Hope Powell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hope Powell
CBE

Powell in April 2018, managing Brighton & Hove Albion
Personal information
Full name	Hope Patricia Powell
Date of birth	(1966-12-08) 8 December 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth	Lewisham, England
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Birmingham City (technical director)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1978–1987	Millwall Lionesses
1987–1989	Friends of Fulham
1989–1991	Millwall Lionesses
1991–1994	Bromley Borough
1994–1998	Croydon
International career
1983–1998	England	72	(17)
Managerial career
1998–2013	England
2012	Great Britain Olympic
2017–2022	Brighton & Hove Albion
2023–	Birmingham City (technical director)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hope Patricia Powell (born 8 December 1966) is a famous English football coach and former player. She is currently the Women's Technical Director at Birmingham City.

As a player, Hope Powell played for the England team 72 times. She mostly played as an attacking midfielder and scored 17 goals. She started playing for England when she was just 16 years old. She also played in the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, which was England's first time in the World Cup. She was also the vice-captain for her country. For her clubs, Powell played in four FA Women's Cup finals. She was the captain of Croydon when they won both the League and Cup in 1996.

The Football Association (FA) chose Hope Powell to be England's first full-time national coach in 1998. She led the team in many big tournaments, including the UEFA Women's Championship in 2001, 2005, 2009, and 2013. She also guided England to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2007 and 2011. Hope Powell was part of England's best results in the UEFA Women's Championship, reaching the final in 1984 as a player and in 2009 as a coach.

Besides managing the senior England team, Powell also helped with younger teams, from Under-15s to Under-23s. She also helped set up a system where players could train full-time. In 2003, Powell became the first woman to get the UEFA Pro Licence, which is the highest coaching qualification. She also managed the Great Britain women's Olympic football team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. From 2017 to 2022, she managed Brighton & Hove Albion.

Playing Career Highlights

Early Days at Millwall

Hope Powell first made news when she was banned from playing for her school team after turning 11. This was because of old FA rules. She then joined Millwall Lionesses when she was 11.

At Millwall, a coach named Alan May was a big influence on her. He taught her important skills about working with people. He continued to inspire her throughout her career, even when she became a coach herself.

Time at Fulham

After Millwall, Powell played for Friends of Fulham for two years. During this time, she played in the 1989 Women's FA Cup final. She scored two goals in the match, but her team lost 3–2 to Leasowe Pacific. The game was played at Old Trafford.

Back to Millwall Lionesses

After the defeat, Powell went back to Millwall Lionesses. She became the team's top goalscorer of all time. In 1991, Millwall Lionesses won the Women's FA Cup for the first time, beating Doncaster Belles 1–0. They also won the Greater London League, which helped them join the new National Division in the 1991–92 season.

Playing for Bromley and Croydon

After their success, the Millwall team changed, and Powell moved with a teammate to start a new club called Bromley Borough. They quickly moved up through the leagues. In the 1993–94 season, Bromley Borough won their league and were promoted to the top level of English women's football.

For the 1994–95 season, the club teamed up with Croydon. Hope Powell was one of six Croydon players who played for England at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup.

With Powell as captain, Croydon won both the League and the FA Women's Cup in 1995–96. In the FA Women's Cup final, Powell scored a goal and then scored in a penalty shootout to help Croydon win. They also won the National Premier Division by a small margin after playing many games in a short time.

In the 1997–98 season, Croydon lost both Cup finals to Arsenal. Hope Powell scored in the 1998 FA Women's Cup final, but they still lost. After this, she decided to stop playing and become the England coach.

International Appearances

Hope Powell made her first appearance for England against the Republic of Ireland on 11 September 1983. She was 17 years old. She played in the final of the 1984 European Competition for Women's Football, where England lost to Sweden after penalties.

International Goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	17 March 1985	Preston, England	Scotland	4–0	4–0	1987 European Competition for Women's Football qualifying
2.	25 May 1985	Antrim, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	?–?	8–1
3.	17 August 1985	Ramsey, Isle of Man	Wales	?–0	6–0
4.				?–0
5.	22 September 1985	Cork, Ireland	Republic of Ireland	2–0	6–0
6.	16 March 1986	Blackburn, England	Northern Ireland	9–0	10–0
7.				10–0
8.	12 October 1986	Kirkcaldy, Scotland	Scotland	2–0	3–1
7.	11 April 1987	Leeds, England	Northern Ireland	?–0	6–0	Friendly
8.	17 March 1990	Ypres, Belgium	Belgium	1–0	3–0	UEFA Women's Euro 1991 qualifying
9.				2–0
10.	17 April 1994	Brentford, England	Slovenia	?–0	10–0	UEFA Women's Euro 1995 qualifying

Coaching and Management Career

Hope Powell in 2017

Starting as a Coach

Hope Powell earned her first coaching award when she was 19. While still playing, she worked as a development officer for a local council and helped with community programs for Crystal Palace FC. She also volunteered as a coach at soccer camps in the United States.

Managing England Women's Team

In 1998, Hope Powell became the coach of the England women's national football team. She was 31, making her the youngest coach for any England national football team. She was also the first woman and the first non-white person to hold this important role.

Her first game as manager was a friendly match against Sweden in July 1998. Her first official game was a loss to Norway. England then had to play a special game against Romania to stay in the top level of international football. They won this game, which was very important for the team's future funding.

In 2003, Powell became the first woman to receive the UEFA Pro Licence, which is the highest coaching qualification. She led the England team to the final of Euro 2009, where they lost to Germany.

At the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, England lost in the quarter-finals to France after a penalty shootout. After England's difficult performance at UEFA Women's Euro 2013, Hope Powell was removed as manager of the England women's team on 20 August 2013.

Brighton & Hove Albion

On 19 July 2017, Hope Powell was announced as the first-team manager for the Brighton & Hove Albion women's team. She stayed in this role until 31 October 2022.

England Men's U20s

In May 2023, it was announced that Powell would join the England men's U20s as a technical advisor for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Birmingham City

On 20 July 2023, Hope Powell became the new Women's Technical Director at Birmingham City.

Managerial Statistics

Awards and Recognition

Hope Powell has received several important awards for her contributions to football. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2002 and later a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2010. In 2003, she was added to the English Football Hall of Fame because of her great talent.

She has also received honorary doctorates from several universities, including Loughborough University in 2009, the University of East London in 2011, and the University of Chichester in 2018.

Player Honours

Millwall Lionesses

• FA Women's Cup: 1991

Croydon

• FA Women's Cup: 1996
• FA Women's Premier League: 1995–96

England

• Mundialito (2): 1985, 1988

Manager Honours

England

• Cyprus Cup (2): 2009, 2013

Personal Life and Education

Hope Powell was born and grew up in London. Her family is from Jamaica. In 1990, she earned a degree in Sport Science and History from Brunel University in London.

Powell's autobiography, Hope: My Life in Football, was published in 2016.

See also

In Spanish: Hope Powell para niños