Dan McNamara is already getting the ball rolling on Wolves Women’s WSL 2 plans after guiding the club into the professional leagues for the first time in history.
Following eight years of ups and downs in charge of the women’s first-team – which have included relegations, promotions, league titles and previous play-off disappointment – McNamara was able to celebrate the biggest success of his tenure with Monday’s FAWNL Tier 3 Promotion Play-Off victory over Plymouth Argyle.
Charlotte Greengrass’ second half strike decided a tight contest, but the Old Gold needed a standout performance from goalkeeper Alex Brooks to claim victory and secure a spot in WSL 2, and although he was delighted to finally achieve an illusive promotion to the second tier, McNamara insists the work is already underway to ensure the team can compete as a full-time outfit next season.
On securing promotion into WSL 2
“Thankfully, I've had half an hour to calm down, but we’ve been on the wrong end of that for five years. After five long years in tier three and eight long years at the football club, to finally bring professional women’s football to Wolverhampton is something I can’t put into words.
“It’s incredible. The group deserve it, the staff deserve it, and now we’ve got to get to work.”
On a narrow play-off victory
“I feel for Plymouth because I thought they were excellent. I thought they were outstanding. I’ve got a lot of time for Marie and her staff and the group they’ve put together, but I said at the start of the week, there is no way we would lose today.
“I said it to the girls, I said it before they came out, there was no way this group were going to lose the game today, and it wasn’t their best performance, but Charlotte’s come up with a moment of quality.”
On Brooks’ match-winning performance
“All year, Brooksy’s probably been crying out to make more saves at times, and that’s testament to the back three and back four, but today, I think she showed why we signed her.
“The one in the first half is an unbelievable save, then there’s a couple in the second half where she’s really assured us, so she was terrific today. The game’s only gone one way when the goalkeeper gets the player the match, because I actually think she deserved it, but it’s about putting the ball in the back of the net, and we did it once and Plymouth couldn’t do it. I’m lost for words.”
It’s never meant more than this. pic.twitter.com/B1PBfjS30w
— Wolves Women FC (@WolvesWomen) May 4, 2026
On the years building up to promotion
“I just want to thank everybody. I want to thank Jenna [Burke Martin], Laura [Nicholls], everybody that’s been a part of the journey – Karl Milgate, Marcus [Webber], there’s so many who have played a part in this.
“Five years ago, I had to miss out, and had to miss this, and wasn’t here to console the girls, but this year, I’m here, and we’ve managed to get it over the line, so I’m delighted and we’ll enjoy it now.”
On the Wolves supporters
“They’ve been fantastic all season. It was great to see new faces here and it was great to see as the bus arrived, there was a load of them outside a pub, and it was fantastic for the girls. But they deserve it as well.
“We’ve now got Women’s Super League 2 football coming to Wolverhampton, and I want everybody to embrace it because that is a huge, huge feat. Let’s not forget, we’re up against it year-on-year, as a part-time outfit going into the full-time game and that’s not happened for a long time.
“But as I said in midweek, we’ll be up against it now, we’re chasing our tails and we’ve got to get to work because I’m not just joining that league next year to go through the motions and come straight back down.
“We want to make the city proud, and we’ve got to get to work. But the plans are in place now and, thankfully, we get to action them.”
