Today’s guest, Kelly Simmons MBE, is leading the transformation of professional women’s football in England as the Director of the Women’s Professional Game at the FA. Kelly oversees The FA Women’s Super League, FA Women’s Championship, FA Women’s National League and the Women’s Pyramid of Football. Kelly’s been an extraordinary trailblazer for the women’s game, having spent over 20 years at the Football Association. Kelly was previously The FA Director of Participation and Development, overseeing the implementation of a £200M four year investment programme into children’s and grassroots football. 

In recognition of all Kelly’s incredible work, in 2002 she was awarded an MBE Services to Football and in 2006 she received the BT Sports Industry Award for ‘Leadership in Sport’.

If you're enjoying these podcasts and want to support women's sport further, Sue Anstiss MBE, host of The Game Changers has writing a book 'Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport' you can find out more here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/game-on-about

Thank you to Barclays for supporting this series of the podcast.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production

My guest this week is Maggie Murphy, General Manager of Lewes FC. It’s an extraordinary football club with massive ambitions - the first club in the world to pay its male and female players equally. 

Maggie has had a fascinating career path, having worked for Amnesty International on human rights issues, Transparency International, the world’s largest anti-corruption organisation and the Sport Integrity Global Alliance, where she was director of public policy and sport integrity. Maggie’s also the Director of Communications at Equal Playing Field, a charity dedicated to advancing women’s equality in sport from grassroots to elite levels.

As mentioned in the podcast, Lewes FC is completely fan owned. You can find out more here: https://www.lewesfc.com/owners

If you're enjoying these podcasts and want to support women's sport further, Sue Anstiss MBE, host of The Game Changers has writing a book 'Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport'. Find out more here. 

 Find out more about The Game Changers here.

Presented by Sue Anstiss

Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production.

The Game Changers. Fearless Women in Football.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production

My guest today is Jo Tongue, Football Agent, Director of the Women in Football network and an ardent campaigner for equality in sport and the media. 

Jo takes us back to the reality of her early days in local radio, her big break at BBC Sport and how shocked she’s been representing female footballers.

Jo spent 10 years editing 606, BBC 5Live’s flagship football phone in show and is now CEO of Tongue Tied Management, a Sports Agency Specialising in Talent Management and Production.

 Find out more about The Game Changers here.

Presented by Sue Anstiss

Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production

Giving girls the same opportunities in football as boys is certainly close to the heart of my guest today. Dame Sue Campbell is Director of Women’s Football at The FA and regarded by many as one of the most respected women in sport. 

Sue began her career as a PE teacher in the early seventies, before going on to lecture in PE at Loughborough and Leicester Universities. She was CEO at the National Coaching Foundation (where we first met in the early 1990’s) in 1995 Sue helped found The Youth Sport Trust and went on to be CEO and then Chair for many years. Sue was Chair of UK Sport from 2003 and 2013, overseeing a step change in the delivery of British medals at the Olympics and Paralympics.

In 2008 Sue was appointed to the House of Lords as a Cross Bench Peer and earlier this year she became a Dame in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List. 

Sue shares how being a PE teacher shaped her entire career, what it took to persuade her to join the FA and how what is happening in women’s football today will help change lives more broadly across the UK.

Find out more about The Game Changers here.

Presented by Sue Anstiss

Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production

My guest today is passionate about ensuring all women have equal access to working in sports media. Sports presenter Jacqui Oatley was awarded an MBE in 2016 for her services to broadcasting and diversity in sport. Jacqui is best known by many as the first female commentator to appear on the BBC’s Match of the Day, which she went on to present in 2015. 

A Director of the Women in Football network Jacqui anchored the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2013 Euros for BBC, and then the men’s 2016 Euros and 2018 World cup coverage for ITV Sport. She was presenter of the BBC’s flagship sports news show Sportsweek on 5Live and now hosts football and darts for ITV and recently appointed the first female host of Sky Sports hugely popular Sunday Supplement show. It’s no wonder that in 2015 Jacquie was named as the 8th most influential woman in sport by the Independent.

Jacqui talks about her lifelong obsession with football, how she changed careers at 27 to re-train as a journalist and how lonely and isolated she felt after the hideous build up to her first appearance on Match of The Day.

Find out more about The Game Changers here.

Presented by Sue Anstiss

Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production

In this episode you’ll hear from the football legend that is Kelly Smith MBE. Kelly is widely regarded as one of world’s greatest-ever female players. Kelly scored a record 46 goals for England in 117 internationals before retiring after a 20 year career in 2015. Playing for Arsenal, Kelly won the League title six times and the FA Cup five times. She played in four European Championships and two World Cups and represented Team GB at London 2012. 

Kelly also had a career in the US, and in 2008 was awarded an MBE for services to women’s football.

Kelly talks openly about how tough it was playing football as youngster and being kicked off two teams for being a girl, how England is the best place for any young woman wanting to play professional football today and why she feels it’s so important to share her past struggles with alcohol to encourage others to talk more openly about mental health.

The Game Changers Podcast: Fearless Women in Football

Find out more about The Game Changers here.

Presented by Sue Anstiss

Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production

Hello and welcome to Series 3 of The Game Changers, the podcast where you’ll hear from extraordinary women in sport. This series of The Game Changers is supported by Barclays and will focus on fearless women in football. In each of the 8 episodes, I’ll be talking to a trailblazing female, reinforcing Barclay’s huge commitment to the beautiful game. 

The remarkable guest for this series includes:

• Kelly Smith MBE - one of the greatest-ever female players and England women’s record goal scorer
• Jacqui Oatley MBE - leading sports broadcaster and the first woman to commentate on BBC’s Match of the Day
• Dame Sue Campbell - Director of Women’s Football at The FA
• Jo Tongue – Football agent, Director of Women in Football and a tireless campaigner for equality in sport and the media
• Hope Powell CBE - Trailblazing former England Women’s Football manager and the first woman to be awarded a UEFA Pro License
• Casey Stoney MBE- Former England captain with over 100 caps and now Manager of Manchester United Women
• Kelly Simmons MBE - Director of the Women’s Professional Game at The FA
• Maggie Murphy – General Manager at Lewes FC Women, the first football club in the world to pay its male and female players equally.

The Game Changers podcast. Fearless women in Football.

Find out more about The Game Changers here.

Presented by Sue Anstiss

Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production

Professional footballer, media personality, lawyer, philanthropist and now best selling author, Eni’s high profile racism case against the FA led to critical reforms within the sport.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production

Paratriathlon World Champion and Paralympic Silver medallist, Lauren also enthralled us all as a semi-finalist on last year's Strictly Come Dancing.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production

Former UK Sport CEO, regarded as "the most powerful woman" in British sport for many years, Liz Nicholl is now President of the International Netball Federation.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production