In the 90s and 00s, Charlton were a powerhouse in women's football. Regularly competing with Arsenal and in multiple cup finals, it has taken them 19 years to return to the top flight in England. The Addicks helped lay the foundations for the success we now see in the women's game in the UK - but like many teams, their fortunes have often been inextricably linked to the success of their male counterparts.
It was the men's relegation to the Championship in 2007 that saw the women's team disbanded - just two years after winning the FA Cup. They eventually secured sponsorship and were run by the Charlton Community Trust, but many of the players left and the club struggled to stabilise. It took 11 years for the club to earn promotion to the then-Women's Championship in 2018 - but it was 2021 that proved to be a transformative year for Charlton.
The team was bought back under the club's control, former Addick Karen Hills was appointed as head coach and they went fully professional. The target ever since has been the WSL - and now they are preparing for their first year back in England's top league since 2008, facing Liverpool on Sunday in their season opener, live on Sky Sports. Hills - the first manager to guide two clubs to WSL promotion - exclusively told Sky Sports: "To have Charlton back in the top division almost 20 years on is a 'pinch me' moment... the club deserves to be there.
"To finish the way that we did [last season], I always talk about it as being a fairytale season for us, but it's nothing that they [the players] don't deserve. The commitment, the work rate, the desire to get themselves over the line the way they did. It was an unbelievable achievement.
"The biggest thing now is we have to respect the teams, but we shouldn't fear them. We're here for a reason and we got here on merit. We don't want to just make numbers up.
We want to be here to be competitive, sustainable and to try and push Charlton back to where it was 20 years ago." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Their top-flight return came in dramatic circumstances. Charlton led the WSL2 table for much of the 2025/26 season, having gone on an incredible 27-match unbeaten run. In fact, they were top heading into the final day, although a run of poor form late on saw Birmingham and Crystal Palace catch up.
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