Bay Collective aims to compete with the world's top soccer teams
Bay Collective have taken over Sunderland AFC Women with the aim of restoring glory to the club and competing at the highest level in women's football.
Bay Collective have completed their takeover of Sunderland AFC Women, owning a majority stake in the club. The multi-club investors, which also operate Bay FC in the US, received formal approval from WSL Football this week. Sunderland finished the season eighth in Women's Super League 2 but Kay Cossington, chief executive of Bay Collective, hopes they can compete with "the best teams in the world" in the future. "I don't see any reason why it can't happen. The club has been there before. This is not new," said Cossington, who was previously the FA's technical director of women's football. "When I was national coach there were so many players from this area, whether it was Lucy Bronze, Jill Scott, Steph Houghton, Lucy Stanforth, Demi Stokes - the list is long. This club was once at the top of women's football and regularly competed for trophies. It's time to bring those days back." Local rivals Newcastle United have enjoyed increased investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) in recent years. However, Durham called for investment last week as their future in WSL 2 was at risk without it. Cossington said Bay Collective "understands the importance of this region" to women's football and hopes to restore success in the sport. Sunderland chief executive Tom Burwell believes the club's ambitions were met by Bay Collective when they first had conversations in October 2025. "That was the clear imperative the board set for me - to find a partner that is first and foremost interested in growing football in this region, knowing that if we build those vital foundations, we have a chance of competing at the highest level," Burwell said.
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