pisilinuxworld.org

In 2019, Sky Sports’ Adam Bate made the trip to Nailsworth in Gloucestershire to meet Hannah Dingley, the newly-appointed academy manager of Forest Green Rovers, and to speak to chairman Dale Vince about the decision to employ her in that role.

Both were keen to downplay its wider significance.

“It was not an issue for us in the recruitment so we did not see it as something to celebrate,” Vince told Sky Sports. “It was a complete non-issue. We certainly did not set out to make a statement, we just looked at the candidates. Hannah was the outstanding candidate.

“It was only after we had chosen her, someone said that she was the first appointed to that role. It tells you something about football doesn’t it?”

Four years on and there can be no denying the significance as Dingley becomes the first woman to take charge of a men’s senior side in the English professional game. The appointment is on an interim basis but the impact of it will be lasting.

The noises coming out of Forest Green remain the same. Dingley is the natural choice, according to Vince. Her values ​​are aligned with the club. The obvious candidate. And yet, the appointment of a woman is apparently not obvious enough for any other club to have done it.

“I applied for other jobs and did not even get past the door,” Dingley told Sky Sports that afternoon in 2019. “With a Pro Licence, having been a head of coaching, with all the academic background, I could not get an interview. You do wonder why that is.”

It is why there is the potential here for first-mover advantage. Logically, any organization willing to turn its attention to an overlooked group is able to access a higher caliber of candidate than they otherwise would. It will spark intrigue and debate.

There will be those willing her on. There will be others willing her to fail, no doubt, such is this toxic world. But Dingley’s subsequent success or otherwise need not become a referendum on the capabilities of a woman coach in the men’s senior game.

That is because while the media will be drawn to that first friendly against Melksham Town, whatever happens next the game has changed with this appointment. Dingley does not need to be the next Pep Guardiola to achieve that. She only needs to do the job.

In doing that, in showing that the world will not collapse because a woman is stood by the side of the pitch rather than a man, the Forest Green players will surely do the rest. They will play the game. They will make decisions good and bad. And it might just shift the dial.

As Dingley said that afternoon four years ago, “it is just about doing things fairly, the way they should be done”.

That is a legacy to be proud of.

Webb: This is not a PR stunt – Dingley has earned her stripes

Before Dingley’s appointment as caretaker, Rosie Webb – head coach of Eastern Counties League Division One North side Stanway Pegasus – was the highest-ranking female in charge of a men’s team.

speaking to Sky Sports Newsshe has praised Forest Green’s decision and says it is “inspirational” for coaches involved in both the men’s and the women’s game.

“It’s fantastic news and it’s really exciting for the game, not just females within the male game, but the game as a whole. It represents the forward-thinking this country has when it comes to football now, where we’re trying to create an inclusive environment for everyone.

“It’s really important that, even though the story is the first female in the male game, I think the story is much bigger than that. It’s important to recognize that Hannah has been in post at the club for four years working with the academy.

“She buys into their culture, she understands how the club runs from the top to the bottom and it’s really encouraging that we’re seeing a club that is promoting from within. That’s inspirational, not just for female coaches, but for coaches in general.

“Going by all the positivity on social media, she’s got a lot of people behind her and a lot of people wishing her well. I’d be interested to see the dynamics of the crowd that turn up tonight. Are they going to attract a different type of crowd? Are they going to see young girls turn up to games who hadn’t been there before?

“If people have followed the story and they know Hannah’s background, they will know it’s not a PR stunt. She’s earned her stripes within the club, she understands the environment the club are trying to create and I think she’s earned the right to that position . I’d really like to see her get off to a winning start tonight and, who knows, maybe the club will offer her something long-term.”

Dingley’s appointment ‘a potential game-changer’

The Guardians‘s Sean Ingle told Sky Sports News:

“It’s absolutely massive. We’ve seen in other sports such as the NFL having several female coaches – albeit not head coaches – and other sports have also gone down that line. But for football, it could potentially be a game-changer.

“Dingley has done the hard yards. She’s got a masters degree in sports coaching from the prestigious Loughborough University, she was an academy coach at Notts County and has also been at Burton Albion. Now she’s spent several years at Forest Green. It’s an impressive resume and good luck to her.”

The Independent‘s miguel delaney Sky Sports News told:

“If there was any club that was going to make a move like this, it would be Forest Green. Dingley has been given the job on merit but this is also part of a wider revolution in football.

“It’s a landmark moment, but it was only 20 years ago when we had a conversation about managers who hadn’t been players. Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez changed that and now it’s completely normal.

“Now, this is the latest development in the game. She’s put the work in and has now been given a fair chance at a big job. I can see this happening more and more.”