🔗 Share this article

This past Wednesday, Bay Collective announced the recruitment of Anja van Ginhoven, England's managerial lead working with Sarina Wiegman, taking on the role of director of global women’s football operations. This freshly established collective club ownership initiative, with Bay FC of San Francisco as its inaugural team among its holdings, has prior experience in bringing in talent from the national football governing body.

The appointment in recent months of Kay Cossington, the influential ex-technical director for the FA, as top executive was a signal of intent from the collective. Cossington knows female football comprehensively and currently has put together an executive team with a deep understanding of the history of women's football and filled with practical experience.

Van Ginhoven marks the third central staffer of the manager's inner circle to depart recently, with Cossington exiting before the European Championships and deputy manager, Arjan Veurink, moving on to take up the role of head manager of the Dutch national team, but her move came sooner.

Leaving proved to be a surprising shift, but “I’d taken my decision to leave the FA well in advance”, Van Ginhoven explains. “My agreement for four years, similar to the assistant and head coach did. As they re-signed, I previously indicated I didn’t know whether I would. I was already used to the whole idea that after the European Championship I would no longer be involved with the national team.”

The Euros became an emotional competition because of this. “I recall distinctly, speaking with the head coach where I basically told her about my decision and we then remarked: ‘There’s just one dream, how amazing would it be that we win the Euros?’ Generally, it’s not like dreams come true frequently yet, against the odds, ours came true.”

Wearing a Netherlands-colored shirt, Van Ginhoven experiences split allegiances after her time working in England, where she was part of claiming two Euros in a row and was a part of the manager's team during the Dutch victory the 2017 Euros.

“England retains a dear spot in my heart. Therefore, it will be challenging, particularly now knowing that the players are due to arrive for the upcoming fixtures soon,” she says. “In matches between England and the Netherlands, which side do I back? I’m wearing orange at the moment, but tomorrow I'll be in white.”

A speedboat allows for rapid direction changes. With a compact team such as ours, that is simple to achieve.

The club was not part of the equation when the strategic expert determined that it was time for a change, but everything aligned perfectly. The chief executive began assembling the team and common principles were key.

“Virtually from the start we met we experienced an instant connection,” remarks Van Ginhoven. “You’re immediately on the same level. We've discussed extensively on various topics concerning growing the sport and our shared vision for the right approach.”

These executives are not alone to relocate from high-profile jobs in the European game for a blank sheet of paper across the Atlantic. Atlético Madrid’s female football technical lead, González, has been introduced as the organization's global sporting director.

“I was very attracted to that strong belief of the power within the female sport,” she explains. “I've been acquainted with Kay Cossington for an extended period; back when I was with Fifa, she held the technical director role for England, and it’s easy to make these decisions when you know you'll be working alongside individuals who motivate you.”

The depth of knowledge among their staff distinguishes them, says Van Ginhoven, as Bay Collective part of a group fresh club ownership ventures that have started lately. “This is a key differentiator for us. It’s OK that people do things in different ways, but we are firm in our belief in ensuring deep football understanding,” she says. “All three of us have progressed within the women's game, throughout our careers.”

According to their online statement, the goal of Bay Collective is to advocate and innovate a progressive and sustainable ecosystem of women’s football clubs, founded on effective practices for the diverse needs of female athletes. Succeeding in this, with everyone on the same page, with no need to make the case regarding certain decisions, is incredibly freeing.

“I compare it with transitioning from a tanker to a speedboat,” states Van Ginhoven. “You're journeying across unmapped territories – a common Dutch expression, I don’t know if it translates – and you just need to rely on your own knowledge and expertise to make the right decision. You can change direction and move quickly in a speedboat. In a small team like this, that is simple to achieve.”

González notes: “Here, we have a completely white sheet of paper to start with. Personally, our work involves shaping the sport more extensively and that clean start permits you to undertake any direction you choose, following the sport's regulations. This is the appeal of our collective project.”

The ambition is high, the executives are voicing opinions athletes and supporters are eager to hear and it will be fascinating to monitor the progress of the collective, the club and other teams that may join.

As a preview of upcoming developments, what are the key aspects in a high-performance setting? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve