Charlton Athletic are delighted to announce that Jemma White has been appointed as the Head of Women's Football at the club.
White comes to Charlton with a wealth of experience in operations, management and coaching.
Before joining the club, White worked in football operations at St George's Park as the Assistant General Manager. At the same time she was also Head of Women and Girls and the first team Head Coach at Dronfield Town Football Club.
White has come to Charlton ahead of the 2024/25 season. When asked what drew her to. Charlton she said: "The club has has a great history in Women's football and the trajectory has been very positive for the last few years. There’s a lot of history in this club, the past and current success in the women’s game is something to be proud of."
The new Head of Women's Football continued to speak about her aims at the club: "I want to continue the success of the last few years while still improving and hopefully successfully navigating the demand we’ve seen for our women’s game. We have the players and the staff to be competitive in every situation we’ll be faced with this year so that’s the aim.
We want to push the boundaries of what this team can achieve, as individuals and collectively. Everyone in the building wants to be the best player, coach, role model and if we get that right, I’m confident we will be where we want to be at the end of the season."
As Women's football is growing every year, there is pressure on the clubs to invest and support their women's team and White shared why now is the time to do doing so: "Now is a crucial time for investment in the women’s game. It is one of the fastest growing sports worldwide. Many clubs are taking strides forward and you if stand still, you’ll effectively go backwards. The game, our domestic leagues and our international stage has proven that the reward comes when there is support and ambition combined with having no fear. We want women’s football to be sustainable and if we continue to get it right, it will be here for a very long time."
In the role of Head of Women's Football, having a good relationship with Karen Hills is vital. White spoke on the importance of the manager at this club: "Karen is such an important person to this club. She has worn the shirt and has coached in some of the best environments in women’s football. Her knowledge and understanding of what it means to play for this club and how to get the best from the players is clear to see. I have really enjoyed working with her and learning about her ambitions for the club and how she cares about the players, there’s no doubt she will have success again this year."
In this role, Jemma will be working closely with the Professional Game Administrator, Nikki Fairbairn. Nikki will work alongside Jemma to ensure that both the first team and PGA are running smoothly, handling operations for the team and academy. They are both vital to the success of the Women's team.
Welcome to the club Jemma and Nikki!