'Football Is For All So Be Fearless & Don't Be Phased By Anything'

- Today (Monday 8 March) marks International Women’s Day
- LCFC Women’s General Manager shares her story as part of the celebration 
- She discusses her role and the importance of getting more women involved in football

Jade - General Manager of LCFC Women - has been in her role for the past five seasons and has seen the team grow from a volunteer-led Club to a full-time professional outfit.

Women’s football went professional in Leicestershire in August 2020 as Leicester City reaffirmed its commitment to the development of the women’s game by launching LCFC Women, with the team currently top of the FA Women’s Championship table.

Celebrated annually on 8 March, International Women’s Day is a global event highlighting the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

Jade said: “I absolutely love my job as no two days are the same. My role ultimately involves the day-to-day running of all the off-field operations, which ranges from administration to media to finance and a whole heap of other elements.

“The aim for us as a team is to manage everything smoothly so that we give the players the best possible chance of succeeding and doing well on the pitch.”

Addressing some of the barriers facing women in football, Jade believes there will always be challenges but is encouraged by the work being done to raise the profile of the game.

“Unconscious bias is very much prevalent and widespread across all groups of people and their characteristics," she said.

“There continues to be barriers that must be addressed and tackled across all environments, but what is encouraging, however, is the increased awareness, social movement and mitigation being done to educate and dispel the negative impact of stereotyping.

“For me, more often than not, I will face unconscious bias because I’m a young, black woman who is continually forced to play against implicit stereotypes and bias.

“It is extremely disheartening on one hand, but on the other it really does drive me to help to alleviate the effects for the young women coming through the ranks.

“Another challenge women face is starting a family because it means you have to pause your career for a while to have a child.

“While it should not be a barrier because having a child is a positive and beautiful thing, these are the types of decisions women face, often against time too.

“Striking that balance between pursuing a career that you have invested so much time and energy into vs taking time out to grow a family can be difficult because often it forces a woman to choose between family and career.

“There’s also the whole equality and inclusion aspect too. The percentage of women working at football clubs is still relatively low.

“Slowly but surely though, there is a shift in female presence leading the game. With an increased visibility of diversity, we will continue to see this as social movements continue to grow and challenge the historical norms."

Discussing LCFC Women’s achievements in such a short space of time, Jade is proud of the Club’s journey and the opportunities they are providing females across the area.

Jade said: “We’ve come a long way since we first started, and I think it’s something we can all be really proud of.

“The journey to get here hasn’t been easy but it’s been worth it. I think what is important to also note is that we’re at a very powerful trajectory in the women’s game where we’re creating positive change and making a difference.

“The roadmap we have for women’s football in Leicester and Leicestershire is an exciting one, and while we are a progressive elite women’s football club, it is critical that our successes and impact is shared and felt within our community, whether that be financially, through resource or simply through time.”

And asked what her message would be to any woman wanting to start a career in the football industry, she replied: “Just go for it, if it’s something you really want to do then don’t let anything hold you back. Football is for all so just enjoy your journey and do not be phased by anything.

“The game is changing and evolving. There are more and more women getting involved, and I hope that the young girls of tomorrow will see that there’s more visibility of the women’s game now and that they can see the possibilities that are out there for them.

“So just be fearless and don’t let anything stop you. The most important thing is to make sure you have a solid foundation in terms of your experience and your own-self competencies and learning.

“As soon as you are confident in yourself, nothing can get in your way, so my only message would be to be fearless, confident and believe that you can.”

Please click HERE for more information about International Women’s Day.