The pfa.com report that Hope joins a team with thirteen other regional staff and will bring with her considerable experience.
As a player, Hope won 66 caps for the national team, scoring 35 goals. She made her England debut at the age of 16, and went on to play in the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup, England’s first World Cup appearance. Hope alsocollected a Silver and Bronze medal in European championships
The FA appointed Hope as England’s first-ever full-time national coach in 1998. In 2003 Powell became the first woman to achieve the UEFA Pro License—the highest coaching qualification available.
Hope was Head Coach for Great Britain women’s Olympic football team at London 2012.
As a player and a coach, she has been instrumental in England’s greatest achievements, as players she helped England reach the final of the UEFA Women’s Championship in 1984 and then repeated the feat as a coach, guiding the team to the final in 2009.
PFA Head of Coaching Jim Hicks welcomed Hope into her new role: “I am delighted that Hope has taken on the role as coach educator for the PFA. Her experience within the game is second to none and this will surely be of massive benefit to professional clubs in the London area.
“Her responsibilities will be to work with both male and female players who are PFA members within the professional game, making them better qualified and better equipped to become managers and coaches in the future.
“As one of the pioneers of women’s football in this country, Hope has got a magnificent CV managing the national team for fifteen years and is hugely respected figure, she will be a great asset to the organisation.”
The PFA Coaching Department prepares members for a secondary career within the professional game, delivering The FA/UEFA qualifications (Level 2 and UEFA B) at club sites and regional venues across the country. These courses are all subsidised for PFA members.
The PFA’s Coaching Department is staffed by former players who understand the needs of the professional game and the courses are exclusive to PFA members. They are run at a time and location to suit a busy playing/training schedule and the support on offer is tailored to the members’ needs.
Hope is the first female Coach Educator to work with the PFA and will be responsible for delivering a wide range of courses to our members in the South East of England.
Hope is looking forward to her new role at the PFA: “I am extremely pleased to be joining the PFA within the coaching department and keen to help develop the next generation of coaches in this country.
“It’s a great opportunity to work within the men’s professional game and hopefully I can be a positive role model for future females who want to embark in a role as a coach educator within this field.
“Coach education is something I really enjoy, this is an area that I have been working on at FIFA and I am looking forward to carrying this on at home in England”
“I am looking forward to a new challenge in coach development. I hope to learn and gain something from the role and I hope I can pass on my experience to others. For me it’s about working within the game and it’s not easy to get a job in football so I’m really delighted about it.”
Image – tgsphoto.co.uk
