Hannah Dingley, the first woman to take charge of a men’s side in England, is now the girls’ Head of Academy at Manchester City.
Dingley was named caretaker manager of Forest Green — where she was head of the club’s academy — in July 2023, managing a friendly draw against Melksham Town. At that time, Dale Vince, the chairman of Rovers, highlighted that the appointment was made based on merit, not as a publicity stunt.
Dingley, who joined Man City in May, began coaching teams at the age of 17 before attending Loughborough University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Exercise Science and a Masters of Science in Coaching.
After gaining experience at Swansea City, she enjoyed coaching spells at Notts County, Lincoln Ladies and Burton Albion before being appointed academy manager at Forest Green.
Dingley’s most recent role saw her work for the Football Association of Ireland as Head of Women’s and Girls’ Football from May 2024.
