MK Dons Women to be integrated into club operations from July
It's in a move the club hopes can bring more visibility to women's football in the city and beyond, while improving infrastructure for players
Milton Keynes Dons have confirmed that MK Dons Women will be fully integrated into the club's operations from July 1, 2025, in a strategic move aimed at growing the women’s game in the city.
The Women’s First Team, currently operated by MK Dons Sport & Education Trust (SET), will transition into the club's core structure ahead of the 2025/26 season.
The integration includes plans to semi-professionalise the team, with long-term ambitions to move towards full professionalism.
Club CEO Neil Hart described the move as "an obvious thing" for the club and its ownership group, calling it a “step change” that signals a new chapter for women’s football in Milton Keynes.
He said: "That will involve them going semi professional and obviously the ambition is to make them professional longer term, but it's a step change and we have to understand it's a journey.
"We want to invest in it, we want to take that opportunity to commercialise it.
"We're significantly behind the curve here and we want to catch up."
The change will include new full-time roles within the women’s team structure, including the recruitment of a full-time first-team manager and backroom staff.
"Gone are the days where this club will be reliant on volunteers or casual workers to run its women’s team and the women’s team operations," Mr Hart said. "We have to move it forward and we're absolutely committed to that."
The club aims to improve integration across departments such as marketing, communications, and operations.
Stadium MK will be used more frequently for appropriate women’s fixtures, with continued partnerships for additional facilities.
While the Women’s First Team will join club operations, MK Dons SET will continue to operate the Girls’ Youth Development Squads and community-level teams.
Hart thanked MK Dons SET for their work: "They've done a stellar job, but it's now time for evolution and change.
"This will allow them to focus on their community work now and focus their efforts in areas where we'd like to see that evolve and enhance."