Birmingham City have appointed Hope Powell CBE as their Women’s Technical Director, joining with immediate effect.
Powell told bcfc.com: “I am excited to have the opportunity to join Birmingham City at the start of the journey. Having met Tom [Wagner], Matt [Alvarez], and Garry [Cook] it was clear that the Women’s team and its Academy is an important pillar of the club’s transformation. Birmingham was a powerhouse when the WSL was formed. I am looking forward to putting in place the building blocks so that it can compete once again at the highest levels, both in England and then across Europe.
“I look forward to engaging with the local community and getting the players into schools and the local clubs. Young girls are looking for positive role models. Women footballers from Birmingham City can and will play that role in the local area and beyond.”
Chairman Birmingham City Limited, Tom Wagner, said: “We are delighted that Hope has chosen to join Birmingham City and drive the Women’s team’s future success. It is a critical part of our overall strategy. Hope joining sends a powerful message, first to the women and girls of Birmingham and second to fans of the women’s game across the country, that Birmingham Women means business. Birmingham City Women, under Hope’s leadership, is going to attract larger crowds, drive increased participation, engage with the community and lead to more commercial partners looking to work with us.”
Chief Executive Officer, Garry Cook, said: “Hope is a legend in the Women’s game. We are thrilled to have her involved, to provide valuable insight and expertise to oversee our Women’s teams. She has the mandate to invest in the team and to put in place the high-performance infrastructure necessary to attract and keep the best talent. It will also be a major benefit to have her as part of my Senior Leadership Group. The city of Birmingham is on the rise and we are looking forward to making a positive contribution through our Women’s and Men’s teams to how it is seen around the world.”
