London City Lionesses ask owner to sell: No manager and only four players under contract

Players at Women’s Championship side London City Lionesses have sent an email to their owner, Diane Culligan, urging her to sell the club. Under Culligan’s leadership, the London City Lionesses broke away from the Millwall Lionesses in 2019 and formed as a fully professional club, earning a third-place finish in the 2022/23 second tier, just three points off Bristol City who earned promotion to the WSL.

But a report from BBC Sport claims the players feel the club is in danger of ceasing to exist without improved funding and structure, leading the squad to plead for action.

BBC’s Emma Sanders reports having obtained access to the email sent to Culligan by all 20 London City Lionesses players, with the team currently lacking a permanent manager and facing significant financial concerns.

The players implored Culligan to make a change by way of either new investment or a new majority owner to demonstrate the same courage displayed a few years ago when she created the club.

“With the increasing lack of staff in key roles, a small number of players contracted, the ongoing management of injured players, the question of a manager still to be addressed, and the financial instability with the last payday, the team is filled with much doubt and a shadow of uncertainty has been cast over the club,” part of the email from players to the owner read.

“In these challenging times, we as a team want to respectfully plead with you to think of the future and explore alternative ways to run this club.

“The harsh reality is that without immediate action due to pre-season looming, we risk undoing all the great work that you and London City Lionesses have achieved, and also put the future of players currently contracted to the club at risk. By seeking new owners and investors who can inject much-needed financial stability, we can secure the longevity of our team.”

The Lionesses found themselves at the top of the table in January, but their manager, Melissa Phillips, departed to join WSL side Brighton. The season took a somewhat unfavorable turn for the club after Phillips’ departure, but the club still managed to secure a third-place finish.

In their email, the Lionesses made it clear to Culligan that they value the dedication she has shown in bringing the club to this stage, but they believe it is now crucial to allow the club to thrive in its current state. In their email, they requested her to, “once again be bold, and consider all possible avenues for the survival and growth of our club.”

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The club issued a statement in response to the email written by the players, conveyed to BBC Sport, insisting it remains focused on running “the club in a sustainable manner.”

“We continue to strive for excellence both on the pitch and in how we manage the club. As part of this we are in active discussions with globally recognised strategic investment partners to assist with our growth. We remain committed to providing the best possible environment for the players and staff as they navigate the highly competitive Women’s Championship and seek promotion to the Women’s Super League.”

The BBC report further indicates that only four players will remain under contract from 1 July, while one player had to wait for over two months to receive confirmation that a severe injury would be addressed by the club.

Regardless of the outcome of the situation, it is hoped that the London City Lionesses can regain some stability and in time for when the Women’s Championship resumes in August.