Sunderland Women announce major new deal for Mel Reay’s side
Sunderland are already preparing for their next season in the Women’s Championship with aspirations of promotion.
Sunderland Women experienced an up-and-down season, with consistency needed ahead of the new season if they are serious about pushing for promotion to the WSL.
Their end to the season finished with two victories after losing their four matches previously, including a 1-0 defeat in the Tyne-Wear derby.
Now Melanie Reay has been given a boost ahead of the new season, after an announcement from the Black Cats.
Sunderland announces new contracts for standout players
Sunderland shared (20 June) the confirmation of new contracts for notable female players, including Dale.
Dale, who arrived in the North East from Everton last summer, has had a remarkable season for the Black Cats even after a difficult start.
Her most spectacular performance came against Exeter City in the FA Women’s Cup, as she scored four goals in their 7-1 victory.
| Matches played | 17 |
| Goals | 12 |
| Average accurate passes | 69% |
The 2024-25 Player of the Season winner Katie Kitching has also renewed her contract, after an impressive season at the Stadium of Light, with the 2024-25 Young Player of the Season, Libbi McInnes, also extending their stay in red and white.
18-year-old Katy Watson and reliable winger Ellen Jones are also among those to have signed new deals.
Sunderland given achievable ‘incentive’ for next season
A recent announcement revealed the WSL will expand to 14 teams beginning in the 2026-27 season.
This will mean next season, two teams from the Women’s Championship will be automatically promoted, with a third entering into a play-off with the second-bottom team from the Super League.
The changes should be encouraging the Black Cats to invest more ahead of the new season, as they are certainly one of the teams that can be fighting for a promotion spot.
While Sunderland finished 7th last season, they finished third in 2023-24, only missing out on promotion by five points.
The likes of Crystal Palace, Birmingham City, Charlton and Newcastle are likely to be their main competitors.
The new contract announcements, especially for players such as Dale and Kitching are encouraging for Sunderland.
If the club is willing to back the team even more, pushing for promotion to the WSL could become a reality next season especially after the Men’s team incredible promotion to the Premier League.