# Charlton lose first eight WSL games as gulf in quality proves costly

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/charlton-at-risk-of-being-chewed-up-with-wsl-step-up-an-absolute-ocean/
- Published: 2026-11-06T20:49:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T21:17:47+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/nov/06/charlton-risk-being-chewed-up-wsl-karen-hills
- Topics: Sport

## Key points

- Charlton have lost their first eight WSL matches.
- Injuries and limited resources have made the step up harder.
- Promotion brings higher costs, while central funding is modest.

## Summary

Charlton Athletic have lost all eight of their opening Women’s Super League matches and are struggling to cope with the jump in quality. Last season’s play-off winners are conceding more than three goals a game, raising questions about whether their difficulties reflect under-preparation or the financial gulf between the divisions.

Injuries to key signings Linda Líf Boama and Hawa Cissoko have weakened the squad, while recruitment was seen by some as rushed. Charlton’s women’s team reported a £1.32m loss and £2.18m in net liabilities for the year to June 2025; promotion also brings higher minimum salaries, while central WSL funding averaged about £400,000 per club in 2024-25. The three promoted clubs occupy the bottom three places, though Birmingham and Crystal Palace have shown more competitiveness than Charlton.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.