Reading Women: Footballers ‘scared’ after club’s collapse

Rodgers’ views were echoed by team-mate Jesse Woolley, who spent last season on loan at Reading and said she was surprised by the lack of investment in women’s football at the Royals.

“Going from Bristol to Reading, I realised it was such a shock and a culture change,” she said. “But it just proves that women’s football still needs to come a long way. And half of the teams aren’t as lucky as the others and it can change within an instant.

“I think just because we’re women in football it doesn’t mean we get treated any differently and we shouldn’t get treated any differently. It’s our jobs at the end of the day, it’s people’s lives, people’s money, and you know, some have to leave and work normal jobs just to pay the bills.”

Bristol City will share Ashton Gate with the men’s senior team, despite being relegated from the WSL with six points.

Rodgers said the campaign was difficult as they lost every home league game, with the toughest period coming as they picked up just one point after the 2023-24 winter break – but says the dressing room was and remains strong.

“There were never any moments we turned on each other,” she said. “The toughest moment, we got some good results before Christmas and we weren’t bottom.

“Then there was a period after Christmas when there were games we wanted to get results from in the lower half of the table, and we didn’t get any results in that time.

“That was a tough period, you can’t think like that but you have to be realistic. We still gave our best, it wasn’t enough but we did stick together as a group.”