The Sheffield United head coach, Ash Thompson, has left his role at the Women’s Super League 2 side, with the club saying they have “mutually agreed to part ways”.
The news comes 19 days after the Guardian revealed that Thompson had been suspended from his duties. The team’s assistant head coach, Luke Turner, has been in charge on an interim basis in the meantime and they have picked up one point from their opening four league matches of the WSL 2 campaign and are bottom of the table.
There was never any formal announcement of Thompson’s suspension, although earlier in September, a club spokesperson told the Guardian: “Sheffield United Women confirms that Luke Turner takes charge of the senior women’s team on an interim basis, with Ash Thompson currently unavailable.” Thompson was also contacted for a response.
On Tuesday, a short statement from the club said: “Sheffield United can confirm that the club and women’s manager Ash Thompson have mutually agreed to part ways. Following a review, both parties agreed that this was the right time for a change of leadership.
“The club would like to thank Ash for his efforts throughout his time at the club. Luke Turner will take charge in the interim.”
Sheffield United were poised for relegation last season after a disappointing campaign under Thompson, finishing bottom of the division, but they received a reprieve from being demoted after Blackburn Rovers withdrew from the league over financial concerns. That saw Sheffield United reinstated to the second tier to ensure the league had 12 participating clubs this season.
Formerly a coach at Leeds, Thompson had been in charge of Sheffield United since the summer of 2024. That came after three years working within the club’s youth academy, including a spell as their under-21s manager.
Turner, who has been working for the club since 2020, has had three previous spells as interim manager between 2022 and 2024.
