News

Women in Football, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL), hosted a landmark event at Parliament Buildings, Stormont in Belfast, on Thursday 22 January, bringing together female leaders from across the game and wider business sector to champion greater female representation in football.

The event, also attended and supported by a large cohort of male industry colleagues, highlighted the current landscape and future ambitions of NIFL in celebrating and supporting women working in football in Northern Ireland, attracting more women into the industry, and driving progress across the sport at all levels.

Through its partnership with WIF which was signed in November, NIFL is empowering women from all backgrounds by providing access to knowledge, expertise, and collective support, helping to create a stronger, brighter, and more diverse future for local football.

Despite the growing professionalism of the women’s game in Northern Ireland, including a female official officiating in the men’s Sports Direct Premiership and record-breaking attendances, female representation in off-pitch roles remains low.

That is something NIFL is committed to changing, according to CEO Gerard Lawlor.

“We have many exceptional talented women in this country. Yet we have had to explore, question, and challenge ourselves as to why the female community does not yet see football administration as a space for them,” he said.

“Hopefully, tonight begins a journey to answer that question. Hopefully, it challenges some of you personally. Because as an organisation, we must listen and understand if we are to continue to grow.”

“I genuinely believe that we, and our member clubs, have a great deal to offer, be that employment opportunities, personal development, new skill sets, experience, and a strong sense of community involvement. If you’ve ever wondered whether there is a place for you in football leadership, there is. Let’s reshape the future.”

 

Imagery courtesy of Jon-Marc Maguire.

 

The evening featured a fireside chat with local Bangor native and Premier League Head of Public Affairs Katie Nixon, before Sky Sports presenter Hayley McQueen hosted an inspiring panel discussion with a powerhouse group of female leaders shaping the modern game.

The panel included Yvonne Harrison, CEO of Women in Football; Maggie Murphy, Managing Director of Aston Villa Women and WIF board member; Nuria Tarré, Chief Marketing Officer at City Football Group and WIF board member, and Regan McFarland, Partnerships and Sales Manager at the Northern Ireland Football League.

The discussion explored leadership, innovation, and inclusion, with insights shared on the evolution of the women’s game both on and off the pitch, what it takes to drive meaningful change across sport and business and the vital role that male allies can play, with a growing number of women working across the men’s game too.

The evening proved to be a lively and thought-provoking celebration of the people redefining the future of football.

Addressing the delegates in her welcome speech, CEO of WIF, Yvonne Harrison, said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Gerard and NIFL for entrusting our organisation in supporting the ambition to make the league a more equitable place for women in Northern Ireland.

“Together with Gerard and the league’s different stakeholders, we really look forward to growing our presence and impact in Northern Ireland and playing a key role in supporting women here in the future.”

The partnership will also bring exciting new opportunities for women in Northern Ireland interested in careers in football, including the launch of the Women in Football Leadership Programme, set to be held for the first time in Belfast, later in 2026. Register your interest in our Leadership Programme here.

“Since its inception, more than 800 women across the football industry have graduated from WIF’s transformational Leadership Programme, which many have described as a truly life-changing experience.  We are so excited to be bringing this to Northern Ireland with the help of NIFL in 2026, following on closely from our first ever programme delivered in Scotland at the end of 2025” added Yvonne. 

Details of the programme date, venue and booking details will be published on the respective NIFL and WIF websites as soon as they are confirmed.

Share this article