Hope Powell leaves Brighton’s post after a poor start into the Women’s Super League season. She has been with the club since 2017.
The 55-year-old is still the longest-serving coach of the England’s women national team. She was in charge of Lionesses between 1998 and 2013. Powell took over the Seagulls in 2017 and helped the club with a development of the women’s section. After several departures of key players in the summer, the club did not manage to replace them. Following the sixth place in the last season, the expectations were higher but in the first five games, Brighton won only one and is currently sitting on the penultimate place.
“As a club, we’ve made a lot of progress in the past five years, but I feel now is the right time to step aside and allow a new coach to take the team forward with plenty of Super League football still to play this season,” said Powell.
Her assistant, Amy Merricks, supported by Alex Penny and Perry Northeast, will take interim charge of the game during the weekend, while ex-Everton coach Willie Kirk and ex-Netherlands coach Mark Parsons are among the candidates to take charge.