Page 14 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.18 2020-21

Birmingham City has announced that the Club has accepted the resignation of Blues Women Head
Coach Carla Ward. Ward took over as Head Coach in August of last year and in her first campaign
managing in the Barclays FA Women's Super League, secured Blues' top flight status with an 11th-
place finish.
Blues General Manager Sarah Westwood said: "I would like to put on record my thanks to Carla
for her efforts and dedication to the position throughout the season.
"It has been a challenging year given the absence of Bluenoses from any of our fixtures, with
Carla galvanising the players and staff to achieve what nobody outside of the Football Club deemed
possible.
"We respect her decision and wish her all the best for the future."
Ward said: "When I walked through the door last August, with the opportunity to manage in
the BFAWSL for the first time, I couldn't have predicted what the next year would look like. It's been
some journey and one I'm immensely proud of.
"I've been so fortunate to work with a group of players who have delivered every single day,
taught me so much and are a credit to the Club and the BFAWSL.
"This year will live with me forever, from our first league win at Reading, to reaching the FA
Cup semi final and the late goals that secured our safety. All fantastic memories that have been made
possible by this unbelievable group of players, and ultimately we achieved what many people said we
couldn't.
"I'll be forever grateful for the opportunity and I leave this Football Club a better person and a
better leader.
"Lastly, the fans. They may not have been able to enjoy the journey with us but we've heard
them every step of the way. Even those who have been critical of us at times, I can't thank you all
enough. This Football Club is blessed with some unbelievable people and I wish them all the best for
the future."

UEFA is proud to announce that the Euronics
Group has become an official partner of UEFA
Women’s Football in an agreement, which will
run until 2025.
The partnership will give 22 international
Euronics Group members the chance to support
UEFA women’s football in each of their local
markets by being sponsors of the UEFA Women's
Champions League, the UEFA Women's EURO,
the UEFA European Women's Under-19 and
Under-17 Championships, and the UEFA
Women's Futsal EURO, as well as UEFA's
Together #WePlayStrong programme, which is
aimed at encouraging more girls and women to
play football.
“We are delighted to be welcoming the
Euronics Group as a UEFA sponsor for the first
time, and for such an ambitious brand to choose
to partner with us shows once again the speed at
which women’s football is developing and what
an attractive proposition it is, ” said Nadine
Kessler, UEFA’s chief of women’s football.
Issue no. 18 - 20 May 2021 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk