Why Forest Green Rovers Should Permanently Hire Hannah Dingley
MELKSHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 5, 2023: Forest Green Rovers' Interim Manager, Hannah Dingley, guides her team through warm-ups before their pre-season friendly against Melksham Town at Oakfield Stadium.
It’s hard to believe for a lower-level side, but Forest Green Rovers are now looking for their fifth permanent coach in the past two years. And this time, it’s time for them to do what they thought about doing two years ago and probably should have done two years ago: hire Hannah Dingley.
For now, Dingley sits in the caretaker role as Rovers prepare for life in League Two after winning just once in 18 matches under former coach Duncan Ferguson. Here’s why FGR chair Dale Vince needs to make her the permanent leader.
It’s Time For Stability
Mark Cooper lasted five seasons in the job. Since his firing in 2021, Rovers have bounced from Rob Edwards (hired by Watford) to Ian Burchnall (fired halfway through the season) to Duncan Ferguson (departed after his assistant coach hire was nixed), and now they’re back down in League Two.
The carousel has to end at some point, and Dingley offers genuine stability. She has held a role at the club since 2019, and she’s seen just about everything in her role running the academy side. Manager Dingley knows what she’s doing, and she’s the only one who could be seen as a return to stability for a side that badly needs some.
She Knows the Club Inside and Out
The majority of Forest Green Rovers’ roster has either played for Dingley or at least interacted with her over the past four years. She’s coached the younger players ever since 2019, and she knows everything there is to know about the club and its culture. More importantly, she knows what works about its culture and what doesn’t.
A manager’s success often depends on how well they can command the locker room. This trust has to be earned, and Dingley already has a head start. The players at Forest Green Rovers are familiar with her coaching style, her expectations, and most importantly, her capability to lead. This intrinsic advantage could prove invaluable in a season where the club will be looking to bounce back and climb up the tables.
Bringing in a new voice always comes with the risk that they’ll change something that didn’t need to be fixed while fixing what is genuinely broken. Dingley wouldn’t have that problem because she knows the club well enough to know what not to tinker with.
A Fresh Perspective
Bringing in an outsider often involves a steep learning curve as the new coach adapts to the club’s culture, player personalities, and expectations from the fans and board. Dingley has the benefit of insider knowledge but the freshness of an external candidate. This balance can offer a novel viewpoint, making it easier to pinpoint what needs to be changed and what should be preserved. Dingley’s dual perspective could offer the best of both worlds: the ability to shake things up while also respecting the club’s history and traditions.
Another point in Dingley’s favor is her tactical acumen. In her time with Forest Green Rovers’ academy and her previous coaching stints, she has demonstrated a keen understanding of the game’s nuances. Her modern approach to football could be precisely what the club needs to overcome its recent difficulties. Dingley’s proven ability to develop young talent can also be a crucial asset for the club, which has had its fair share of financial constraints.
She’s Been A Head Coach Before
The EFL hasn’t had a female coach before, but Dingley’s coached at lower level side Gresley. Before she took the academy job at Rovers, she was an assistant for four years at Burton Albion. She’s no stranger to working with men and would have no problem gaining the respect of the locker room. She’s led men at different levels for more than a decade, so this isn’t anything new for her.
When Vince made her the caretaker manager, he said that he’d done so because she was the most qualified voice at the club to take the role. He needs to show that same determination again by choosing the right leader for the task. Leaving the historical aspect aside, Dingley is the right coach for the job solely on her own qualifications.
Time to Act
The onus is now on FGR chairman Dale Vince to make the right call. The club has faced enough turbulence in recent years, and it’s time for some stability. Hannah Dingley has shown, both through her experience and her brief stint as caretaker manager, that she’s more than capable of taking Forest Green Rovers forward. Vince has a golden opportunity to not only stabilize his club but also to make a historical decision that could change the face of English football.
