The end of the 2024/25 season was clouded by controversy as the players found out on the final day of the campaign, as they were still fighting for promotion, that former chairman Jeff Shi had failed to apply for the licence to compete in the second tier.
That meant the staff and players were battling to go up without knowing that it would have been denied had they achieved it, due to Jeff Shi’s decision.
Everyone connected with the women’s team was furious at the decision - and since Jeff Shi left and was replaced by Nathan Shi, Wolves Women have achieved their dream of getting to the Women’s Super League 2, where they have just won their first game at this level.
Reflecting on that controversy, and the strides forward the club has made since, McNamara was full of praise for the hierarchy.
“It’s been fantastic,” he said.
“If you look at where we were last summer, would you ever have dreamt that we’d be in this position now?
“The club has been brilliant. Matt Jackson and Nathan Shi, everyone is driving it forwards. They gave us the opportunity last year.
“We’ve never wanted for any better with the facilities. We’re now on the finest grass pitches at Compton for training, we get access to everything at the training ground.
“The support with hotels has been fantastic. They really are coming together and backing what we’re trying to do.
“It was only a matter of time before the club saw real value in the women. I don’t think they used to, if I’m honest, but now there's real value in what the women bring to the brand.
“We are a fully professional football team now, and Wolves is a worldwide brand, so that can only strengthen it.
“Last Tuesday I was preparing training, and I had a tap on my shoulder. I thought it was one of my staff, but it was the chairman, which caught me by surprise! He came out to see what the girls were up to and what the session was looking like, and he was interested in a few of the players.
“It’s little things like that which often go far further than giving us more money, it’s those little touches where they do take an interest.
“Hopefully it continues because if we stay together as a whole club then we can achieve some good things.”