England Women’s Football Head Coaches 🏴⚽
All England Women’s Football Head Coaches Timeline 🏴⚽
There have been 11 official England women’s football head coaches, plus Harry Batt and various caretaker England women’s head coaches. In September 2021 Sarina Wiegman took over from Phil Neville as England women’s head coach of England women football players.
- ADDucation’s list of England women’s football head coaches was compiled by Joe Connor and last updated .
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| Name | Term | Best Tournament Placings | Win %* | Born / Died | Place of birth | 🏴 England Women’s Football Head Coaches. Who Used to Manage England ladies? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarina Wiegman (Sarina Wiegman-Glotzbach) |
2021-present |
|
77% | 1969 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands, The Hague |
Win %
Matches
Won
Drawn
Lost
76.92%
39
30
7
2
Sarina Wiegman, the former Netherlands coach who won Euro 2017, signed a four year contract with England in August 2020. Wiegman took over from Phil Neville as England women’s football head coach on 1 September 2021 and in her first match England beat North Macedonia 8-0 in a World Cup preliminary match (#411). Under Wiegman’s England set a national record with a 20-0 win over Latvia during World Cup qualification.
About England’s performances at the 2023 Women’s World Cup Sarina Wiegman England football manager said:
|
| Hege Riise (Caretaker manager) |
2021 | 67% | 1969 | 🇳🇴 Norway | Hege Riise took over as England women’s football head coach when Phil Neville left his England role early to take up a managerial position at Inter Miami, USA. Riise was in charge for three international friendly matches.
Hege Riise: England Womens Match Results (#408-410):
|
|
| Phil Neville (Philip John Neville) |
2018-2021 |
|
54& | 1977 | 🏴 England, Bury |
Win %
Matches
Won
Drawn
Lost
54%
35
19
5
7
As a player Phil Neville was a defender and midfielder for Everton and Manchester United won the Champions League, the Premiership 6 times, the FA Cup 3 times and more. Phil Neville played for England 83 times including 59 senior appearances. Phil Neville joined the coaching staff of the England under-21s at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship before returning to Manchester United as first-team coach at the invitation of David Moyes. In 2015 Neville joined La Liga side Valencia coaching staff. On 23 January 2018 Neville was appointed head coach of the England women’s team with a contract that ran until the end of the 2021 UEFA Women’s Euro tournament to be hosted by England so the roadmap was clear. In 2019 England Women’s team came fourth at 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and won the SheBelieves Cup beating Brazil 2-1, drawing 2-2 with the USA and beating Japan 3-0. Phillip Neville was in charge for 35 matches (#373-407) between 2018 and 2020. About coaching Phil Neville said:
|
| Mo Marley (Caretaker manager) |
2017-2018 | England 4-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina. | 100% | 1967 | 🏴 England, Liverpool | Following Sampson’s sacking Mo Marley (Maureen Marley MBE) was England women’s interim head coach from September 2017 to January 2018. Marley took charge of three FIFA Women’s World Cup UEFA Qualifiers.
Mo Marley: England Womens Match Results (#370-372):
Mo’s win percentage was 100%. In October 2018 Mo Marley was appointed England under-21 women’s team head coach. |
| Mark Sampson | 2013-2017 | Third place in 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. | 66% | 1982 | 🏴 Wales, Creigiau |
Win %
Matches
Won
Drawn
Lost
66%
58
38
7
13
Mark Samson played as a defender for Cardiff Corinthians. Samson was coach-co-ordinator at the Wales FA before coaching Cardiff City youth team and heading up Swansea City’s centre of excellence in 2007. Samson managed Welsh club Taff’s Well and FA Women’s Premier League club Bristol Academy before being appointed head coach of England Women’s team in December 2013. In the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup England reached the semi-finals, losing to Japan then beating Germany for third place. In the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euros England were knocked in in the semi-finals by the Netherlands who were the hosts and eventual winners. Samson was sacked by the FA in 2017. Samson claimed unfair dismissal and the FA settled out of court just before the hearing date. |
| Brent Hills (Caretaker manager) |
2013 | England 8-0 Turkey. | 60% | 1953 | 🏴 England (TBC) | Following Hope Powell’s dismissal Brent Hills was appointed England women’s team caretaker manager on 23 August 2013 and took charge of England’s four opening qualification matches for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Brent Hills: England Womens Match Results (#307-310):
Hills had previously been in charge in 2006 (match #218) when Hope Powell underwent surgery. England were beaten 5-1 by Germany so his overall win percentage was 60%. Hills wanted the role permanently but in December 2013, after Mark Sampson was appointed as England women’s manager, Hills was appointed as FA head of women’s elite development. |
| Hope Powell (Hope Patricia Powell) |
1998-2013 | 2007 & 2011 quarter-finals FIFA Women’s World Cup. | 53% | 1966 | 🏴 England, Lewisham |
Win %
Matches
Won
Drawn
Lost
53%
163
87
32
44
Hope Powell played as an attacking midfield player for Millwall Lionesses, Friends of Fulham, Bromley Borough, Croydon WFC. Powell gained 66 caps for England Women before she was appointed England women’s first female head coach in 1998. Hope Powell was in charge for 163 matches (#143-368 excluding #218). England qualified unbeaten for the 2007 World Cup in China and reached the quarter-finals and knocked out by the USA. In 2011 England again reached the quarter-finals and lost 4:3 in a penalty shootout to France. In 2013 Powell was dismissed after England’s women finished bottom of their group at the Women’s Euro 2013 tournament. Powell also coached the 2012 Great Britain Olympic Women’s football team has been Brighton & Hove Albion’s women’s first-team manager since 2017. On the England women’s football head coaches job she said: |
| Dick Bate (Caretaker manager) |
1998 | 0% | 1946-2018 | 🏴 England | Following the resignation of Ted Copeland Richard Bate was England women’s caretaker manager for three England matches (#140-142) which were all defeats so Dick’s win percentage was 0%:
|
|
| Ted Copeland | 1993-1998 | Quarter-finals of 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup. | 46% | 1940 | 🏴 England (TBC) |
Win %
Matches
Won
Drawn
Lost
46%
35
16
5
14
Ted Copeland worked as a Physical Education lecturer in Saudi Arabia where he played and coached Ettifaq FC in the Saudi Premier League and also the Saudi under 16 and under 19 National Teams. Copeland was also first team coach for Hartlepool United. In 1990 Ted Copeland was appointed as FA Regional Director of Coaching for the North of England. In 1993 Ted Copeland steered England’s women’s team to the quarter-finals of the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Ted Copeland was England women’s head coach for 35 matches (#105-138). Ted retired to Spain in 2006. |
| John Bilton (John Michael Bilton) |
1991-1993 | 2nd Round UEFA Women’s Euro 1993 qualification. | 45% | 1960s (TBC) | 🏴 England (TBC) |
Win %
Matches
Won
Drawn
Lost
45%
11
5
2
4
Bilton was a youth team goalkeeper for Derby County and Rotherham United who went on to play for Frickley Athletic and Worksop Town. John Bilton managed the WFA England women’s national football team from May 1991 until April 1993 (matches #94-104). Bilton continued to coach at various clubs including Doncaster Rovers, Leeds United, Rotherham United, Oldham Athletic, Notts County and Fenerbahçe S.K in Turkey. In June 1993 the WFA was disbanded and all powers were transferred to the FA. |
| Barrie Williams | 1991 | 0% | 1937-2018 | 🏴 Wales, Carmarthen | Willams was an English literature teacher before he joined Sutton United as assistant manager in 1977. In 1979 he was appointed manager and enjoyed success during the 80’s ending with a famous victory over Coventry City knocking them out of the FA Cup in 1989. Barrie Williams managed the [1]WFA England women’s football team during 1991 before emigrating to Spain. | |
| Martin Reagan (Charles Martin Reagan) |
1979–1990 |
|
54% | 1924-2016 | 🏴 England, Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
Win %
Matches
Won
Drawn
Lost
54%
57
31
11
15
Reagan played football for York City, Hull City, Middlesbrough, Shrewsbury Town, Portsmouth and Norwich City before coaching [1]WFA England’s women. Reagan took England to the semi-finals of the 1987 European Competition for Women’s Football which they lost to Sweden, then Italy to finish 4th. Reagan was sacked in 1990 after England lost 6:1 to Germany in the UEFA Women’s Euro 1991 quarter-finals which doubled up as the qualification for the first FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament so England missed out. Reagan continued to coach in California, USA as Director of the Two Rivers Soccer Camp until 2003. In 1985 Reagan predicted the success of the USA Women’s Soccer team in a letter he wrote to Mike Ryan:
|
| Mike Rawding (Caretaker manager) |
1979 | England 2-2 Denmark | 0% | 1936-2005 | 🏴 England, Grantham | Following the resignation of Tom Tranter Mike Rawding (Micheal Henry Rawding) was the [1]WFA England women’s caretaker manager for an international friendly match (#27) against Denmark in 1979 which ended in a 2-2 draw. |
| John Sims (Caretaker manager) |
1979 | 4th place in unofficial 1979 European competition finals in Italy. | 75% | ???? | 🏴 England (TBC) |
John Sims was [1]WFA England caretaker manager. He took the England women’s football team to the unofficial European competition finals in Italy during July 1979. The tournament was considered unofficial because it was not run under the auspices of UEFA, however it led to the UEFA Women’s Championship.
|
| Tom Tranter (Thomas G. Tranter aka Tommy Tranter) |
1973-1979 | Winners of 1976 Pony Home Championship, 10th 1978 World Cup, 4th 1979 Euros | 70% | 1940-2005 | 🏴 England, Shropshire |
Win %
Matches
Won
Drawn
Lost
70%
23
16
1
6
Tom Tranter was [1]WFA England women’s football head coach for 23 matches (#4-26). Tommy Tranter (photo) was a player coach for Hayes in 1970 and went on to coach at Southall, Woking, Slough Town and Brentford before working on foreign coaching assignments for the FA in India, Zambia, the Sudan, Botswana and Iceland. In 1979 Tranter returned to Iceland to manage Keflavík. In 2001 the FA sent Tommy to run a coaching course in the British Virgin Islands where he retired and made his home. In 2003 Tommy Tranter was made an honorary fellow at Brunel University which now presents a Tom Tranter award open to final year PE and sports students. |
| John Adams | 1973 | 100% | 19??-2017 | 🏴 England (TBC) |
John Adams (photo) was F.A. Northern Regional coach and WFA England manager for two friendly England woman’s matches (#2 & #3) with two wins and a 100% win percentage:
|
|
| Eric Worthington | 1972 | 100% | 1925-2006 | 🏴 England, Sheffield | In 1972 UEFA recommended national associations incorporate the women’s game. The FA rescinded its ban on women playing on English Football League grounds and Eric Worthington became the [1]WFA’s first official England women’s national football team manager in June 1972. As a football player Eric Worthington played, as a forward, for Willesden, Queens Park Rangers, Watford, Dover, Bradford City and Margate.
Eric Worthington was England women’s first head coach for England’s first official international match (#1) against Scotland on 18 November 1972. England won 3-2 and Sylvia Gore scored England’s first official international goal. That was Eric’s first and only match as England women’s manager so a 100% win percentage. Eric Worthington left to take up his appointment as director of coaching by the Australian Soccer Federation on 1st January 1973. Eric ended his football managerial career with Papua New Guinea. |
|
| Harry Batt (Unofficial manager) |
1969-1971 | 3rd place in 1969 FIEFF[2] European tournament. | 1907-1985 | 🏴 England | After England’s men won the 1966 World Cup there was a surge of interest in women wanting to play football and teams started to be formed. Notably Harry and his wife, June Batt, set up the Chiltern Valley women’s football team. Batt, along with Patricia Gregory and others formed the first women’s football governing body in England called the [1]Women’s Football Association (WFA) but there was a problem. Since 1921 women were banned from playing on any FA registered club pitches because:
The [1]WFA were in discussion to get the FA to rescind the ban but Harry was already in contact with FIEFF[2] in Italy and between 1969 and 1971 Batt led unofficial England women’s football teams to unofficial women’s football tournaments. At the 1969 FIEFF European tournament in Italy Sue Lopez scored the first unofficial England goal. At the 1971 FIEFF World Cup in Mexico England’s women lost 4:1 to Mexico in the Estadio Azteca in Mexico city in a televised match in front of a crowd estimated, in local newspapers, between 90-95,000 fans! Although England lost their matches the women and team won the hearts of the Mexican people. Two months before the Mexico trip the Batts were blacklisted by the WFA[1] committee and all the Chiltern Valley players were banned for three months on their return. The WFA were holding trials to form an official England team and did not recognize any team the Batts were involved with. Following the success of the Mexico tournament, former England PR man Ted Hart had raised £150,000 sponsorship, and the backing of England 1966 heroes Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst, to hold a 1972 Women’s World Cup at Wembley.The proposal included TWO England teams. A WFA England team and Batts England team. It almost happened – can you imagine if it had! Harry Batt asked to rejoin the WFA but was refused and, according to his son Keith Batt, was never the same again. |
See also: 🏴 England Men’s Football Managers…
⚽ Notes about England Womens Football Head Coaches: *The England women’s football manager winning percentage is calculated by dividing the number of games won by the number of games played. Draws and defeats are not taken into account. There are other performance calculations but they are not the “winning percentage”. [1] The WFA is the Women’s Football Association, the first women’s football governing body in England before the FA took over in 1993. [2]FIEFF (Fédération Internationale Européenne de Football Féminine) was an Italian organized international women’s football association formed in February 1970. England, Switzerland, West Germany, Austria and Mexico sent delegates. FIEFF was not recognized by FIFA, UEFA or most national member organizations, including the FA. UEFA forbade its members from further participation so FIEFF closed due to lack of participants. ADDucation’s lists are published for information only and are not official. ADDucation acknowledges all trademarks and registered marks belong to their respective organizations including FIFATM, UEFATM and The FATM.
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