Club insiders say she is one of the most popular figures within the club.ĭingley has previously said she feels a “great responsibility” as a trailblazer in the sport. Given Dingley has only been handed the role on a caretaker basis, it might have been perceived as a snub if Vince had considered anyone else. I don’t think it’ll be long before you see a female on the touchline.”
It’s football at the end of the day, that doesn’t change. 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. “The success that the Lionesses are having, that Emma Hayes is having at Chelsea.
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“It will come in sooner than you think,” Dingley said of the prospect of a woman taking full charge of a men’s league team. Having already been serving as the only woman in charge of a men’s EFL academy since 2019, a local BBC broadcast team went to interview her in March. She said herself in March that when a woman does get a managerial opportunity with a men’s first team, it won’t be a gimmick but “because they’ve earned it”.ĭingley had been expecting the glass ceiling to be broken for some time, although she had predicted it would be another woman who would make the breakthrough first. In that context, Dingley’s opportunity feels overdue. As it turned out, the club would churn through three more men, most recently Duncan Ferguson, before finally giving a woman a chance, albeit on a caretaker basis. In stadium offices built from wood, the club owner who prides himself on symbolic innovation had been promising to “break some new ground” for women for some time.ĭale Vince, the Ecotricity founder who also introduced shirts made partly by coffee waste, said he was first considering a female Forest Green manager after sacking Mark Cooper in 2021. “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 football.” “Hannah was the natural choice for us 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,” said Forest Green chairman Dale Vince.
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Now, Dingley will now become the first woman to take charge of a professional men’s team in English football. Last month, Telegraph Sport reported that Brentford were to appoint former Leicester City women’s team manager Lydia Bedford as the new head coach of their Under-18s boys side in a landmark moment for women coaching. Two years ago Emma Hayes was linked with the AFC Wimbledon job but labelled it an insult to suggest it would be a step up from women’s football at the time. I am grateful for the opportunity to step up and lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club.” “Pre-season has just begun and the full season kicks off very soon. “I’m really excited for this next step of my career,” Dingley said.
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