Aston Villa Women Appoint Maggie Murphy As Managing Director

Aston Villa Women Football Club has announced the appointment of Maggie Murphy as Managing Director.

A highly experienced and respected figure within women’s football, Maggie brings over 15 years’ international experience in football and sports governance, spanning a wide range of roles from club management to commercial growth.

She previously served as CEO at Lewes FC and was also a Board member of the FA WSL and Women’s Championship. In 2023, Maggie was recognised as one of BBC Woman’s Hour’s 30 Most Influential Women in Sport.    

Her appointment follows the restructuring of Aston Villa’s women’s team as an independent entity under the ownership of V Sports. The new structure will allow resources to be allocated directly to the women’s team, enabling dedicated investment that can support the continued development of its sporting and business operations.    

Speaking of her appointment which will start at the beginning of October Maggie, said: “I’m excited to be joining Aston Villa Women at a moment of ambitious change and renewed purpose at the club.

“We now have the structure and support to build momentum off the pitch to support our continued progress on it. By placing fans at the heart of what we do, giving real cause to our community to back the team, and building deeper connections with supporters and partners, we can create the structures and lay the foundations for long-term success.

“Our ambition is clear: to unlock Aston Villa Women’s full potential and cultivate a passion and pride amongst our fans, partners, players and staff that translates into lasting success and impact.”

Bashir Lebada, AVWFC Executive Chairman, said: “We are delighted that Maggie is joining Aston Villa Women. Her experience and skillset complement our vision for the women’s team during a time when women’s football is on a major upward growth trajectory.

“She has a hugely impressive CV covering all levels of the game. We believe her depth and breadth of knowledge will be instrumental in helping to take Aston Villa Women to the next stage.

“Following our promotion to the WSL in 2020, we’ve made steady progress on and off the pitch, with our dedicated women’s facilities at Bodymoor among the best in the world. But we have ambitions to go even further by consistently challenging the Big Four and securing regular European football – Maggie will be fundamental in helping us to deliver on this.”