Crystal Palace secure a place in the WSL!

Crystal Palace Women will compete in the Women’s Super League for the first time in the 2024/2025 season after a 0-0 draw against Sunderland on Sunday.

Crystal Palace also set a new record attendance as 6,796 fans were present at Selhurst Park to witness the Eagles lift the trophy.

The Eagles were sat comfortably at the top of the table, three points ahead of local rivals Charlton Athletic heading into the final game of the season, however, they held a commanding 22-goal difference advantage over Charlton, meaning no matter the result against Sunderland, Crystal Palace had secured their spot in the WSL.

Palace ended the season with 55 goals in the Championship (16 more than their closest opponent), 14 winning games, 4 draws and 4 losses.

This is an incredible achievement that no one saw coming, considering Palace finished 5th in the Championship last season, and a large variety of change was implemented over the pre-season.

Grace Williams joined Palace as Head of Women’s Football from Bristol City, Laura Kaminski was rewarded with her first head coach role, and the team made the move from Bromley’s Hayes Lane to Sutton United’s Gander Green Lane.

They also finished the 2022/2023 season as one of the teams within the Championship with the worst defensive record.

Crystal Palace is also home to Welsh forward Elise Hughes, winner of the Golden Boot. She scored 16 league goals this season, but her season was cut short in the Eagles’ penultimate game against Lewes.

It was later confirmed that she has ruptured her ACL and will miss most of the upcoming WSL season.

The 23-year-old has played a pivotal role in the success of Crystal Palace, showing a lethal edge in front of the goal, remaining a focal point for those around her, whilst still effortlessly slotting the ball into the back of the net.

When questioned about the success of the club, manager Laura Kaminski said: “I think this club is at the start of a fantastic journey. This is the step we needed to take, ready to gain momentum and progress forward. We want to give ourselves the best opportunity in the WSL, we’ve got fantastic backing from the club, and I feel like we’ve worked hard this year to get all the infrastructure in around the team.”