Forest Green ‘appoint female manager’ to replace Duncan Ferguson

Forest Green Rovers are reportedly set to appoint Hannah Dingley as their new interim manager to succeed Everton legend Duncan Ferguson, who left the Gloucestershire outfit earlier on Tuesday. It will mark the first time in history that a female manager will take charge of a team in the top four leagues of English football in a groundbreaking move by Forest Green owner Dale Vince.

Dingley took training at Forest Green on Tuesday morning as Ferguson was finalising his exit after just six months in charge of the club, according to the Daily Mail. She is expected to continue leading their pre-season preparations until a permanent successor is found, with the search for a new boss in progress behind the scenes.

She is also set to be on the touchline when Forest Green, who finished bottom of League One last season, face non-league Melksham Town in their first friendly on Wednesday night. Dingley holds a UEFA Pro coaching licence and previously worked at Burton Albion before joining Forest Green when they were promoted to League Two for the first time in 2017.

Dingley recently insisted in an interview with the BBC that it was only a matter of time before an English professional club hired a female manager for the top job, with the likes of Sarina Weigman and Emma Hayes having been tentatively linked with roles in men’s football over the last few years.

“It will come in sooner than you think,” she said. “The success that the Lionesses are having, that Emma Hayes is having at Chelsea. There are others, really good female coaches out there who I have more than faith in 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.”

Dingley will be expected to keep things ticking at Forest Green in the aftermath of Ferguson’s exit, with the former Everton assistant manager having left the club on Tuesday morning. He was appointed in January with the aim of saving them from relegation but oversaw just one win in 18 matches and has been given the boot as Forest Green prepare to begin life back in England’s fourth tier.

“It’s been a privilege to work with Dunc these last few months and this was a very difficult decision to make,” said Forest Green owner Vince in a statement. “I’m grateful to Dunc for joining us in such difficult circumstances and for all of his hard work at the club.

“But I feel this is overall the right decision for everyone and I wish Dunc well in his next coaching role. We are parting as friends. You can’t ask for much more than that.”

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