Nottingham Forest to make women’s team fully professional from 2025-26

Nottingham Forest will move to a full-time professional model from the 2025-2026 season.

Ahead of the upcoming 2024-2025 campaign, Forest confirmed that their first team will have 18-full time professional players alongside a “small number of part-time players”, before becoming fully professional by 2025.

Forest currently ply their trade in the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division, the third tier in the women’s football pyramid, and will play their 11 home games at the City Ground next season.

Speaking about Forest’s plans to go professional, head of women and girls football Amber Wildgust told the club website: “The move to a full-time model has been driven by significant investment and the unwavering support from our owner.

“It highlights our ambition as a club and our commitment to breaking into the FA Women’s Championship and fulfilling our vision of progressing to the Women’s Super League.

“Alongside this, we are excited about the improvements to our girls’ academy, which aims to diversify the talent pool, increase contact time, and contribute to the owner’s ‘Vision for Sport’ initiatives, cultivating homegrown Nottingham talent.

“It is an exciting time at the club for women’s and girls’ sports as we embark on this ambitious step alongside the Nottingham Forest netball team.”