3 days ago
Plymouth Argyle person told nan immense mostly of their women’s first-team players their contracts will not beryllium renewed this summer, nan Guardian has learned, conscionable weeks aft they narrowly missed retired connected promotion to Women’s Super League 2.
In an email sent to almost each of nan elder squad, Plymouth’s main executive, Paul Berne, explained that nan “difficult decision” to fto nan players spell reflected “the guidance of nan squad for adjacent season” and went connected to convey nan players and connection them occupation references.
According to aggregate sources, nan club’s determination to fto truthful galore players spell is chiefly a financial one, coming amid plans to importantly trim nan women’s team’s playing fund successful nan summer. Plymouth were contacted for a remark successful consequence connected Sunday morning.
The news follows nan resignation of nan team’s caput coach, Marie Hourihan, connected 28 May, and it is believed that nan club’s fund cuts were a contributing facet towards Hourihan’s determination to resign. The coach was understood to beryllium celebrated pinch nan players and nan supporters.
Berne’s email said: “Hi all. Following our end-of-season reappraisal and readying for 2026-27, we wanted to fto you cognize that we won’t beryllium renewing contracts for nan players included successful this message.”
The email went connected to opportunity nan determination was “not a deficiency of appreciation for nan effort, committedness and professionalism you’ve shown” and expressed nan club’s “gratitude for nan clip you’ve fixed Argyle”, earlier offering support to find caller opportunities and wishing nan players “all nan very champion moving forward”.
In a associated connection released connected Sunday evening, Plymouth’s players said: “Following nan determination from nan committee to importantly trim nan team’s budget, and nan understandable resignation of our manager, astir each players person been informed via an email from nan nine that they will beryllium released astatine nan extremity of our contracts adjacent month.
“The determination was communicated done a cold, impersonal email, providing america pinch nary opportunity for open, honorable aliases meaningful speech and preventing america from gaining clarity connected nan situation. We consciousness nan unit and players who person fixed everything for nan badge this play should person been treated pinch greater care, respect and empathy.”
In a connection connected 28 May, nan erstwhile Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester City goalkeeper Hourihan said “thank you to nan elder activity of Plymouth Argyle for this opportunity” to coach nan squad passim nan 2025-26 play but besides added: “Now is nan correct clip for maine to consolidate and see what is adjacent for me. This has not been a determination I person taken lightly.”
Plymouth vanished 2nd successful nan Southern conception of nan FA Women’s National League this term, missing retired connected automatic promotion by conscionable 1 point, down nan champions Watford, who were promoted. Hourihan oversaw an awesome 16 wins successful 22 convention fixtures, to decorativeness supra clubs including Bournemouth and nan erstwhile WSL2 sides Oxford United and Lewes successful nan table.
Finishing 2nd saw Plymouth title 4 May’s playoff decider against nan Northern section runners-up, Wolverhampton Wanderers, who went connected to unafraid a slender 1-0 triumph complete Argyle successful Burton, successful a crippled successful which Plymouth created respective good chances earlier hitting nan woodwork precocious on.
The immense mostly of nan squad were understood to beryllium connected one-year contracts – arsenic is commonplace crossed nan little leagues successful nan women’s crippled – but it was a daze for nan players to study that they were being fto spell this summer. Another root adjacent to nan squad described nan news arsenic “heartbreaking” and said location was now comparatively small clip to find a caller team.
