Competition key as WSL seeks to grow amid relegation pause reports

Reports that relegation from England's Women's Super League is set to be paused have sparked positivity and scepticism from players, coaches and agents as clubs and governing bodies try to harness rapid growth and plot a path to a sustainable future. 

British media have reported talk of radical plans to pause relegation from the WSL for several years to increase the number of top-flight teams from 12 to 16, with the winners of the second-tier Women's Championship going up each year. 

"The best of the best want to play in the WSL, but the problem is that the top three or four clubs have such a huge financial advantage to be able to offer players more money compared to the rest of the league, and that's something that needs to be improved," soccer agent Megan Brakes told Reuters. 

Brakes, who represents players in both of England's top divisions as well as in other European leagues and the American National Women's Soccer League, was one of a number of figures in the game who spoke to Reuters about the proposal. 

Budgets, squad sizes, player development and health issues were also highlighted, adding levels of complexity not easy to address for the 23 elite clubs in the top two divisions, but all of those asked said competition should not be sacrificed. 

English coach Martin Ho worked as an assistant manager at WSL clubs Everton and Manchester United and coached Liverpool's Under-21 team before taking up his current role at Brann Bergen in Norway, where he led his side through a Champions League campaign that ended in a quarter-final defeat by Barcelona.

"I think taking relegation out takes the competition out of the league as the majority of fixtures and results don’t have a consequence or meaning, to a certain extent,"