When it comes to the Women’s Championship, there are few players whose legacy looms quite as large as Sue Smith’s.
The former England international was the unofficial face of the league, otherwise known as WSL 2, when it was founded in April 2014. She spent five years at Doncaster Rovers Belles, scoring 12 goals in 22 appearances in the 2015 season to help fire her team back to the top flight.
It was only right, then, that Smith should play a key part in the Championship’s 10th anniversary celebrations this month, with the Sky Sports pundit visiting the National Football Museum in Manchester to donate a range of special mementos from her time in the division.
“Having played a small part in the Championship’s history, it was really nice to come here, give some donations and reminisce a little bit about my time in the league,” Smith told Mirror Football. “It’s a great league and it’s only getting stronger and stronger.”
Indeed, the strength and competitiveness of the Championship is perhaps best evidenced by the fact four teams - Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Charlton Athletic and Southampton - have spent the season jostling for promotion to the WSL, with several clubs having made the decision to turn fully professional in recent years.
“You look at this season, with the title race being so close, and it’s exactly what you want, Smith said. “You obviously want the WSL to have a close title race and you want the Championship to do exactly the same.
“There’s some great players down there as well and when they move up into the WSL, they’re prepared for that really strong, competitive environment.”
Two players who are well-acquainted with the competitiveness of the league are Millie Chandarana and Jade Richards of Blackburn Rovers. Rotherham-born Chandarana joined the club back in 2021 and admits the progress she has seen in recent years has been remarkable.
“Year on year in the Championship, the standard has improved,” she said. “I’ve played in the league for three years and even during that time the level has improved massively, not only on the pitch but in terms of the professionalisation of the clubs as well. To be able to be a full-time team and have full-time athletes is amazing and I think it’s only going to get better in the years to come.”
"The players and the clubs in this league deserve credit because it’s a great advert for women’s football,” Richards agrees. “I feel whoever gets promoted this season will succeed in the WSL because of how competitive this league is.
“The last 10 years have built the league into what it is today. For it to grow as much as it has done in those years is great and hopefully it continues to do so.”
Smith is one of those players who has helped the Championship become what it is today and the former Lionesses forward was delighted to get the chance to look back on her time with Doncaster Rovers, donating her 2014 Player of the Year and Golden Boot trophies to the National Football Museum in honour of the league’s anniversary.
“Playing for Doncaster Belles, we had such a good team, both in the way we played on the pitch and the way we really got on,” she reflected. “ It sounds quite cliche but everyone had each other’s back and there was that real family environment. I still speak to lots of the players now and it’s nice to see so many of them, the likes of Millie Bright and Beth England. have progressed, and gone on to have fantastic careers”
And, while it’s hard to believe how far the Championship has come in the last decade, there is hope that the continued growth of the women’s game means the league will be in an even healthier position in another 10 years’ time.
“I’m excited for what the future holds,” Richards said. “Obviously the growth in these 10 years has been phenomenal so in another 10 years we’ll have hopefully pushed on even further.
“If the WSL continues to develop in terms of increasing the fanbase and attracting players from abroad then that should filter down so that, in 10 years time, we can be where the WSL is now.”
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