised by Wolves’ quality, hoping the team will be judged on performance rather than its recent promotion. Morphet reflected on the dramatic shift from collecting kits out of a car boot to preparing for a professional league, highlighting the extensive pre-season effort.

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• “We don’t want to just be a team that goes up and then straight back down, so the work was almost immediately after the playoff,” — Dan McNamara

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• “We used to collect the kit out the back of Macca’s car boot. Those 90 minutes [against Plymouth] were the opportunity to change our lives. The work that’s gone on over the summer and in pre-season has been immense and I think now it’s about believing that we are ready for this level.” — Anna Morphet

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• “Wherever we finish in the league, I want other teams to go: ‘Wow, Wolves were so much better than I thought they were,’ because I think a lot of teams will probably think: ‘Oh, Wolves have just come up, they’ll go straight back down.’ I think we’re better than that. I think we’ve got a good group here.” — Newcastle. Fraser

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