UCFB scholarship mentor on the importance of championing women in football

UCFB’s new scholarship mentor has been speaking to us about the importance of female involvement across the football industry, in both the men’s and women’s game.

Kelly Simmons OBE has partnered with UCFB to mentor two scholars for the 2025-26 academic year on our Women in Sport Scholarship.

“We know that women have been underrepresented in the industry” she said.

Across the last few years, UCFB have seen more and more women not only applying to forge a career in the sports industry through UCFB, but succeeding immensely. Find out more about the many female UCFB graduates working across the sports industry.

Due to UCFB’s championing of women working across sports media, coaching, business, etc, Kelly was keen to partner and share our aim of levelling the playing field throughout the industry.

She said: “It’s really important that we send that message that women are welcome that we want more women in leadership and we’re here to help you on that pathway.”

She went on to say how this is important not just in the men’s game, but the women’s game too.

“There’s a huge football industry already,” she said, “and that’s only going to grow enormously over the next 20 years with massive growth of women’s football.

“I’ve gone on record saying I think women’s football will be the second biggest sport in the world behind men’s football in my lifetime.

“Look at the Women’s World Cup in Australia. Two billion people watched the game and two million attended the games. I think women’s football is going to be unrecognisable really from where it is now. And of course, that just opens up so many more jobs and bit off pitch jobs for women, which is fantastic.

“There’s a whole host of opportunities whether in the commercial sector, or in the coaching sector, in communications, in legal. There’s just a whole industry out there for women to come in and be a part of.”

She finished by offering advice to young women wanting to pursue a career in the sports industry.

“I think there’s no substitute for working hard and building your knowledge base,” she said. “Your networks are absolutely critical and I think, like in most industries, you’re going to need some resilience.”

Find out more about the many sports industry-related degree courses available at UCFB.

You can also view a UCFB prospectus and kick off your own dream career in the football and wider sports industry.