The future of Durham women's team has been saved thanks to investment from Geoff Thompson
Durham Women have been saved from closure by investment from South Shields club co-owner Geoff Thompson, securing their place in Women's Super League 2 next season.
The future of Durham Women's team has been saved thanks to investment from South Shields club co-owner Geoff Thompson, through a deal to acquire a major stake in the Women's Super League 2 side. Investment from this local businessman, along with financial backing from Jason Ye, another South Shields investor, ensures that Durham will continue to participate in Women's Super League 2 next season.
The team launched an urgent appeal for investors on June 8 after potential investors were unsuccessful, leaving them at risk of losing their professional status. In a statement, Durham said they had 21 days to find a buyer and warned players and staff that the team would have to "cease operations at all levels" if a buyer could not be found.
Although the value of the investment has not been disclosed, the news is a big boost for Durham. Thompson has played a key role in the development of South Shields and football in the north-east - first as chairman of the club, where he oversaw three successive promotions, before becoming an investor in 2017. He said: "With a decision needing to be made in the next few days, the priority is to protect Durham Women and secure its long-term future. We are confident that the team has a vital role to play in local community and deserve every opportunity to grow, progress and succeed. I would like to sincerely thank Mr Jason Ye, my newest partner at South Shields FC, for the trust and confidence he has shown in me, in this club and in the north east region as a whole. We share a strong belief in the future of women's football.
Under the new buyback plan, the Durham club's founders, Lee Sanders and Dawn Hepple, will remain as shareholders. Durham were founded in 2007 as an under-10 women's team and were accepted into the WSL structure in 2014 as a professional women's team. They spent 12 years competing in WSL 2 as an independent team without any association with any men's club. Last season, Durham finished 10th in the second division and reached the quarter-finals of the Women's FA Cup twice.
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