Crystal Palace won promotion to the WSL from the Women's Championship last season; the club have made a number of changes and improvements to help guide the women's team into England's top league; the Eagles were the Championship's top scorers with Elise Hughes winning the Golden Boot
Thursday 19 September 2024 09:12, UK
Crystal Palace's journey to the WSL has been one born out of ambition, affinity, deliberate planning and, like most footballing stories, a little bit of luck.
The Eagles were one of the founding members of the rebranded Women's Championship in 2018. Their original application to enter the league was rejected as they failed to be granted a licence for the newly restructured second tier.
The south London club were just an amateur outfit at the time, relying on players to pay subscription fees. Controversy surrounding the team's financial situation also prompted former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha to make a substantial donation to support them.
Now, fast-forward six years, Crystal Palace are a WSL club for the first time, winning last season's Championship season. But how have they done it?
In 2019, Crystal Palace announced that the club would be changing their name from "Ladies" to begin the 2019/20 Championship campaign as "Crystal Palace FC". While trivial, this highlighted a change in mentality from the club.
Housing both the men and women's side under the same name showed they were considered under one club with one vision. Moving away from 'Ladies' also acknowledged an ever-evolving women's game that had seen Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal do the same.
This signalled the beginnings of a new era for women's football in south London and its growing importance within Palace's internal sporting structure.
The Eagles followed up their first three years in the Women's Championship with back-to-back top five finishes. But it was in the summer of 2023 - just over 12 months ago - that Crystal Palace's future vision for the women's team began to take real shape.
They firstly made their biggest signal of intent of progression by announcing a head of women's football, Grace Williams.
The club would later announce a change of stadia. Since 2014, the women's team played their home matches at Hayes Lane, the home of also recently-promoted League Two side Bromley. In July 2023, Crystal Palace announced an agreement to play their home games at the VBS Community Stadium, which is also used by Sutton United.
A 30-minute drive from Selhurst Park, a move to Sutton meant Crystal Palace were still local to the area. The main reasoning behind the relocation, however, was because of the WSL's grass pitch requirement, further highlighting a commitment to the growth of the football club.
Further to the appointment of Williams and a move to the VBS, Crystal Palace's restructuring was catalysed by the appointment of a new progressive coach in Laura Kaminski. It was her first managerial role, following assistant stints at Charlton, Spurs and five years with the FA coaching England's U19 team.
Kaminski's experience - even without a head coach role on her CV - made her a standout candidate. During her time with Tottenham, she played a key role in their first-ever promotion to the WSL in 2019. She has received compliments for her firm but approachable style of management that captures the spirit of Crystal Palace.
And Kaminski's approach has been a huge contributing factor to the Eagles' success.
Crystal Palace have been a side transformed. They finished the 2022/23 campaign among the teams with the worst defensive record in the Championship. Last season, only three teams kept out more goals. That will only be tested further in the WSL.
But it is in attack where Kaminski's side have excelled - Palace finished the season as the overwhelming top scorers in the Championship finding the net 55 times. That was 16 more goals than the next closest team, Southampton.
The attractive football on display kept fans coming too as they continued to break their own records for attendances. In March, Crystal Palace welcomed 5,566 fans to the VBS - their highest attendance at that time.
That was broken again on the final day of the season when their 0-0 draw against Sunderland - played at Selhurst Park - saw 6,796 spectators watch them lift the Championship title.
Last season, Crystal Palace's squad had an average age of 22, making them one of the youngest sides in the Championship. Their youth brings an enthusiasm displayed on the pitch, which is reciprocated by the fans, and all tied together by captain Aimee Everett.
Everett - who turned 23 in August - joined Palace in 2021, and has previously been promoted to the WSL with Liverpool and Leicester. She won Player of the Season in her debut campaign, before being named captain in 2023, leading Crystal Palace into their new era.
Naturally a midfielder, Everett has played a vital role at centre-back. Tasked with breaking lines with passes out of the back, Everett's composure in possession allows her to start attacks from deeper positions and contributes to Kaminski's forward-thinking approach.
Everett's teammate - Annabel Blanchard - had a similar journey, also representing Liverpool, Leicester, Blackburn and England at youth level.
Blanchard wears the number 10 for Crystal Palace and lives up to the number in every sense. Her game revolves around creating chances, but also contributing to goals in a huge way. The midfielder found the net 11 times and set up seven goals to help her side gain promotion - no player contributed to more goals.
Blanchard has not only gained plaudits for the number of goals she has scored, but for the quality of her finishes. She netted two hat-tricks during the campaign, one of them coming in Crystal Palace's record-breaking 9-1 win against Durham.
In that game, she scored a perfect hat-trick, with the first of the three earning her goal of the month for a thundering strike on her left foot.
Whether it be games at the VBS or fixtures at Selhurst Park, you don't have to look too far to see young fans sporting a 'Blanchard 10' shirt, inspired, wanting to see more of the player who quickly established herself as a fan favourite.
But Blanchard has not carried the burden alone - Elise Hughes has also been key in Crystal Palace's success.
The 23-year-old started at Everton as a defender before transitioning to a No9. She also played with Blanchard while on loan at Blackburn in the 2020/21 season.
The Wales international has shown a lethal edge in front of goal to help her side win the Championship. She sustained an ACL injury in Crystal Palace's penultimate game of the season, but nevertheless ended the campaign as the Golden Boot winner with 16 goals.
Hughes has been a key beneficiary of the expansive football that Crystal Palace have adopted. One of her most notable performances came in that historic Durham win where she scored four times.
Hughes' relationship with the likes of Blanchard and fellow forward Molly Mae-Sharpe ensures she can remain a focal point for those around her, while still receiving the ball to do what she does best - finding the back of the net.
Preparing for a first season in the top flight has meant a busy summer for Kaminski's side. With 14 incomings, Palace made the most signings of any club in the WSL during the transfer window.
Among Palace's acquisitions are the loan signings of teenage duo Brooke Aspin and Lexi Potter from Chelsea, with the latter returning to the club after making 21 appearances during their promotion campaign.
In a bid to blend both youth and experience, Palace also signed Denmark international Katrine Veje. The 33-year-old defender brings WSL experience having left Everton after two seasons on Merseyside and previously playing for Arsenal.
In a summer showing of intent to maintain their WSL status, Kaminski has said Palace have left "no stone unturned" in pre-season. Managing a large number of incomings harbours its own challenge but Kaminski believes their transfers have what it takes to make an impact.
"They've already added a lot of value to us," she told Sky Sports News.
"It takes time for players to settle but the environment that I pride myself on every day and the staff work hard to uphold those standards, gives them a place where they can enjoy their football, and be happy with their living circumstances which is really important.
"We're comfortable and happy with the way they've embedded into the group."
Last season, Palace began their Championship campaign hoping to match their previous back-to-back top-five finishes but their promotion was no accident. Kaminski's Eagles will hope their project can continue to soar to new heights.
