Hanna Dingley will be watching Forest Green Rovers against Melksham Town, but she may already be will not lead.
The appointment of Hannah Dingley as Head Coach of Forest Green Rovers is undoubtedly a landmark moment in men's football. For the first time, a woman led a professional team in this country. PR move.
The press release, which begins with the words “Recognized by FIFA and the UN as the greenest football club in the world, Forest Green Rovers today confirmed the appointment of Hannah Dingley as interim head coach. » seems to be celebrating the club's reputation more than the appointment.
There is also a word in this paragraph that does a lot of work — «caretaker». This is a temporary appointment after the departure of cult figure Alpha male Duncan Ferguson after the club's disappointing relegation to the Second League.
A cynic might point out that Forest Green could have made some positive headlines to remind fans and the entire footballing world that although they failed last season, this is still a progressive operation with a broader vision and plan, not bread. results.
Dingley is currently watching the start of pre-season and the first friendly of the summer against Melksham Town, the well-known southern division of the Southern League, on Wednesday night.
We can confirm that Hannah Dingley has been named Acting Head Coach.
Dingley will lead the team for tomorrow's friendly in Melksham Town.#WeAreFGR💚
— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) July 4, 2023
Anyway, she hasn't landed a full-time job yet and we have no idea if she'll still be on the bench before the second league campaign kicks off v Salford City Gary Neville on 5 August. . This is a real test for this «iconic» destination.
Chairman Dale Vince said: “Hannah was a natural choice to be the interim head coach of the first team and she did a fantastic job leading our academy. and is fully in line with the values of the club.
«Perhaps it is indicative of the men's game that by making this appointment on merit, we will open new horizons — and Hannah will become the first female head coach in English [men's] football.»
Okay, I'm on my own. congratulatory words, but we'll find out more about how seriously the publicity-hungry Forest Green chairman is considering Dingley's credentials for the job if and when he hands it over to her on a permanent basis.
We'll have to wait and see before we will appreciate how transformative this moment is. Let's withhold full judgment until we know if she'll still be in charge when the season starts.
Hayes: «Judge Dingley as a manager, not as a woman.»
It has been speculated that she is a genuine contender for a full-time job, but if Forest Green decides to look elsewhere, you can safely assume that Ferguson will be replaced by another person.
This is definitely a change in approach to moving away from the appointment of Ferguson, a veteran warhorse and old-school Premier League legend, to the first female head coach in the professional game.
For it to really matter, to be truly revolutionary, Dingley needs to be a lot more than just making sure pre-season runs smoothly while the club interviews others for the job.
The claims will seem weak if Dingley returns to his role at the academy
The claims that this is a big moment for women in football feel a little weak if Dingley returns to his role of looking after the academy in a couple of weeks.
This doesn't reflect on Dingley, who at 39 is already the Football League's first female head of academy and has been at Forest Green for four years. She was already a trailblazer before the sudden pomp of this announcement.
She is certainly suited to the caretaker role she has been entrusted with, and it makes sense to see how the players and other club staff react to her. being responsible before deciding what happens next.
However, leading an academy is a very different job, in any form of play, than managing a core team on a day-to-day and long-term basis. . And the vast majority of interim managers and head coaches don't get full-time jobs.
While Dingley got an opportunity that no woman has had before, it's impressive, but it's also worth it. to have a break. before we rush to celebrate as a watershed.
Football makes you cynical, even when you're dealing with the «greenest club in the world» that has just been relegated and parted ways with its big name . manager in less than six months.
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