04/07/2026
Why Hope Powell CBE still shapes how I see the Women’s Game?
This podcast clip captures a powerful memory from Paul Barber OBE that has stuck with him.
In the FA in the early 2000s, when Hope Powell CBE was the England women’s team coach, she would regularly knock on his door and demand better facilities, better equipment, more focus on the women’s team, more investment in women’s football. She was a real trailblazer, and she opened his eyes to some of the challenges that women and girls in the game faced.
His story reminded me of my own experience with Hope, a conversation I won’t forget, shaped by everything I’ve since learned from others I’ve interviewed and books I’ve read.
Two years ago at Wembley, I finally got the chance to introduce myself to her, someone I’d admired for a long time through my own journey learning the history of women’s football. I asked her one question:
“How can I be a better male ally in women’s football?”
Her answer: “Continue being an ally by making the right choices and decisions to grow the right way, and for the right reasons to support the women’s game.”
After that conversation, Rachel encouraged me to read Hope’s book, which I did.
That advice has stuck with me and shaped how I approach my work in the women’s football industry ever since. Hope Powell CBE didn’t just build teams and break barriers on the pitch, she shaped how people like Paul and me think about our role in growing the game.
Grateful for her leadership, and for the reminder that allyship is a continuous choice, not a one-time act.
