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Midweek, this new ownership entity revealed the recruitment of Van Ginhoven, England's general manager working with head coach Sarina Wiegman, taking on the role of overseer of worldwide women's football activities. The new collective club ownership initiative, with Bay FC of San Francisco as its initial addition among its holdings, has prior experience in bringing in talent from the Football Association.

The appointment earlier this year of Cossington, the well-respected ex-technical director for the FA, to the CEO role was a signal of intent by Bay Collective. Cossington understands female football inside out and now has gathered a leadership team that possesses extensive knowledge of the history of women's football and filled with professional background.

She becomes the third central staffer of Wiegman’s setup to exit in the current year, following Cossington leaving before the Euros and the assistant manager, Arjan Veurink, leaving to become manager of the Dutch national team, however her decision was made earlier.

Moving on proved to be a surprising shift, but “I’d taken my decision to depart the Football Association quite a long time ago”, she explains. “I had a contract for four years, similar to the assistant and head coach did. Upon their extension, I previously indicated I was uncertain about renewing myself. I had grown accustomed to the whole idea that following the tournament I wouldn’t be part of England any more.”

The European Championship turned into an emotional event because of this. “I remember very clearly, vividly, having a conversation with Wiegman where I basically told her of my choice and we then remarked: ‘There’s just one dream, how amazing would it be if we were to win the European Championship?’ In life, it’s not like aspirations are realized every day however, absolutely incredibly, this one did.”

Dressed in orange, Van Ginhoven holds dual affections following her stint with the English team, where she was part of winning back-to-back European titles and served on the manager's team for the Netherlands’ triumph in the 2017 European Championship.

“The English side retains a special place in my heart. So, it’s going to be tough, especially with the knowledge that the squad will be arriving for national team duty shortly,” she notes. “Whenever the two nations face off, which side do I back? I’m wearing orange at the moment, though tomorrow English white.”

You can change direction and move quickly in a speedboat. In a lean group like this one, that’s easily done.

The club was not part of the equation as the strategic expert determined that a new chapter was needed, but the opportunity arose perfectly. The chief executive began assembling the team and mutual beliefs were key.

“Almost from the very first moment we connected we experienced an instant connection,” states she. “We were instantly aligned. We have spoken at length regarding multiple aspects around how you grow the game and our shared vision for the right approach.”

These executives are among several to uproot themselves from prominent roles in Europe's football scene for a fresh start in the United States. The Spanish club's technical director for women's football, González, has been announced as the organization's global sporting director.

“I felt strongly drawn to that strong belief regarding the strength of the women’s game,” González comments. “I'm familiar with Cossington for an extended period; back when I was with Fifa, she was the technical director of England, and it’s easy to make these decisions when you know you'll be working alongside individuals who motivate you.”

The depth of knowledge within their group sets them apart, explains Van Ginhoven, as Bay Collective among a number fresh club ownership ventures to launch lately. “That’s one of our unique selling points. Different approaches are acceptable, but we are firm in our belief in ensuring deep football understanding,” she states. “The entire leadership have been on a journey in women’s football, for most of our lives.”

According to their online statement, the mission of Bay Collective is to advocate and innovate a forward-thinking and durable system within female football clubs, based on what works addressing the different demands of female athletes. Doing that, with everyone on the same page, with no need to make the case regarding certain decisions, is hugely liberating.

“I liken it to going from a tanker to a speedboat,” says Van Ginhoven. “You are essentially navigating through waters that there are no roadmaps for – a common Dutch expression, I'm unsure if it translates well – and it's necessary to trust your own knowledge and expertise to choose wisely. You can pivot and accelerate rapidly in a speedboat. In a lean group like this, that is simple to achieve.”

She continues: “In this role, we have a completely white sheet of paper to work from. For me, our mission focuses on impacting football on a wider scale and that white paper enables you to pursue anything you desire, following the sport's regulations. That is the advantage of our collective project.”

The ambition is high, the management are voicing opinions athletes and supporters hope to hear and it will be interesting to monitor the progress of Bay Collective, Bay FC and any clubs added to the portfolio.

For a flavour of what is to come, what are the key aspects in a high-performance setting? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve