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Women in Football's members in focus series takes a slightly different tack this month, as we meet not one but two women who belong to the organisation – and not just as members but as employees.

Amy White and Lisa Pool both joined the team at WIF over the winter and have been settling into their new roles as Partnerships Manager and Senior Commercial Manager respectively. Both were rank-and-file members before applying for these positions. And both had been keenly aware of the organisation's power to connect women who otherwise felt isolated in a still male-dominated sports industry.

"It was a community that showed me, actually there are more of us," says Amy, "that there’s a bigger network and more women in the world of sport than I was ever aware of in my circle. So I was really intrigued to find out what Women in Football did and how they connected people together."

The similarities between Amy's and Lisa's journeys don't end there. Both had been working outside of football, in roles which they found agreeable enough, but both missed the sense of fulfilment that comes from following one's true calling.

For her part, Lisa had been working in commercial, latterly with a company providing equipment for musicians. "Everybody that worked for me or in and around that business was absolutely passionate about music, but my passion is football. Music is just not my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I love music, but ask me to name the title of a song, an artist – forget it, I can’t do it. But ask me to name the winning goalscorer in a particular match, then I'm there. It made me realise that actually I wanted to do something that I was really passionate about.

"So I started to research organisations that could help me transition into a career in football. That’s how come I reached out to Women in Football, that’s how come I found [WIF board member] Sue Bridgewater to start my masters in sports business and management at Liverpool University, and this job came along at the right time."

Lisa's experience of pursuing this career change emphasises the importance of Women in Football's ongoing mission to level the playing field in terms of gender equality in the industry. "I think being part of Women in Football gives us a whole reach to lots of different organisations, lots of different clubs, to make that change across the board. With Women in Football we can affect the whole of the industry, and that’s what is really exciting about WIF."

To help her get back into football as a career, Amy had applied for a place on the Women in Football mentoring programme launched with the support of Heineken earlier in 2022. Not only was her application approved – she was also paired with WIF's Head of Communications Michelle Dorgan, who Amy describes as "very upbeat and positive – a force of nature!"

The relationship proved decisive. "It was great to have a female role model above me in a similar environment," Amy says, "because I’ve never actually had that in any of my roles before – it’s either been a male or nobody at all. So very quickly we formed a very good relationship, and ultimately I wouldn’t be where I am now without having her, and being part of the mentoring programme."

 

On the pitch

Another commonality in their two backstories is that Lisa and Amy are as comfortable on the pitch as off. Many of her contemporaries will find Lisa's story all too familiar as she recalls: "Centres of excellence were never around when I was a small child! I was the nine-year-old kid who played football in the playground with all the boys, with a little tennis ball."

As a young player Lisa combined football with squash, hockey and tennis, then took the opportunity to play five-a-side with work teams. The highlight of her career was a Wembley appearance in 1996, but the need to train twice a week became unmanageable, and she dropped out of the game until recently, when a neighbour introduced her to a local six-a-side team competing in the Cheshire Inspire League. "It’s great because it’s a complete mix," she says, "so we’ve had people there that are just starting out on their playing journey and have come so far within the three-year period; and then you’ve got the likes of myself who have played for a long period. So it’s a real mix, and we all play on the same team, we all encourage each other."

Alongside her twin sister Amy was on the books with Nottingham Forest from the age of eight until her mid-twenties, via a year in America. A persistent knee injury took her off the pitch, but it was during her time studying journalism at Nottingham Trent University that she'd decided against a playing career. (Her then housemate and midfield partner Aileen Whelan, meanwhile, is now captaining Leicester City WFC – "which is amazing to see!")

Amy has remained close to the game through Female Football Fives – a league she runs, as well as coaching and refereeing in, every Monday evening with more than 100 players. "That was my toe staying dipped in football when I wasn’t working full-time in sport. And ultimately because I can’t play any more. It’s my way of staying connected at grassroots level, which I’m passionate about as well. So Mondays are my very long day. Three and a half hours of reffing flies by and it gets the steps in as well!"

"I don’t know how you can do it," grins Lisa. "I can’t stand on the sidelines, I’m rubbish at that!"

"Well, I basically commentate the whole game as well," confesses Amy, emerging as a queen of multi-tasking. "I kind of ref as a coach, as some of our teams are beginner level, so I kind of ref-commentate positiveness."

 

Whirlwind

With no let-up in the pace of activity here at WIF, both new arrivals have had to hit the ground running. As well as preparing for the Be Inspired Conference – less than a month away at the time of writing – they've attended events in Manchester and Wolverhampton with corporate members City Football Group and the Premier League Charitable Fund. Amy has also just taken part in the Women in Football Leadership Course in partnership with Barclays, and describes her time with WIF so far as "an absolute whirlwind!"

She adds: "Having done the Leadership Course, going through that and understanding just how powerful the course is that we run, and what an impact that can have on participants – first hand – was phenomenal. I don’t think I’ve ever done a course, particularly online, that has really challenged me and made me think about where I am now and what I’ve gone through."

While singling out the forthcoming Wembley conference as a potential highlight, Amy is looking ahead to more activities across 2023. She explains: "I'm really looking forward to Be Inspired in March and seeing a collective of 300 people in one room that are all hoping to impact the way football works. And just hearing other people’s stories, because I’m really inspired by what other people have gone through. And then the summer – the World Cup, and seeing how the Lionesses do, and what we can do as an organisation to celebrate that, bring people together, and ultimately get behind another campaign for the women’s game!"

So what's Lisa anticipating from this year? "Similar to Amy, I’m really looking forward to the Be Inspired conference – as a two-day event I think it’s going to be phenomenal. For me it’s also about seeing change in the industry and being able to be part of that, and people coming to us to help us make that change. I want us to be top of the list of organisations outside of their club that people come to, to help them make change in their organisations. And actually to see people on our Leadership Course and our members becoming the next board member of a company or the next CEO – to actually see those journeys from joining WIF, working their way through."

Both of WIF's new arrivals are already finding it rewarding to work for an organisation whose values resonate with their own. A friend recently observed that Lisa seems to be living her best life, and Lisa couldn't help but agree.

"Making a difference, changing society and the way people view things, and also some of the connections that we’re making, it’s just great – and I’ve never been in an organisation where I’ve just enjoyed getting up every single day of the week! I’ve loved everything, don’t get me wrong – but this one really ticks all the boxes for me, as an individual wanting to do change, wanting to forward women’s rights and opportunities, and just remove discrimination. I hate that at all levels, whether it’s discrimination against women, or by race… it just bugs me – we’re all the same! And here I just feel like I can make a difference by getting up in the morning."

Amy describes similar feelings. "Everyone’s asking me how I’m getting on and I’m like, 'it’s crazy but I love it!' It’s great – this is where I belong and what I’m passionate about. A bit like Lisa – I enjoyed my former role, I loved the people, but my fire wasn’t lit. It’s not my purpose, it’s not my reason. Again a bit like Lisa, many things have happened in life that have made me think, 'if I’m going to work, what am I working for? Do I believe in what I’m working for?' For me this is 100 per cent where I need to be."

Lisa was especially inspired by connecting with supporters of gender equality at Women in Football's male allies event with Manchester City just a few days ago. "Listening to the male allies, they want the change as well. So it’s not only women pushing against the door: it’s the male allies too, and collectively we want to make a difference, which makes you really empowered and energised to get things done. Hence I was at the gym at seven o’clock this morning!"

 

Determination

There's no doubt that Amy and Lisa bring to the WIF table both a huge amount of talent and a determination intensified by their own past experiences. Lisa is especially passionate about demonstrating first-hand to girls that they can aspire to careers in all manner of football-related roles – and she's committed to the long haul.

"It will take a generation," she reflects, "because people outside the industry struggle to get in, at my age and at my level. So actually you need to start with those girls who are choosing their GCSEs, and choosing their A-levels and university careers, to say 'this is a career for you' and consider how we can align those organisations with the children of that age to show this is a career. Especially outside of, say, marketing and HR – the girls who want to be technicians or work behind the camera, or they want to be the next director of their local football club. How do we get there? How do we pair those people up? How do we get the CEOs of big organisations going into schools and talking to the people of those younger generations to say 'it is possible, and I’m there for you – as a male ally or a female ally – and I’ll help you on your career journey'. So that’s the exciting bit for me!"

Amy concludes by picking up and running with the theme of making football a better place for women in the future. "My experiences in the past of working in football and being the only woman in the room, like Lisa, make me want to change that for the next generation.

"There are lots of experiences I’ve gone through that I hope nobody else has to go through. That’s really key for me. I’m really passionate about women’s football – but also really passionate about making it a more diverse environment for everyone."

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