Who is Hannah Dingley? All about first female coach in England's top four divisions
Hannah Dingley has made history by becoming the first female head coach in the top four divisions of English football.
League Two side Forest Green Rovers, who are based in Gloucestershire, have appointed Dingley as caretaker manager following the departure of Duncan Ferguson.
She took charge of the Rovers' first preseason fixture against non-league Melksham Town, which ended 1-1. They have three more friendlies before their opening 2023/24 League Two fixture against Salford City on August 5.
The Sporting News looks at Dingley's footballing background and why Forest Green appointed her to her new role.
EFL head of EDI Dave McArdle on the appointment of Hannah Dingley at Forest Green. https://t.co/GZuCT51Ne3 pic.twitter.com/LXSOunfj1V
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Forest Green were relegated from League One to League Two last season after just winning six of their 46 league matches. Ferguson was appointed in January 2023 to try to keep Rovers up, but he was not able to do so.
Dingley was the ideal candidate for the caretaker role due her success at the club as the head of their academy. Forest Green chairman Dale Vince said: "Hannah was the natural choice for us to be first-team interim coach. She's done a fantastic job leading our academy and is well aligned with the values of the club."
Her time at the club means that she is already familiar with the surroundings and knows what is expected from her as a caretaker manager . She also stated on the club website that she is grateful to "lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club".
Dingley, 39, was born and raised in Carmarthenshire, Wales. She has always been passionate about football and took her first steps into coaching during her time at
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