Bay Collective acquires majority stake in Sunderland AFC Women

Bay Collective has completed a majority‑stake takeover of Sunderland AFC Women, with formal approval from WSL Football granted this week. The club, which finished eighth in the Women's Super League 2, now looks to rebuild under its new owners in the coming season.

Bay Collective also oversees the American side Bay FC, adding an international dimension to its portfolio. The multi‑club ownership group acquired the majority stake in Sunderland AFC Women as part of its expansion strategy.

Kay Cossington, chief of Bay Collective, said the club can compete with “the very best in the world” in the future. Cossington, who previously served as the FA’s technical director of women’s football, expressed confidence in the project.

Cossington recalled that during her time as an international coach, many local players such as Lucy Bronze, Jill Scott, Steph Houghton, Lucy Stanforth and Demi Stokes emerged from the area. She added that Sunderland AFC Women “was right at the top of the women's game and was competing for honours on a regular basis”.

Neighbouring Newcastle United has recently benefited from investment by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Durham announced a call for investment last week, warning that its future in the Women's Super League 2 is at risk without new funding.

Cossington said Bay Collective “understands what an important region” the northeast is to women’s football and aims to rebuild the club’s former success. The owners intend to focus on developing key fundamentals to enable competition at the highest level.

Sunderland CEO Tom Burwell said the partnership’s ambitions were first discussed in October 2025. He explained that the board’s clear mandate was to find a partner “first and foremost cared about developing football here in this region” to reach the top tier.