The Women's Super League will have a new name in its ranks next season after Crystal Palace were promoted from the Championship on the final day of the season.
The Eagles won 2-0 against relegated Lewes, gaining an overwhelming advantage in goal difference and gaining a three-point lead over second-placed Charlton, almost guaranteeing them a place at the top of the table.
Their place was decided on Sunday with a goalless draw with Sunderland in front of a club record crowd of 6,796 at Selhurst Park.
It has been a historic season for Palace, with their captain admitting they have exceeded expectations.
“There were a lot of changes at the beginning of the season,” Palace captain Amy Everett told BBC Sport. “Honestly, I don’t think anyone expected it to turn out like this, but this is what everyone wanted to achieve.”
The changes bring in new coach Laura Kaminsky and head of women's soccer Grace Williams.
Williams, who oversaw Bristol City's Championship win last year and is celebrating a second successive promotion, was far more confident than Everett that Palace could get the job done.
“We've got to sit comfortably and know that as a team we're doing the right thing,” Williams said on the BBC's Women's Football Weekly podcast. “We want to be leaders and a lot of that comes from our players. Even if other teams are winning, we have to keep winning.
“There was no question we weren't going to win the league. I want to tell you there was pressure, there were tears, there were ups and downs, but we just go into Monday looking for the next game.”
Palace's promotion has capped an impressive rise, but it hasn't always been smooth sailing.
Founded in 1992, the team played in the regional divisions of English football until the league pyramid was restructured in 2018, when they were selected to join the likes of Manchester United in the Championship.
The early days of Championship football were not easy. On the pitch, the team struggled in their debut season in 2018-19, finishing in second-last place with just three wins out of 20 league games.
From 'Harry's Heroes' to record-breaking productions
Annabel Johnson is Palace's longest-serving current player, having joined in 2019, and remembers the environment being very different when she arrived five years ago.
“Since I joined, this club has gone unrecognized. We trained two nights a week but had to stop when the floodlights went out at 10pm,” Johnson told BBC Sport. . “He only had one gym slot a week.
“The support and structure from the club has grown significantly. Clubs have to be careful when taking over and integrating with players. “You can’t just snap your fingers and everything will change. Gradually the club has grown. I've seen it get better, and it will continue to do so in the future. ”
Off the field, the club hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2018 with reports that some female players were told to come up with £250 each in sponsorship or risk being sacked. did.
The club said sponsorship was not a prerequisite for playing at Palace, but the issue became big enough for men's first team star Wilfried Zaha to get involved with a “significant financial contribution”. Ta.
In the same season, Palace's women's team appeared as opponents to the men's England Legends team on the ITV series Harry's Heroes. Harry Redknapp's England team, which featured retired former players David Seaman, Paul Merson and Matt Le Tissier, defeated Palace 1-0 thanks to Melson's goal.
After a rocky early days, Palace became a staple of the second tier. They finished seventh, fourth and fifth in the past three seasons before stepping up a gear in the 2023-24 season.
The promotional campaign was fiercely fought. Palace reached the top of the table within a week after three games, but were unable to do so again until matchday 20, with two games remaining.
Still, they deserve to be champions.
Speaking ahead of the game against Sunderland, Johnson said: “In football you take it week by week so you don't get too caught up in records.”
“But it was a very positive thing so we will appreciate it when the final whistle blows.”
Kaminsky leads Eagles to success
Palace continued to dominate teams, scoring 55 goals in 22 games. Welsh international Elise Hughes was a star player, scoring 16 goals.
However, Hughes' crown as the Championship's top scorer was undermined when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Palace's penultimate game against Charlton, which kept him out of action for several months.
“We were all disappointed to hear about Elise's injury, but we are happy and proud of the season she had,” Everett said.
Palace's achievement is even more impressive considering last season's troubles, which saw former manager Dean Davenport leave the club.
Davenport was manager for 10 years and oversaw the club's growth.
He was suspended along with two other staff members in March 2023 following complaints about his conduct, and officially resigned two months later.
Kaminski has managed to take Palace to the next level.
This is her first managerial role at top club level, having previously coached England Under-19s for five years and served as assistant manager when Tottenham were promoted to the Women's Super League.
She joined Palace from Charlton, where she also served as assistant manager, and has now beaten her former employer to promotion.
Next season will be a completely different challenge and now is a critical time.
As Bristol City's struggles have proven, it can be difficult for promoted teams to survive in the WSL.
“This is a huge leap forward in the league, and we have to respect that, so we're going to look at what those challenges are,” Williams said.
What is clear so far is that this vibrant Palace side has earned the right to take on any challenge that comes their way.
