Sarah Wilson relieved after fresh investment saves Durham WSL2 club
Durham captain Sarah Wilson has spoken of her relief after fresh investment rescued the Women’s Super League 2 club from a funding crisis in June, comments published on 13 August 2026.
Durham finished 10th in England’s second tier last term and have been ever-present in WSL2 since 2014, but the club’s ability to remain in the division was thrown into doubt when it released a statement on 8 June warning it would have to “cease operations” if it could not find fresh investment within 21 days. Later in June local businessman and South Shields FC co-owner Geoff Thompson, together with his co-investor, agreed to acquire a majority stake in the club.
Wilson, who has played for Durham for 12 years, recalled the uncertainty of mid-June: “There’s no way to sugarcoat it. It was horrendous. [For] a couple of weeks we didn’t know if we were coming or going or what was going on. And then all of a sudden we got the news that we had been saved and then within a couple of weeks we’ve got a new manager coming in so it’s just really exciting and it honestly feels now like nothing’s ever happened. It’s a breath of fresh air. It’s incredible.”
On the personal and team impact of the crisis Wilson added: “Going from a really difficult time to where we are now in such a short space of time is an absolute credit to the club. We all kind of found ourselves in a really difficult position, waitng for answers. I was trying to support the team as much as I could [as captain], just reassuring [teammates] and keeping in contact with everyone. And I must say, we were well looked after and information was shared when it could be shared. [But] it was just such an awful time. So when we found out the really good news, it was just like a huge weight lifted off our shoulders.”
Wilson also emphasised the wider consequences that had been at stake: “There are so many jobs and young kids coming through that would have been massively affected and it would have been a massive shame for the north-east and for the club. Now it’s just really, really positive and really exciting to move forward with everything.”
Willie Kirk was appointed as Durham’s head coach in July; he is the former Bristol City, Everton and Leicester manager and this will be his first managerial job in English football since he was sacked by Leicester in March 2024. In the intervening years he has managed the Swedish sides Linköping and Djurgårdens IF, and Wilson praised his arrival: “[He’s been] brilliant, he’s just brought the club to a completely different new standard. When you’ve got someone who comes from that elite background, they bring all of those experiences. “As soon as we found the news, it was like: ‘Right, OK, when do we start?’ He’s got some incredible experience working with some really top players. So he’s been fantastic.”
Durham begin the new campaign at home to Southampton on 6 September, a match that will be Willie Kirk’s first in charge.