Why Prominent Personnel Opt For US Multi-Team Fast-Moving Over FA 'Tanker' Models?

This past Wednesday, the Bay Collective group revealed the appointment of Anja van Ginhoven, the English national team's general manager under Sarina Wiegman, as their director of global women’s football operations. The freshly established multi-club ownership body, featuring Bay FC of San Francisco as its first club in its portfolio, has previously engaged in hiring individuals from the Football Association.

The appointment earlier this year of Kay Cossington, the influential previous technical director at the Football Association, as the chief executive was a signal of intent from Bay Collective. Cossington is deeply familiar with the women's game comprehensively and now has gathered an executive team with profound insight of the evolution of the women's game and packed with professional background.

Van Ginhoven becomes the third core member of Wiegman’s setup to leave this year, with Cossington leaving prior to the European Championships and the assistant manager, Veurink, stepping down to assume the position of manager of the Netherlands, however Van Ginhoven's choice was made earlier.

Leaving was a surprising shift, but “I had decided to leave the FA well in advance”, Van Ginhoven says. “I had a contract for four years, just as Arjan and Sarina did. As they re-signed, I had already said I was uncertain about renewing myself. I had accepted the thought that following the tournament I wouldn’t be part of England any more.”

The Euros was an emotional tournament because of this. “I recall distinctly, having a conversation with Sarina in which I informed her of my choice and then we said: ‘Our ultimate aspiration, how incredible it would be if we were to win the European Championship?’ In reality, it's rare that dreams come true every day but, against the odds, this one did.”

Sitting in an orange T-shirt, Van Ginhoven holds dual affections after her time with the English team, where she was part of claiming two Euros in a row and worked within the manager's team for the Netherlands’ triumph at Euro 2017.

“England retains a special place in my heart. Therefore, it will be challenging, especially with the knowledge that the team are due to arrive for the upcoming fixtures shortly,” she says. “In matches between England and the Netherlands, which side do I back? Right now I'm in Dutch colors, but tomorrow I'll be in white.”

A speedboat allows for rapid direction changes. In a lean group like this one, that’s easily done.

The club was not initially considered when the strategic expert was deciding that a new chapter was needed, but the pieces fell into place perfectly. The chief executive began assembling the team and common principles were key.

“Essentially upon meeting we connected we felt immediate synergy,” says she. “We were instantly aligned. We have spoken at length regarding multiple aspects concerning growing the sport and the methods we believe are correct.”

The two leaders are not the only figures to uproot themselves from well-known positions in the European game for an uncharted opportunity in the United States. The Spanish club's female football technical lead, Patricia González, has been announced as Bay Collective’s worldwide sports director.

“I felt strongly drawn by the firm conviction regarding the strength of women's football,” she comments. “I have known Kay Cossington for a long time; back when I was with Fifa, she served as England's technical director, and such choices are straightforward knowing you'll be working alongside individuals who motivate you.”

The depth of knowledge among their staff sets them apart, says Van Ginhoven, with Bay Collective among a number new multi-club initiatives to launch over the past few years. “That’s one of our unique selling points. Various methods are valid, however we strongly feel in having that football knowledge on board,” she adds. “The entire leadership have progressed within the women's game, for most of our lives.”

As outlined on their site, the ambition of this group is to advocate and innovate a progressive and sustainable ecosystem of women’s football clubs, based on what works for the diverse needs of women in sport. Succeeding in this, with everyone on the same page, without having to justify actions regarding certain decisions, is incredibly freeing.

“I liken it to going from a tanker to a speedboat,” states she. “You're journeying in uncharted waters – a common Dutch expression, not sure how it comes across – and you must depend on your individual understanding and experience to make the right decision. Adjusting course and speeding up is possible with a speedboat. Within a compact team such as ours, it's straightforward to accomplish.”

She notes: “Here, we start with a blank slate to build upon. In my view, our mission involves shaping the sport more extensively and that white paper permits you to undertake any direction you choose, within the rules of the game. That is the advantage of our collective project.”

The aspirations are significant, those in leading roles are saying the things the football community hope 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