Bradford City Community Foundation will take charge of the running of Bradford City Women from next month - in a ground-breaking bid to strengthen ties between each avenue of the club.
The decision has been made in an attempt to improve the future of Bradford City Women’s Football Club, following the imminent retirement of long-serving chair Sally Thackray and treasurer Allyson Matthews.
The club and its Community Foundation will therefore work in unison to aim to bring its women’s side ‘in-house’ - and take control of the daily running to add stability heading into the future.
Qasim Akhtar, business development officer of Bradford City Community Foundation, will step in as general manager - while Bingley Bantams and long-term club affiliates, Ian and Keith Taylor, will take up the respective head of operations and treasurer roles.
Departing chair Thackray and treasurer Matthews will formally leave their roles on December 31, with this change coming into play from 1 January 2021.
Bradford City Women and Bradford City Football Club would like to take this opportunity to thank both women for their continued loyal, hard work over the years - and wish them the very best for the future.
Bradford City Community Foundation chief executive officer, Ian Ormondroyd, said: “We are delighted to have Bradford City Woman under our umbrella.
“After recently taking over Bradford City Girls, it made great sense for us to bring in the ladies in as well, to further strengthen the relationship and promise of the club.
“Bingley Bantams Ian and Keith Taylor are getting on board with both sections and we look forward to all working together.
“Hopefully, this is a step forward for both the ladies and junior section. With Qasim Akhtar - a member of our team - running the juniors, there is now a clear pathway forward for everyone.”
Thackray said: “We feel this is an exciting development for the club, and know both Ian and Keith have the enthusiasm and commitment to move us forward.
“The handover is now underway and may continue past January 1 to ensure everyone has all the background and information they need to take up their roles.”
Ian Taylor added: “Keith and I thought long and hard about offering ourselves for these roles. We did not want to simply say ‘yes’ - we wanted to be sure we could bring some positive benefits to Bradford City Women.
“We both see massive potential in the club and are delighted to be a part of it.
“We certainly feel we have good people involved at the club - from the team and coaches to the backroom staff - and are delighted to be able to join them on this journey.”
Having welcomed a further three volunteers to take up various roles within the setup, Bradford City Women’s Football Club remains on the lookout for volunteers and sponsors to help further its growth.
To become involved in this new era of women’s football in Bradford, please e-mail info@bcwfc.co.uk.