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This past Wednesday, Bay Collective announced the appointment of Anja van Ginhoven, the English national team's managerial lead under Sarina Wiegman, to serve as their global women's football operations director. The new multi-team ownership group, featuring San Francisco’s Bay FC as the inaugural team in its portfolio, has prior experience in bringing in talent from the national football governing body.

The appointment in recent months of Kay Cossington, the well-respected former FA technical director, as top executive acted as a signal of intent by this organization. Cossington is deeply familiar with women’s football inside out and now has put together a leadership team with a deep understanding of the evolution of the women's game and laden with practical experience.

Van Ginhoven marks the third central staffer of Wiegman’s setup to depart in the current year, with Cossington departing prior to the Euros and deputy manager, Veurink, stepping down to assume the position of head manager of the Dutch national team, however Van Ginhoven's choice arrived more quickly.

Stepping away proved to be a jarring experience, yet “I’d taken my decision to leave the FA well in advance”, she explains. “The terms for four years, exactly like Arjan and Sarina did. As they re-signed, I previously indicated I was uncertain about renewing myself. I was already used to the whole idea that post-Euros I would no longer be involved with the national team.”

The European Championship turned into an emotional competition as a result. “I remember very clearly, vividly, speaking with the head coach when I disclosed about my decision and we then remarked: ‘We share a single dream, what a triumph it would represent that we win the Euros?’ Generally, it's rare that hopes materialize every day but, absolutely incredibly, this one did.”

Sitting in an orange T-shirt, Van Ginhoven holds dual affections after her time in England, where she was part of winning back-to-back European titles and worked within Wiegman’s staff for the Netherlands’ triumph in the 2017 European Championship.

“The national team will always hold a dear spot in my heart. So, it’s going to be tough, particularly now knowing that the team are scheduled to come for the upcoming fixtures in the near future,” she comments. “In matches between England and the Netherlands, who do I support? I’m wearing orange at the moment, but tomorrow it’s white.”

In a speedboat, you can pivot and accelerate swiftly. With a compact team such as ours, that is simple to achieve.

The American side was not part of the equation when the management specialist determined that a new chapter was needed, but everything aligned opportunely. Cossington initiated the recruitment and common principles were crucial.

“Almost from the very first moment we met we felt immediate synergy,” states she. “There was immediate understanding. We have spoken at length regarding multiple aspects concerning growing the sport and our shared vision for the right approach.”

Cossington and Van Ginhoven are not alone to relocate from prominent roles in Europe's football scene for a blank sheet of paper in the US. Atlético Madrid’s women’s technical director, Patricia González, has been announced as the organization's global sporting director.

“I was highly interested to that strong belief of the power of the women’s game,” she explains. “I'm familiar with Cossington for a long time; back when I was with Fifa, she served as England's technical director, and such choices are straightforward when you are aware you will have around you individuals who motivate you.”

The profound understanding in their team distinguishes them, says she, as Bay Collective among a number new multi-club initiatives to launch in recent years. “This is a key differentiator for us. Different approaches are acceptable, but we definitely believe in incorporating football expertise,” she adds. “The entire leadership have traveled a path within the women's game, for most of our lives.”

As outlined on their site, the mission for the collective is to advocate and innovate a forward-thinking and durable system for women's football clubs, built on proven methods to meet the varied requirements of women in sport. Succeeding in this, with collective agreement, without having to justify actions regarding certain decisions, is hugely liberating.

“I compare it with transitioning from a tanker to a speedboat,” states she. “You're journeying in uncharted waters – that’s a Dutch saying, I'm unsure if it translates well – and it's necessary to trust your own knowledge and expertise for making correct choices. Adjusting course and speeding up is possible with a speedboat. In a small team like this, that’s easily done.”

She notes: “With this opportunity, we have a completely white sheet of paper to work from. In my view, our work involves shaping the sport on a wider scale and that white paper enables you to pursue anything you desire, within the rules of the game. That is the advantage of what we are building together.”

The ambition is high, those in leading roles are saying the things the football community want to hear and it will be compelling to monitor the progress of Bay Collective, the team and future additions to the group.

To get a sense of future plans, which elements are crucial for a top-level environment? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve