West Ham United have been granted a licence to play in the top flight, which will host 11 full-time teams in a 20-game season.
Existing clubs were required to re-apply for their places ahead of the restructure, before an open application phase allowed other teams to apply. The revamp also heralds the renaming of the leagues (formerly FA WSLs 1 and 2) to: the FA WSL and the FA Women’s Championship.
There could be a Manchester derby on the horizon, as Manchester United have been granted a Championship licence, alongside Leicester, Sheffield United, Lewes and Women’s Premier League champions Charlton.
Manchester City’s Head of Women’s Football Gavin Makel commented: “It’s great for the women’s game to see so many more teams going full-time.
“Last year, as a result, we witnessed the league become more competitive and played at a higher standard.
“We are dedicated to constantly improving our performance so it’s exciting to see what the future will hold in regards to raising the standard of women’s football in this country.”
Sunderland, Watford and Oxford have dropped out of the top two divisions and will be offered spots in the third tier – the Women’s National League. Southampton, Crystal Palace and Derby were also unsuccessful in their applications for WSL status.
The 2018-19 season will kick-off with the opening round of Continental Tyres Cup group stage fixtures on the weekend of 18 and 19 August.
The league fixtures commence on the weekend of 8 and 9 September.
