Sunderland Ladies have applied to join the FA Women's Championship for the 2021-22 season.
The team’s current division, the Women's National League North, the third tier of the women's football pyramid, was declared null and void for the second season in a row because of the global pandemic.
Why have they been allowed to apply for promotion?
In April the FA announced that clubs in tiers 3-6 would be able to move up the pyramid.
Sunderland submitted “a detailed, innovative and evidence-based application” to enter the second tier this week.
The Women's Football Board will consider the request and a decision is set to be made by the end of the month or the beginning of June.