Go inside Wolves Women’s busy summer as they prepare for the new FA Women’s National League season. Ashlea Follows bring you all the latest news.
With the FA Women’s National League fixtures for the upcoming season being released the other day, Wolves Women found out they will begin their season away at Liverpool Feds on the 17th August. Let’s see what they’ve been up to this summer so far, including new additions, departures, and a new advisory board
Starting in June, dan McNamara commits his future to the club
On the 20th June, it was announced that long-serving manager Dan McNamara would remain in charge again for the foreseeable future. McNamara has been at the club since 2018 and turned full-time last summer, so to have him on board yet again for this exciting new era for the women’s team will be a massive boost for them.
Then, five days later, two young defenders, Beth Roberts and Abbi Jenner, both signed contracts with the club on a part-time basis as part of Wolves’ ambition to retain talent and take further steps to progress its new hybrid model. Both players have impressed under McNamara in recent seasons, so he will be happy to have them tied down.
The club also put a new all-women advisory board in place that will help oversee and drive the growth and development off the pitch. The board includes the chair of Wolves Women, Jenny Wilkes, ex-player Claire Hakeman, ex-Wolves Women captain Anna Price, broadcaster and Wolves fan Lynsey Hooper, and BBC head of comms and Wolves supporter Caren Davies.
Then, right at the end of the month, their first new addition happened, welcome Amy Sims. The midfielder joined from Nottingham Forest and brings a wealth of National League experience.
Upon signing Amy, McNamara told Wolves:
“I’m delighted to have been able to bring Amy to Wolves… I’ve known her for a few years and she used to cause us all sorts of problems, she’s an excellent all-rounded player and she’s got so much ability, energy, aggression, and she’s technically really clean, so I’m delighted.”
Also, four more top-talent and fan favourite players committed to the club; these were Beth Merrick, Becky Anderson, Charlotte Greengrass, and Amber Hughes.
July saw a couple of big departures
Before we get onto the big departures, another big player locked in for the new season, Katie Johnson. The defender has made over 100 appearances for the club so far and has now committed her future to the club for another 12 months.
Talented youngster Abi Loydon signed her first Wolves contract ahead of the new season. The midfielder was McNamara’s first addition to the squad last summer, and the 20-year-old has shown a lot of promise during her first season in gold and black. She could be vital this season.
The final big name to be resigned so far is club captain and another fan favourite, Anna Morphet. The 24-year-old is ready to lead her side, hopefully to promotion. She is a true leader, and McNamara told Wolves:
“I’m delighted to get the captain over the line and we’re looking forward to the season ahead with her.”
Now we move on to the big news, the shock departure of Tammi George. George was at Wolves for 10 years and has been a key part of McNamaras’ side and success over the years. She ends her Wolves career on 167 appearances and 52 goals. The 23-year-old has moved to WSL2 (Women’s Championship) side Sheffield United, and the club is so proud of her for her journey to this level. All the best, Tammi. McNamara said: Tammi will be a loss for the football club, but we are all proud of the journey she’s been on since she was eight years old.
“She’s represented the football club and city of Wolverhampton as a city superbly well over the past ten years, and we wish her well.”
Other than the fixture announcements where as I said, Wolves begin on the 17th August with a trip away to Liverpool Feds (full list can be found on Wolves Women’s socials and by clicking here), the other big news this month was the fact Emma Cross announced her retirement from football after spending 20 years at Wolves Women.
Cross made over 250 appearances for Wolves and will be remembered as a true legend. The defender joined the club aged nine alongside her twin sister Jade and progressed up through to the first team. She has been a real trailblazer for the women’s game, particularly for Wolves, and will be deeply missed by the squad.
On Emma’s departure, McNamara said:
“I hope she can be very proud of being part of the history of Wolves, she’ll certainly go down as a legend.”
Wolves Women have added further depth with the signing of midfielder Hannah Binning on a dual registration deal from Leicester City. Binning, a talented young player just 15 years old, will now be available to feature for both clubs, increasing her opportunities for valuable game time and development throughout the upcoming season.
Wolves Women have strengthened their squad with the signings of defender Georgia Marshall and winger Anna Grey, both joining from Burnley this summer. Manager Dan McNamara praised their talent and experience, noting their impact when facing Wolves last season and highlighting Marshall’s leadership qualities and versatility in defence. Marshall, just 22, brings experience from her time at Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, and Burnley, where she captained teams and played a key role in one of the league’s best defences.
Anna Grey, 23, joins after a strong stint at Ipswich Town, where she stood out as top scorer, and a season with Burnley. McNamara is excited for the direct style, quality delivery, and hunger Grey will bring to the team, believing she will quickly become a fan favourite. The signings line up with the club’s drive to develop young, ambitious players as Wolves Women aim for success in the upcoming 2025/26 season.
There will most likely be some more players retained and signing contracts as well as some potential new additions as we get closer to the season, but it’s definitely already been a busy summer so far for McNamara and the club itself. Will they get the promotion they’ve deserved and craved for the last few seasons? We will find out soon.
COME ON YOU WOLVES.
ARTICLE BY ASHLEA FOLLOWS
I’m Ashlea Follows, an aspiring sports journalist in the making. I’ve completed two degrees at university, Sports Journalism and a masters in Data Journalism. I’m very passionate about the womens game right from the WSL down to grassroots level, my biggest aim is to have a job reporting on womens football for a big organisation or a particular club one day! Another thing about me that’s good to know is I’m a big wolves fan both the mens and womens team☺️