• Second tier confirms one-team shortfall for next season
• Financial woes force Reading to apply to play in fifth tier

The Women’s Championship will operate with 11 teams rather than 12 next season after the Football Association confirmed Reading’s withdrawal from the second tier.

The club said on Sunday that, as reported exclusively by the ­Guardian on Friday, they have applied for a spot in the fifth tier of the English women’s pyramid. It follows months of financial uncertainty and the collapse of an 11th-hour takeover bid that had attempted to save the women’s team over the past week. Staff, players and fans are said to be devastated by the news.

• Late takeover bid for women’s team falls through
• Fifth tier is best case but whole set-up could be closed

Reading have requested to withdraw from the Women’s Championship, after an 11th-hour bid to take over the women’s arm of the club fell through, and the entire women’s and girls’ programme could soon be closed down.

Multiple age-group teams were told on Friday they would not be continuing and staff are understood to have been informed in a series of meetings that there were no guarantees of funding for any women’s and girls’ teams for next season.