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2023–24 Women's Championship

The 2023–24 Women's Championship season (known Barclays Women's Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the sixth season of the rebranded Women's Championship, the second tier of women's football in England, and the ninth season since the creation of the WSL 2.

In April 2023, The Football Association board announced changes to the Women's Championship, increasing the number of relegation spots in the 2023–24 season to two in order for both FA Women's National League champions (North and South) to win promotion at the end of the season. Previously only one team had been relegated and replaced by the winner of a playoff match between the Northern Premier Division and Southern Premier Division champions. The changes will not impact the structure of the Women's Super League with a one up, one down system.

On 14 April 2024, Watford were the first team to be mathematically confirmed as relegated from the Championship after only one season back in the second division. They sat seven points adrift from safety with two games remaining. Lewes' relegation was confirmed on 21 April 2024 after defeat to Crystal Palace coupled with a victory for Reading over Durham left Lewes four points behind with only one game left to play. Relegation ended Lewes' six-season spell in the Championship stretching back to the 2018–19 campaign. The 2023–24 Women's Championship title was still mathematically undecided until the final day of the season although Crystal Palace went in to the day three points ahead of Charlton Athletic and had a superior goal difference by 22. Crystal Palace secured the title with a point on the final day, playing out a goalless draw with Sunderland at Selhurst Park.

Teams

Twelve teams will compete in the Championship for the 2023–24 season, the same number as the previous season. Bristol City were promoted to the Women's Super League as 2022–23 Women's Championship winners. They will be replaced by Reading who were relegated on the final day of the 2022–23 Women's Super League season, ending a seven-season stay in the WSL which began in 2016 following the club's promotion as 2015 WSL 2 winners. Coventry United were relegated to the FA Women's National League after four seasons in the second division. They were replaced by the winners of the 2022–23 FA Women's National League playoff, Southern Premier Division winners Watford, who beat Northern champions Nottingham Forest 1–0. They returned after just one season away having been relegated at the end of the 2021–22 season.