Former Reading FC Women’s boss Kelly Chambers reflected on the financial issues during her last couple of years with the club.
Chambers spent more than two decades with the Royals, first as a player from 2007-2012 before she became manager in 2015.
After fighting with the biggest clubs in the country in the Women’s Super League for a number of years, Reading were eventually relegated from the top flight in the 20222/23 campaign.
Chambers departed the club that summer and is now sporting director with the Utah Royals.
Speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire, Chambers said: “I just cared so much for the club and it was hard to see the direction the club was going in.
“We had a player that had a child that we supported from a staffing point of view as much as we can.
“”But she wasn’t able to bring her daughter to the training ground so she could train if she didn’t have childcare.
“As staff and as players, you try and support each other as much as possible and it’s when you don’t have that support necessarily from above, it’s hard to keep pushing when you’re not sure what you’re pushing for,”
Chambers also reflected on both Reading senior teams managing to stave off relegation in the 2023/24 season.
She continued: “They’ve found a way to stay in the league, and the same as the men, it’s a huge achievement for both teams.
“It’s definitely not from any support around them.
“It’s definitely from the players and the staff that have put in the hours.”
