Mercury 13 expands team to drive growth in women’s football

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Image credit: FC Como Women

The group aiming to redefine the future of women’s football, Mercury 13, a multi-club women’s football ownership group, has added two proven experts in its executive team to further advance growth and innovation in the sport. The appointments of Lindsey Eckhouse as Chief Revenue Officer and Hannah Haynes as Chief Strategy Officer to strengthen the company’s efforts to power its next stage of growth.

Mercury 13 is taking a fresh approach to women’s soccer, combining bold investment with creative commercial ideas — all with a vision to help the sport grow and thrive in exciting new ways.

The New Additions

In her new role as Chief Strategy Officer, Hannah Haynes will assist and shape Mercury 13’s strategic approach to investing in women’s football, to acquire clubs in some of Europe’s top markets. With her legal expertise and deep-rooted experience in sports and media, positioning her to take the lead to guiding the company’s growth and building meaningful collaborations.

“I believe that Mercury 13 can become a true benchmark for women’s soccer ownership. By staying true to our commitment to the women’s game and focusing on sustainable growth models, we hope to make meaningful club investments in other top sports areas, such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Clubs serious about their future understand that the differences between the men’s and women’s game can become an advantage,” she said via press release.

Stepping in as the Chief Revenue Officer, Lindsey Eckhouse has an in-depth knowledge of the global sports world including McLaren Racing, the NFL, and G2 Esports, having held senior commercial positions at these companies. Her new role will comprise of focusing on growing the business side of Mercury 13 and finding innovative ways to draw fans in across their women’s football clubs.

“My experience with both traditional and emerging sports models has helped me understand the importance of engaging fans and business partners distinctly and purposefully,” she said via press release.

“Everything from sponsorship and ticketing to retail and business partnerships presents an opportunity for us to redefine women’s soccer. We don’t have to be bound by the same constraints and expectations as men’s soccer, and that gives us the chance to innovate and find new ways to make women’s soccer a cultural and commercial success in Europe’s top markets.”

How Mercury 13 Is Changing The Game

With increased interest from broadcasters and industry players in the growing women’s sports market, Mercury 13 is taking a leadership role in driving investment. Backed by supporters like Italian football icon Giorgio Chiellini, the group is helping reshape the future of the sport.

Mercury 13’s acquisition of FC Como in Italy highlights its commitment to prioritising the women’s game. By investing in a standalone women’s club, the organisation ensures full attention is given to its growth — from digital branding to a forward-thinking, start-up-style approach to operations.

To find out more information on Mercury 13, click here

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More than 220 coaches attend Football South Australia’s second NOVA Youth Club Championship workshop

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Image Credit: FQ

Football South Australia drew more than 220 coaches to its second NOVA Youth Club Championship Coaches Workshop in late May, underlining the scale of engagement clubs are generating through the state’s restructured youth competition framework.

The online session was facilitated by Football SA Technical Director Michael Cooper, who also serves as Junior Matildas Head Coach. Cooper shared observations from the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup and Australia’s qualification for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, giving club-level coaches a window into the demands and standards of elite international football.

The presenter line-up extended that international lens further. Lachlan Tosh and Cristiano Dos Santos spoke to their experiences in national tournament environments, while legendary Australian coach Tom Sermanni addressed the fundamentals of youth coaching. Colin Sanctuary from the University of Newcastle examined coaching language and its direct influence on player learning.

Themes running across the session included the primacy of long-term player development over short-term results, with presenters consistently emphasising technique, ball mastery, individual improvement, and decision-making under pressure. Coaches were encouraged to expose players to varied styles of play, facilitate practice outside organised training, and help young players retain possession longer in match conditions.

Post-session feedback pointed to strong practical value, with coaches singling out clear communication, relationship-building, and age-appropriate feedback as key takeaways.

The workshop series sits within the broader transition from the Youth Premier League to the Club Championship model, which ties coaching participation to championship points for clubs and CPD credits toward individual coaching diplomas. Six workshops are scheduled across the season, with four still to come.

Premier League backs grassroots football in Singapore

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Image credit: Premier League

The NEXTGEN coach programme saw past legends and current coaches unite to deliver an activity intent on supporting grassroots football through high quality and inclusive coaching.

 

Creating new leaders

To reach the top in elite football requires tactical education, personal guidance and consistent support throughout the development journey.

Coaches therefore take on a great deal of responsibility for players seeking a top-flight dream.

Yet even for those who never make it to the top, there is always one coach who stands out. Not necessarily for the silverware achieved or results on the pitch, but for the way they helped build a person off the pitch to play better on it.

The Premier League’s NEXTGEN Coach programme in Singapore aims to equip coaches with the skills and knowledge to do exactly that: creating welcoming environments which nurture confidence and a love for the game.

“This will hugely benefit local coaches, providing them with expert training and skills that will cascade into the communities they coach in,” said Premier League Director of Community, Nick Perchard, via media release.

“After opening the League’s first international office in Singapore more than seven years ago, we are now building on our commitment to the country with a structured coach development programme.”

 

What does the programme include?

The programme initially saw Premier League coaches deliver training sessions to coaches from StarHub – the League’s broadcast partner in Singapore who engage with local community football.

Furthermore, the training was consolidated through stakeholder engagement events and talks from 150 students at the Institute of Technical Education about their careers in the game.

In total, the programme saw 30 coaches take part – all from diverse backgrounds selected by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to maximise community reach and positively impact as many young individuals as possible.

“Youth development is a key priority for FAS, and it starts at the grassroots level,” explained FAS General Secretary, Badri Ghent via media release.

“Coaches play a central role in shaping not just how young players learn the game, but how they experience it, building confidence, character and a lifelong connection to football.”

Through high quality programmes like NEXTGEN, grassroots football can grow to ensure future coaches and players are confident in themselves and their future roles in the game.

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