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- Author, Maisie Marston
- Role, BBC Radio Berkshire
Former Reading FC Women manager Kelly Chambers said investment from the club was “decreasing by the week” when she led the team.
The Royals went part-time after they were relegated from the Women’s Super League (WSL) in 2023 and dropped into the Championship for the first time since 2015.
Chambers moved to the United States to become Utah Royals FC’s Sporting Director in the NWSL following Reading’s relegation.
The club said it invested around £6.5m into women’s football from 2018.
Image source, Getty Images
The 38-year-old joined the club in 2007 as a player. She took over as the team’s manager for a second time in 2015, winning promotion to the WSL that year.
Chambers spoke about women’s football needing “different support avenues”.
“We had a player that had a child that we supported from a staffing point of view as much as we can,” she said.
“But she wasn’t able to bring her daughter to the training ground so she could train if she didn’t have childcare.”
Chambers managed the Royals to fourth place in 2017, the highest the club has ever finished in the WSL.
She said maintaining the club’s place in the league became increasingly difficult as investment decreased.
“As staff and as players, you try and support each other as much as possible and it’s when you don’t have that support necessarily from above, it’s hard to keep pushing when you’re not sure what you’re pushing for,” Chambers said.
“I just cared so much for the club, and it was so hard to see the direction the club was going in.”
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Reading has financial issues and fans want owner Dai Yongge to sell the whole club.
Last season Reading were the only WSL side without a Premier League counterpart.
This season Bristol City, the only WSL team not affiliated with a men’s top tier side, were relegated in April.
Liam Gilbert took over from Chambers in 2023, guiding the Royals to a tenth place finish in the Women’s Championship this season.
Image source, Getty Images
“They’ve found a way this season to stay in the league, and the same as the men, it’s a huge achievement for both the teams,” Chambers said.
“It’s definitely not from any support around them. It’s definitely from the players and the staff that have put in the hours.”
Reading said: “In 2019 we moved our Women’s first team to Bearwood Park, in-line with our men’s team. Like many businesses, the club do not have childcare facilities on site.
“Our maternity and paternity policies are fully compliant with industry guidelines.”
It also said “the commercial impact of relegations and general financial challenges” had impacted the whole club over recent seasons.
