Hannah Dingley becomes 1st female head coach in English men’s professional football

English football club Forest Green Rovers has appointed Hannah Dingley as its interim head coach this Tuesday, making her the first female head coach in English men’s professional football.

Dingley is replacing outgoing coach Duncan Ferguson, who was appointed as Forest Green manager in January but was not able to stop the team from being relegated to League Two, the lowest tier of professional English football.

“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 lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club,” said Dingley.

Dingley joined Forest Green four years ago and is the only woman in charge of a men’s English Football League Academy.

“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.

Dingley will be leading Forest Green onto the pitch on Wednesday for a friendly match at Melksham Town.

In 2017, FIFA named Forest Green the greenest club in the world as it finds innovative ways to lower its carbon footprint, like organic pitches and electric team coaches, and it was named the world’s first vegan club by the Vegan Society.