Plymouth Women players notified of non-renewals by email

Plymouth Argyle Women’s senior squad received emails from chief executive Paul Berne informing them their contracts would not be renewed. The club confirmed the notifications covered nearly all first-team players.

Berne cited squad direction for next season as the reason for the decision in the email. He thanked the players and offered job references to departing players. Plymouth Argyle Women finished second in the 2023-24 Women’s Championship, missing Women’s Super League promotion by two points.

The club’s women’s team will restructure ahead of the 2024-25 season. Plymouth Argyle’s men’s team competes in League One. Paul Berne has held the chief executive role since 2019.

First-team player numbers will drop significantly under the new squad plan. Plymouth Argyle Women’s season ended with a 2-0 loss to Durham Women on May 12. The club did not specify how many players would remain under the new structure.

A Plymouth Argyle Women supporter group criticized the communication method as “impersonal.” The club has not responded publicly to the criticism. Plymouth Argyle Women will begin the 2024-25 campaign in the Women’s Championship.

The move follows Plymouth Argyle’s men’s team relegation to League One in 2023-24. Paul Berne’s email marks the first public acknowledgment of the women’s team restructuring plans.