Today’s announcement follows the launch of the 2018 FA strategy launched earlier this month, aimed at improving the culture of The FA and unveiling considerable new investment into every level of the game.

Karl Lingham and George Wells have been promoted from their current roles at the Association, and will now work as Acting Joint Chief Executive Officers for the remainder of 2018, while the incumbent, Vicki Askew, is on Maternity Leave.

Lingham (County Development Manager) and Wells (Operations Manager) will continue to carry out the responsibilities of their current roles; in addition to sharing the new accountabilities that come with the Chief Executive Officer role.

Karl Lingham will focus on delivering the FA Strategy across Hertfordshire, while also leading on the adoption of safeguarding operating standards in the County. George Wells will take on the management of HR, Finance and supporting the Football Services manager at the Association.

Speaking about the changes to the team, Brian Curtis, Chairman of Hertfordshire Football Association said:

‘Following Vicki Askew’s departure from the CEO role on maternity leave, we look forward to seeing Karl Lingham & George Wells take on the role of Joint Acting CEOs for the year until her return.

During 2018 we’ll continue to focus on working as effectively and efficiently as possible with our members to enhance the standards of football throughout the County.

We are entering an exciting year for the organisation as we begin to put The FA’s new strategy in to practice across Hertfordshire, and start the implementation of a Minimum Operating Standard for Safeguarding in the grassroots game.’

Beatrice Thirkettle, Football Development Officer at Hertfordshire FA, has also joined the Association on a full-time basis, following her appointment to a part-time position last year. Thirkettle is the new point of contact for all development queries in Dacorum, Three Rivers & Watford. She will also be leading on the Association’s Inclusion & Equality commitment.

The staff team will continue to be divided into three areas; Development, Operations and Football Services. Please find more information on each of these teams below:

DEVELOPMENT TEAM

The Development Team will continue to be led by Karl Lingham the County Development Manager and will be responsible for delivering our targets set by The FA and developing all areas of football by working with key partners including our clubs, leagues, officials and volunteers.

The Football Development Officers now have a geographical area of the county to focus on too; providing support and guidance on all areas of the game.

Expect to see them out and about in order to understand your challenges and support requirements. All Development Team members work flexible hours throughout the week, and will be available to attend club nights and evening meetings to offer you the appropriate support you need.

OPERATIONS TEAM

The Operations Team will continue to be led by George Wells, the Operations Manager. This team will be focused on ensuring the relevant support across the staff team and all requirements are in place to enable us to work efficiently and deliver an effective service.

There will also be a focus on developing the business opportunities and the use of the facility here at Letchworth by encouraging other local clubs and groups to hold events and meetings here.

The Operations Team are also responsible for Marketing and Communications. Our aim is to continue to improve the perception of Hertfordshire FA by engaging with all of our stakeholders on a regular basis.

FOOTBALL SERVICES TEAM

This team continues to be headed up by Lauren Halsey, the Football Services Manager.

This team is responsible for the support we provide you, our members on a day-to-day basis, including; affiliation, player registration, league sanctioning and all areas of discipline.

With the recent recruitment of Gemma Smith, the Football Services team will also support the delivery of all our County Cups and our Representative Football. Gemma joins with experience volunteering in grassroots football, currently as Chair of Hitchin Belles FC.

Staff Contact Details

If you have any questions, or if you are not sure who to speak to about your query, please do contact us via our general enquiry form and we will respond as soon as possible.