Ex-captain says club was turned into 'dictatorship'

What the report says

Former Cheltenham Town Women captain Emily Owen has publicly accused an unnamed individual at the club of creating what she described as a psychologically unsafe environment. Her comments came after Cheltenham confirmed this week that she had left the Women’s National League Southern Premier side, ending a four-year spell in which she made more than 130 appearances.

According to BBC Sport’s report, Owen responded on social media after the club announced her departure, saying she wanted to correct rumours about why she had gone. She alleged that there had been a lack of proper principles and failures in internal processes, and said one person had too much control over the team. Owen also claimed that three other players had left for what she described as moral reasons after boundaries were crossed.

Cheltenham Town Women said it would not discuss individual cases, but stressed that it takes player welfare and wellbeing very seriously. The club said it is committed to ensuring players, staff and volunteers are treated with respect and feel safe and supported, and that any concerns raised will be handled appropriately and in line with relevant policies. The matter matters because it raises questions around safeguarding, workplace culture and player welfare in women’s football, although the BBC report does not provide an independent finding on Owen’s allegations.