Hannah Dingley Becomes First Female Manager In English Football League History

Forest Green Rovers have put Hannah Dingley in charge of the men's first team as caretaker manager.

Dingley, 39, was handed the reigns by the English League Two club on Tuesday following the departure of former boss Duncan Ferguson.

Dingley led first-team training on Tuesday and will be in the dugout on Wednesday night when Forest Green take on Melksham Town in their first pre-season friendly.

Forest Green will now begin searching for a new permanent manager.

Nevertheless, Dingley's temporary appointment has made history as she is the first female manager ever to be put in charge of a men's team from one of England's top four leagues. 

Dingley has a UEFA Pro License and she was appointed as Forest Green's academy manager in 2019.

Hannah Dingley pictured in 2021 at an FA Youth Cup match between Forest Green Rovers and Bromley

IMAGO/Pro Sports Images/Shane Healey

Earlier this year, she told BBC Sport that it "will not be long" until we see a woman managing a men's professional team.

"It will come in sooner than you think," she said.

"The success that the Lionesses are having, that Emma Hayes is having at Chelsea [in the Women's Super League]. There are others, really good female coaches out there, who I have more than faith in [and] would be more than capable of coaching at a men's level.

"They're players at the end of the day. It's football at the end of the day, that doesn't change. I don't think it'll be long before you see a female on the touchline."

Forest Green did not initially mention Dingley on Tuesday afternoon when announcing that Ferguson had left the club.

But a second statement released around seven hours later read: "Forest Green Rovers - recognised by FIFA and the United Nations as the world's greenest football club - has today confirmed the appointment of Hannah Dingley as Caretaker Head Coach.

"Dingley joined the club as a coach four years ago and remains the only woman in charge of a men's English Football League Academy.

"During her tenure at the club, she has also initiated the launch of the FGR Girls Academy in 2021, which develops female players - mirroring the men's setup. She takes the reins with immediate effect."

Within the statement, club chairman Dale Vince commented: "Hannah was the natural choice 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.

"It's perhaps telling for the men's game that in making this appointment on merit, we'll break new ground - and Hannah will be the first female Head Coach in English (men's) football."

Dingley said: "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 to lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club."

Forest Green, who became officially recognized as the world's first vegan football club in 2017, were relegated from League One last season after finishing dead last.

That came 12 months after the club had been crowned League Two champions in the 2021/22 season.