Hannah Dingley Makes History as First Woman to Take Charge of Men’s Senior Side
Football is a sport that has long been dominated by men, but that is beginning to change. This week, Hannah Dingley made history as the first woman to take charge of a men’s senior side, albeit on an interim basis. She is now the caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, a League Two club in England.
Dingley, who is already the head of academy at the club, took training with the first team on Tuesday following the departure of Duncan Ferguson as manager. She is expected to be in charge on Wednesday night when Forest Green play non-league side Melksham Town in their first pre-season friendly.
The 39-year-old will remain at the helm while the club’s owner Dale Vince searches for a new permanent manager to replace Ferguson after the Scot’s poor spell in charge. Ferguson was appointed manager in January and won just one of his 18 games in charge as Forest Green were relegated from League One.
Dingley said: “I’m really excited for this next step of my career. Pre-season has just begun and the full season kicks off very soon. It’s an exciting time in football. I am grateful for the opportunity to step up and to lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club.”
Forest Green chairman Dale Vince added: “Hannah was the natural choice to be first-team interim Head Coach – she’s done a fantastic job leading our Academy and is well aligned with the values of the club. It’s perhaps telling for the men’s game that in making this appointment on merit, we’ll break new ground – and Hannah will be the first female Head Coach in English (men’s) football.”
Dingley told the BBC earlier this year that she expected a woman to be in charge of a men’s team in the near future, saying: “It will come in sooner than you think. The success that the Lionesses are having, that Emma Hayes is having at Chelsea. There are others, really good female coaches out there who I have more than faith in would be more than capable of coaching at a men’s level. They’re players at the end of the day. It’s football at the end of the day, that doesn’t change. I don’t think it’ll be long before you see a female on the touchline.”
Dingley’s appointment is a huge step forward for women in football and a sign that attitudes towards gender equality in sport are changing. It also shows that women can be just as successful as men when it comes to coaching and managing teams.
The Women’s Game
Women’s football has come a long way in recent years, with more and more women taking up coaching roles in professional clubs. There are now more female coaches than ever before, and they are making their mark on the sport.
The success of England’s Lionesses at the 2019 World Cup was a huge boost for women’s football and showed that women can compete at the highest level. The team’s success has inspired more young girls to take up football and has helped to break down barriers for women in sport.
The success of female coaches such as Emma Hayes at Chelsea and Dingley’s appointment at Forest Green Rovers shows that women can be just as successful as men when it comes to coaching and managing teams.
Conclusion
Hannah Dingley’s appointment as caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers is a huge step forward for women in football and a sign that attitudes towards gender equality in sport are changing. It also shows that women can be just as successful as men when it comes to coaching and managing teams.
The success of England’s Lionesses at the 2019 World Cup was a huge boost for women’s football and has helped to break down barriers for women in sport. The team’s success has inspired more young girls to take up football and has helped to create more opportunities for female coaches such as Dingley.
It is hoped that Dingley’s appointment will pave the way for more women to take up coaching roles in professional clubs and help to create a more equal playing field for all.