Crystal Palace Women's promotion to the Women's Super League has come with a significant financial cost, with the club posting a substantial loss for the 2024-25 season. The club's turnover rose to £1.32 million, up from £914,000 the previous year, but they recorded a post-tax loss of £1.99 million.

These figures, covering the financial year ending in 2025, illustrate the increased investment required to compete at the top level. The club was promoted to the WSL for the 2024 campaign after winning the Championship in the 2023-24 season.

Financial landscape across the WSL

The financial data places Crystal Palace Women's situation in a wider league context. Their turnover of £1.32 million was slightly below Brighton & Hove Albion's £1.34 million and significantly less than the league's commercial leaders. Arsenal reported the highest turnover at £21.54 million, while Chelsea and Manchester United also posted figures above £10 million.

For profitability, only three clubs in the reported data finished the year in the black. Liverpool made a profit of £168,000, Manchester United recorded £397,000, and Arsenal posted a modest £22,000 profit. The majority of clubs, including Crystal Palace, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea, reported losses. Chelsea's loss was the largest at £17.10 million, followed by Brighton's £7.29 million deficit.

Current on-field progress

This financial backdrop comes as the team is making a solid start to the new season on the pitch. Crystal Palace Women currently sit sixth in the FA WSL with four points from their opening two matches. Their recent form reads one win and one draw, leaving them unbeaten so far.

The campaign began with a 1-0 home victory over Everton, secured by a goal from L. Lloyd-Smith in the 34th minute. They followed that with a hard-earned point in a 0-0 draw away to Arsenal last weekend. This leaves the side just two points behind early leaders Manchester City.

The immediate focus now shifts to maintaining this positive momentum against another club that posted a loss last season. Palace host Tottenham Hotspur Women this weekend, a side that finished the 2024-25 financial year with a £2.83 million loss. Fans can check the full upcoming schedule on the club's fixtures page. The current league standings show Tottenham in fourth place, setting up a key early-season encounter at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

This story first appeared at theguardian.com