Players from Crystal Palace Ladies have been told they face not being able to represent the club any longer if they cannot each raise £250 in sponsorship, or put up the money themselves.

The onus has been put on the women’s first-team reserves to source the money to pay for annual subscription fees. It has caused anger among some senior figures in the women’s game who feel it sends out an unhelpful message about the importance of female players to the club.

Palace have previously shown a strong commitment to growing the women’s game, appealing for a place in the FA Women’s Championship, the second tier of women’s football in England. They were awarded a spot in the newly established league alongside Manchester United and Tottenham and open their campaign on Sunday against Leicester. But some players, who may be drafted up to the first-team squad, are still unsure how they will raise the £250 which the club insists it needs for subscription fees.

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“Some of the players, particularly the younger ones, are really stressed about having to find the money,” one source close to the club said, “The timing of the demand to find sponsorship was unhelpful too, the same week that Wilfried Zaha was given a new £130,000 a week contract.

“We know it is a different beast entirely to the men’s game but some of the players are getting really fed up with the structure and the message it sends. They’ve been given a letter to hand out to potential sponsors and it’s all very patronising.”

The Guardian has seen the letter which players have been provided by the club to hand to prospective sponsors. Signed by the chairman, Richard Spokes, it reads: “Whilst all aspects of the women’s game are getting stronger, we are still needing to think creatively in terms of helping our players in respect of covering this financial commitment.”

It continues: “We believe that, as a forward thinking and proactive club, we are providing some unparalleled opportunities for some very talented young women. Our belief is, that with the support and belief from other, equally as progressive and supportive parties, we can not only achieve our ambitions, but exceed them.”

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The Guardian has also seen correspondence from a senior figure at the club in which it is made clear that if first-team reserve players are not able to find a sponsor they would have to pay the money themselves. Palace, it is believed, have made provisions for a £50 a month payment plan for those player who have to pay themselves. It is understood the 23-strong first team will not be made to pay the £250 if they cannot raise the money themselves but that they are encouraged to go out and seek sponsors themselves.

It is understood the club feel that by encouraging the senior players to seek their own sponsors they are improving the awareness of the women’s game in the community and strengthening ties between individual players and businesses.

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This is the first season that the Women’s Super League, the top tier of the women’s game, is fully professional. The FA has stated the 11 teams in the top league, to which Palace hope to gain promotion, have to pay their players a professional salary and treat them as they do the male teams.

The estimated average salary for WSL players is £34,000 a year, although some are paid significantly less than that figure. The only club in the country to pay their women’s team the same as the men’s team is Lewes FC.

Only this week the FA appointed Kelly Simmons in a new role as the director of the women’s professional game. Simmons, who was awarded an MBE for services to football in 2001, was previously the FA’s participation and development director. Her initial focus is recruiting a title sponsor for the WSL.

In a statement, Crystal Palace said: “All 21 members of the senior squad have bespoke contracts, funded by Crystal Palace, and are either paid wages or are reimbursed for expenses. They do not pay a subscription fee. They are encouraged to find sponsors to help raise the club’s profile and forge links with the business and employment community but it is not a condition of playing.

“Members of every other team at Palace Ladies pay an annual membership fee but reserve team players, whose subscription is already subsidised by the club, have been told their membership fees will be waived completely if they can find £250 sponsorship.”