Players pay tribute to Hope Powell

Albion players have paid tribute to Hope Powell after she stepped down as first-team manager on Monday.

Hope has been in charge since 2017 and managed Albion in every game during five seasons in the Barclays Women’s Super League since our promotion.

There were some standout victories in that time and in 2019-20 we finished sixth in the table, our highest finish in the WSL.

Skipper Victoria Williams, who played under Hope during her time as manager, said, “Hope, it has been an honour and a blessing to have been led by you over the last four years.

“I will forever be grateful for the opportunities you’ve given me and your overall impact on me as a player and a person. Thank you for everything, your legacy here is intact.”

Her thoughts were echoed by Danielle Carter, who joined Albion in 2021.

“No one can deny what Hope has done for the game and Brighton… She will always be a legend. Thank you!”

Hope joined the club in 2017 and guided the club into the WSL after they finished runners-up to Doncaster Belles in the second division but were awarded a tier 1 license after Belles did not take up the offer of promotion.

In our first season in the top-flight Albion predictably found it tough but Hope managed to guide us to ninth place out of 11, winning four games, and she also won the manager of the month award in February 2019.

The 2019-20 season was curtailed by the Covid pandemic with Albion ninth in the table when the season came to a halt. Three home wins, over Birmingham City, Liverpool and Everton, were crucial in keeping us clear of trouble while Aileen Whelan scored eight goals, the most by an Albion player in a season in our WSL history.

The 2020-21 campaign also began without fans and at the end of January 2021, following a 3-0 defeat to bottom of the table Bristol City, Albion were in danger of relegation.

But in a remarkable turnaround, the following Sunday goals from Whelan and Inessa Kaagman earned Albion a shock 2-1 win at leaders Chelsea and we embarked on a run of five victories in six matches, before a 3-1 win in the final match of the season against Bristol City lifted us to a final position of sixth.

We also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup before losing 3-0 to Arsenal in October 2021, the competition having been held over because of Covid. Last season we started well, with five wins out of the first seven games. Form tailed off in the second half of the campaign, but we still finished seventh and won more games (eight) than in any of our previous seasons.

Hope was also instrumental in the development of players like Maya Le Tissier, who was 17 when Hope gave the defender her WSL debut and went on to play more than 50 league games for the club, prior to her move to Manchester United in the summer. In total, Hope managed Albion in 85 WSL matches and was the third longest-serving manager in the league behind Chelsea’s Emma Hayes and Kelly Chambers, of Reading.

During her time as manager, Hope has continued to argue passionately for greater opportunities for BAME coaches. She has also mentored the staff who worked under her including assistant Amy Merricks, who will be in charge on Sunday when we travel to West Ham United.

She said, “[I have been] privileged to have worked alongside you for the past 5 years and learn from one of the best in the game. An incredible role model, coach, mentor and most importantly, friend... Thank you, Hope.”