The WSL is back.

The WSL2 is back.

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And honestly, I think the second tier could be one of the most interesting women's football leagues to follow this season.

The 2026/27 WSL2 season starts on Friday, but this isn't just another season.

Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic are all gone.

Three clubs who have basically been part of the furniture at the top of this division for the last few years have all moved up to the BWSL following its expansion.

So we're suddenly left asking a pretty simple question:

Who takes their place?

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Because there is a massive opportunity here.

Since 2021/22, Birmingham, Palace and Charlton have consistently been around the promotion picture. Birmingham had the experience of being a former top-flight club, Palace developed into one of the division's most dangerous attacking teams and Charlton became ridiculously difficult to beat.

Now all three are in the top flight.

Palace in particular have had an incredible rise, securing promotion twice in three seasons, while Charlton's defensive record under Karen Hills included that ridiculous 27-match unbeaten league run.

But the old guard has moved on.

And that means WSL2 is basically up for grabs.

Well... almost.

There's still only one automatic promotion place, with second having to go through the promotion play-off.

So who actually has the best chance?

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Bristol City

If you're looking for a team who could finally turn a strong WSL2 campaign into promotion, Bristol City are probably one of the first names to look at.

The Robins have been knocking around the promotion picture without quite getting there.

They finished fourth last season, just five points behind Charlton in third, but their attacking numbers were arguably better than their final position suggests.

Bristol scored 47 goals, the most in the division.

Lexi Lloyd-Smith won the Golden Boot.

They also ranked second for shots on target with 117 and big chances with 50.

So this wasn't a team struggling to create.

The problem is that Lloyd-Smith has now left for Crystal Palace.

That's a pretty significant loss when your top scorer has just walked out the door.

Rio Hardy remains a major attacking threat after scoring 10 last season, while Emma Bissell has arrived from Charlton after scoring four goals last campaign.

Brooke Aspin has also returned, and there's plenty of potential there following her difficult ACL injury.

But Bristol's season could come down to one question:

Where do the goals come from now?

If they can replace enough of Lloyd-Smith's production, I think they're a serious promotion contender.

If they can't, fourth could turn into another frustrating season just outside the top three.

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Leicester City

Then there's Leicester.

And Leicester are probably the most difficult team to predict.

They've got something almost nobody else in this division has: five consecutive seasons of BWSL experience.

That should make them one of the favourites.

But then you look at what happened last season.

They lost their final 11 league matches and scored just 11 goals across the entire campaign while conceding 52.

Their relegation was eventually confirmed by defeat to Charlton in the play-off.

So this is a club that has gone from five years of top-flight football to suddenly having to fight its way back from the second tier.

Can they bounce straight back?

Absolutely.

But it won't happen simply because they have BWSL experience.

They have to rediscover confidence and, more importantly, learn how to consistently win games again.

Crystal Palace showed what a relegated club can do by bouncing back, but Leicester's situation is different because of how their season ended.

There have been some interesting changes to the squad too.

Shannon O'Brien's departure removes another attacking option, but Sarah Mayling has joined permanently and brings plenty of BWSL experience.

Jessie Stapleton also knows WSL2 from her time with Nottingham Forest and Sunderland.

If Leicester can get their attack functioning again, they could be extremely difficult to stop.

If they don't, they could find themselves nowhere near the promotion race despite having arguably the strongest top-flight pedigree in the division.

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Newcastle United

Newcastle might be the team I'm most curious about.

They've only been in WSL2 for two seasons, finishing fifth and then sixth, but there's a feeling that they're getting closer.

Since becoming fully professional in 2023, Newcastle have accelerated through the women's football pyramid and they're clearly building something.

Under Tanya Oxtoby, their football is based around controlling games.

They want possession.

They want to dictate the tempo.

They want to use the ball to create chances rather than simply sitting back and playing on the counter.

And defensively, they've already got a pretty strong foundation.

Newcastle conceded just 25 goals last season, which was the third-best defensive record in WSL2.

The issue?

They only scored 32.

That's the obvious next step.

They can control games and they can defend, but can they actually turn that control into enough goals to challenge for promotion?

Their summer recruitment suggests they're trying to solve exactly that.

Gemma Evans brings BWSL experience into the defence, while Lenne Kiernan gives them another attacking option.

Newcastle feel like one of those teams where everything could suddenly click.

And if it does, they could be right at the top.

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But this is where WSL2 gets really interesting

There isn't an obvious "Birmingham are going to win this" type of favourite anymore.

The three clubs that have dominated the promotion conversation have moved on.

That leaves a really interesting mix.

Bristol have the goals.

Leicester have the top-flight experience.

Newcastle have been building steadily and could be ready to take the next step.

And then there are the clubs we haven't even talked about yet who could completely blow this prediction apart.

That's the fun part.

The second tier has effectively had its hierarchy wiped clean.

And with only one automatic promotion place, every dropped point could matter.

You could finish second after an excellent season and still have to win a play-off to reach the BWSL.

You could finish third and look back at one or two frustrating draws in September and think, "that's where we lost it."

That's what makes the opening few weeks so important.

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And there's another reason I'm looking forward to it

WSL2 is ridiculously accessible this season.

All of the league's matches are available live and on-demand through the Barclays Women's Super League 2 YouTube channel.

No VPN.

No having to find out which obscure broadcaster has picked up the rights in your country.

No subscription needed just to watch a random Tuesday or Sunday afternoon WSL2 match.

With 132 league matches across the season, that's a huge opportunity for the league to build an audience.

And it means we can actually follow this promotion race properly.

Not just watch the occasional televised match and rely on highlights.

If you want to see how Bristol are developing, you can watch them.

If you want to see whether Leicester can bounce back, you can watch them.

If you want to see whether Newcastle finally turn possession into goals, you can watch them.

And because so many matches can be watched, we might get a much better idea of who the genuine contenders are rather than relying entirely on reputation.

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So, who replaces Birmingham, Palace and Charlton?

That's the big question.

My early three to watch are:

Bristol City — potentially the strongest attack, but can they replace Lloyd-Smith?

Leicester City — by far the most top-flight experience, but can they recover from a disastrous relegation campaign?

Newcastle United — arguably the biggest "could this finally be their year?" candidate after two seasons of building.

But I'm not convinced those three will necessarily occupy the top three.

That's what makes this season so interesting.

The old WSL2 hierarchy is gone.

A new one has to be created.

And it starts on Friday.

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What do you think?

Who is your favourite for the WSL2 title?

Which club is most likely to win the one automatic promotion place?

Can Leicester bounce straight back?

Can Bristol replace Lloyd-Smith's goals?

Are Newcastle ready to make the jump from mid-table to genuine promotion contenders?

And, perhaps most importantly:

Which WSL2 team do you think everyone is sleeping on right now?

Here's the schedule for the Under-20 Women's World Cup Tournament (that features England U20's) It is set to air on DAZN via FIFA+.

I will be adding to my Live Matches on TV list I post up every Friday, but thought I'd share a preview of what's coming up, with UK dates and times.

Saturday 5th September 2026:

2.00pm - Brazil U20 vs Tanzania U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

2.00pm - Poland U20 vs Argentina U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Canada U20 vs England U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Mexico U20 vs Benin U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

Sunday 6th September 2026:

2.00pm - France U20 vs South Korea U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

2.00pm - Japan U20 vs New Zeland U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Ecuador U20 vs Ghana U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - USA U20 vs Italy U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

Monday 7th September 2026:

2.00pm - New Caledonia U20 vs China U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

2.00pm - North Korea U20 vs Portugal U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Costa Rica U20 vs Colombia U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Spain U20 vs Nigeria U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

Tuesday 8th September 2026:

2.00pm - Benin U20 vs Argentina U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

2.00pm - Brazil U20 vs Canada U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - England U20 vs Tanzania U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Poland U20 vs Mexico U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

Wednesday 9th September 2026:

2.00pm - Ghana U20 vs South Korea U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

2.00pm - Italy U20 vs New Zealand U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - France U20 vs Ecuador U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Japan U20 vs USA U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

Thursday 10th September 2026:

2.00pm - North Korea U20 vs Costa Rica U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

2.00pm - Spain U20 vs New Caledonia U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - China U20 vs Nigeria U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Colombia U20 vs Portugal U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

Friday 11th September 2026:

2.00pm - England U20 vs Brazil U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

2.00pm - Tanzania U20 vs Canada U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Argentina U20 vs Mexico U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Poland U20 vs Benin U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

Saturday 12th September 2026:

2.00pm - Italy U20 vs Japan U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

2.00pm - New Zealand U20 vs USA U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Ghana U20 vs France U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - South Korea U20 vs Ecuador U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

Sunday 13th September 2026:

2.00pm -China U20 vs Spain U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

2.00pm - Nigeria U20 vs New Caledonia U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Colombia U20 vs North Korea U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

5.00pm - Portugal U20 vs Costa Rica U20 (U20 World Cup Group Stage) - Dazn

Wednesday 16th September 2026:

2.00pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Round of 16) - Dazn

2.00pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Round of 16) - Dazn

5.30pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Round of 16) - Dazn

5.30pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Round of 16) - Dazn

Thursday 17th September 2026:

2.00pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Round of 16) - Dazn

2.00pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Round of 16) - Dazn

5.30pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Round of 16) - Dazn

5.30pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Round of 16) - Dazn

Saturday 19th September 2026:

2.00pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Quarter-Final) - Dazn

5.30pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Quarter-Final) - Dazn

Sunday 20th September 2026:

2.00pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Quarter-Final) - Dazn

5.30pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Quarter-Final) - Dazn

Wednesday 23rd September 2026:

2.00pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Semi-Final) - Dazn

5.30pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Semi-Final) - Dazn

Saturday 26th September 2026:

2.00pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Third Place Play-Off) - Dazn

Sunday 27th September 2026:

5.00pm - TBC vs TBC (U20 World Cup Final) - Dazn

Welcome to our weekly fantasy football thread. You can use this thread as an RMT (Rate My Team), rant about the past week or ask for advice about the upcoming match week.

Join our league! The code is - 8ZIJ73Q2

Or share you own league codes down in the comments. Good luck everyone!

YouTube are showing the live match listed below in the Mastercard Cup.

CLICK HERE to watch Lyon vs London City Lionesses (KO.2.00pm)

We're thinking of going to a couple of WSL matches in London while there for a weekend, but not sure if there's a recommended easy way of obtaining the tickets as a one-off.

Do we have to sing up as supporters of each club and install their apps?

We did that when we went to the Manchester derby at Old Trafford a couple of seasons ago and still get bombarded with Man U stuff we're not interested in but haven't got rid of it in case we want to go again when up near Manchester. So like parking apps I don't want all these club apps just to buy the occasional ticket.

Surely to grow the game and encourage more people to attend matches there's a neutral friendly way?

Hey all, I’ve just started playing WSL Fantasy this season and thought it would be fun to connect with other fans from the North West ❤️
I’ve set up a mini-league and it’d be great to have a group of us following the WSL together, sharing fantasy tips and supporting the players and clubs throughout the season.
If you’d like to join, the league code is: Z7LXN1E1

This schedule covers UK-only matches from UK leagues airing on BBC/Sky/TNT/Dazn/YouTube. Updated weekly.

For anyone interested in a full list (including Frauen-Bundesliga / NWSL league matches showing on Dazn / TNT) check out THIS LIST posted in the WomensSoccer group and updated weekly.

UPDATES:

London City Lionesses vs Lyon Friendly on YouTube on 29th August

SWPL1 (Scottish) matches on BBC on 30th August

Northern Irish Women's Premiership match on Dazn on 30th August

Genero Adran Premier (Welsh) league matches on BBC iPlayer on 6th / 13th September

WSL1 / WSL2 kicks off on 4th September

UK Kick Off Times Stated (check schedule for program start times)

Saturday 29th August 2026:

3.00pm - Lyon vs London City Lionesses (Friendly) - olplay.fr / London City Lionesses YouTube (UK Only)

Sunday 30th August 2026:

1.00pm - Celtic vs Hibernian (SWPL1) - BBC iPlayer / Sport Website

4.00pm - Glentoran vs Cliftonville (Northern Irish Women's Premiership) - Dazn

4.10pm - Hearts vs Rangers (SWPL1) - BBC Alab / iPlayer / Sport Website

Friday 4th September 2026:

7.00pm - London City Lionesses vs Manchester United (WSL) - Sky Sports / Main Event / Football / Ultra / Sky One / Sky Mix

7.30pm - Watford vs Burnley (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

7.35pm - Hibernian vs Glasgow City (SWPL1) - BBC Alba / iPlayer / Sport Website

Saturday 5th September 2026:

12.30pm - Chelsea vs Aston Villa (WSL) - BBC 1 / iPlayer / Sports Website

Sunday 6th September 2026:

12.00pm - Brighton vs Arsenal (WSL) - Sky Sports Main Event / Ultra

12.00pm - Tottenham vs West Ham (WSL) - Sky Sports+

12.00pm - Durham vs Southampton (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

1.00pm - Partick Thistle vs Celtic (SWPL1) - BBC iPlayer / Sport Website

2.00pm - Charlton vs Liverpool (WSL) - Sky Sports+

2.00pm - Crystal Palace vs Everton (WSL) - Sky Sports+

2.00pm - Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Newcastle Utd vs Wolves (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Sheffield Utd vs Leicester City (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Sunderland vs Bristol City (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.30pm - Man City vs Birmingham City (WSL) - Sky Sports+

5.15pm - Swansea City vs Cardiff City (Genero Adran Premier) - BBC iPlayer / S4C Online

Saturday 12th September 2026:

12.45pm - West Ham vs London City Lionesses (WSL) - Sky Sports Premier League

5.15pm - Bristol City vs Newcastle Utd (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

Sunday 13th September 2026:

12.00pm - Man Utd vs Chelsea (WSL) - Sky Sports Mix

2.00pm - Birmingham vs Brighton (WSL) - Sky Sports+

2.00pm - Everton vs Charlton (WSL) - Sky Sports+ / Sky Sports WSL YouTube

2.00pm - Liverpool vs Tottenham (WSL) - Sky Sports+ / Sky Sports WSL YouTube

2.00pm - Burnley vs Sunderland (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Nottingham Forest vs Watford (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Southampton vs Ipswich Town (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Wolves vs Sheffield Utd (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.45pm - Arsenal vs Crystal Palace (WSL) - BBC 2 / iPlayer / Sport Website

3.00pm - Leicester City vs Durham (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

5.15pm - Cardiff City vs Wrexham (Genero Adran Premier) - BBC iPlayer / S4C Online

6.30pm - Aston Villa vs Man City (WSL) - Sky Sports Football

Friday 18th September 2026:

7.00pm - Man City vs Liverpool (WSL) - Sky Sports+

7.30pm - Wolves vs Burnley (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

Saturday 19th September 2026:

12.30pm - Charlton vs London City Lionesses (WSL) - BBC 1 / BBC 1 NI / iPlayer / Sport Website

12.45pm - Chelsea vs Birmingham (WSL) - Sky Sports Premier League

5.30pm - Arsenal vs Man Utd (WSL) - Sky Sports Football

Sunday 20th September 2026:

12.00pm - Durham vs Nottingham Forest (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Brighton vs Aston Villa (WSL) - Sky Sports+

2.00pm - Crystal Palace vs Tottenham (WSL) - Sky Sports+ / Sky Sports WSL YouTube

2.00pm - West Ham vs Everton (WSL) - Sky Sports+ / Sky Sports WSL YouTube

2.00pm - Newcastle vs Sheffield United (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Sunderland vs Southampton (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Watford vs Bristol City (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

3.00pm - Leicester City vs Ipswich Town (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

4.10pm - Rangers vs Aberdeen (SWPL1) - BBC Alba / iPlayer / Sport Website

Saturday 26th September 2026:

12.00pm - Burnley vs Bristol City (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

1.30pm - Charlton vs Manchester City (WSL) - BBC iPlayer / Sport Website

5.00pm - London City Lionesses vs Brighton (WSL) - Sky Sports Premier League

Sunday 27th September 2026:

12.00pm - Rangers vs Celtic (SWPL1) - Sky Sports TBC

1.00pm - Man Utd vs West Ham (WSL) - Sky Sports+

2.00pm - Birmingham vs Crystal Palace (WSL) - Sky Sports+

2.00pm - Liverpool vs Everton (WSL) - Sky Sports Main Event / Premier League / Sports Mix / Ultra

2.00pm - Tottenham vs Aston Villa (WSL) - Sky Sports+

2.00pm - Ipswich Town vs Wolves (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Newcastle Utd vs Leicester City (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Sheffield Utd vs Durham (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Southampton vs Nottingham Forest (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Watford vs Sunderland (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

4.10pm - Hearts vs Glasgow City (SWPL1) - BBC Alba / iPlayer / Sport Website

4.30pm - Chelsea vs Arsenal (WSL) - Sky Sports Main Event / Premier League / Ultra

Sunday 4th October 2026:

TBC - Partick Thistle vs Rangers (SWPL1) - BBC iPlayer / Sport Website

12.00pm - Durham vs Newcastle Utd (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Bristol City vs Southampton (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Nottingham Forest vs Burnley (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Sheffield Utd vs Ipswich Town (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Sunderland vs Leicester City (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Wolves vs Watford (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.10pm - Hibernian vs Hearts (SWPL1) - BBC Alba / iPlayer / Sport Website

Friday 9th October 2026:

TBC - Albania vs Wales (World Cup 2027 Play-Off 1st Leg) - BBC TBC / iPlayer / Sport Website

TBC - Greece vs England (World Cup Play-Off 1st Leg) - ITV TBC

TBC - Northern Ireland vs Portugal (World Cup Play-Off 1st Leg) - BBC iPlayer / Sport Website

Tuesday 13th October 2026:

TBC - England vs Greece (World Cup Play-Off 2nd Leg) - ITV TBC

TBC - Portugal VS Northern Ireland (World Cup Play-Off 2nd Leg) - BBC iPlayer / Sport Website

TBC - Wales vs Albania (World Cup Play-Off 2nd Leg) - BBC TBC / iPlayer / Sport Website

Sunday 25th October 2026:

12.00pm - Watford vs Durham (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Bristol City vs Wolves (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Burnley vs Sheffield Utd (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Ipswich Town vs Sunderland (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

2.00pm - Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle Utd (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

3.00pm - Leicester City vs Southampton (WSL2) - WSL2 YouTube

I can’t find anything online saying when they’ll be announced, trying to book work off haha

Just found a live YouTube broadcast of the friendly listed below.

CLICK HERE to watch Wrexham vs Wolves Friendly on YouTube