The New Subway Players Cup: Who's Involved and How Does it Work?
- Keira Mundell
- Aug 15
- 2 min read
With a new season upon us comes a new name, new format and even more opportunities.
The Subway Players Cup (formerly the Subway Women’s League Cup) has changed not only its name, but its format too. Approaching it in this way opens the competition up to clubs competing in the top two divisions of the women’s football pyramid. However, this coming season player welfare will be the priority, meaning that they will be excluding Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, as they all have pre-existing UEFA Women’s Champions League commitments. It requires them to play additional fixtures and creates extra demand each week. The new format aims to help minimise fatigue by easing calendar congestion, while ensuring that the league phase fixtures will be regionalised.
Which Teams are Involved?
Throughout the competition, we will see 23 clubs go head-to-head in hopes of bringing the next season’s first piece of silverware home. 11 of these clubs regularly compete in the English top flight: Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Brighton, recently promoted Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Everton, Liverpool, London City Lionesses, Manchester United, Spurs and West Ham United.
The competition’s aim is to give those 12 teams in the second division more opportunities to test themselves against WSL opposition: Bristol City, Burnley, Durham, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Southampton, Sunderland, Watford and Wolves.
How Does the Competition Structure Work?
Unlike previous seasons, the WSL has decided to change its format. This means that the group stage no longer exists, but has been replaced by a league phase. The league phase will take place between September and December, when each club will play six regionalised fixtures split between three home games and three away games to try and minimise travel. The participating clubs will be placed in one combined table. By the end of the league phase, clubs finishing in first to eighth will advance to the quarter-final stage of the competition, taking place on the 13th and 14th of January.
When are the Key Dates and Fixtures?
All teams who progress will earn themselves a place in the semi-finals between the 10th and 11th of February 2027. According to WSL Football (2026), the final will be played on either the 13th or 14th of March 2027. The neutral venue is yet to be confirmed.
How Will the Subway Players Cup Impact the Women's Game?
The Subway Players Cup will impact the women's game, as it allows WSL 2 clubs to play unfamiliar opponents. It could also help them to adapt to the quality of the WSL. Emma Sidall expressed how being able “to face some of the best players in the world will be a great experience”.
The competition could narrow the gap in quality between sides, keeping motivation high to reach the WSL. Jordan Nobbs, a five-time winner of this competition, said her team Newcastle United is excited to compete for a trophy that “everyone wants to win.”
The competition’s new format will hopefully tackle player fatigue and help to manage an already congested calendar by introducing regionalised fixtures. The fixtures that will be played allow players to experience new venues as well as plenty of new opportunities.
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