Helen Bleazard
AFC Bournemouth Women are making significant strides in the football world, with Helen Bleazard at the helm. Recently signing a three-year contract with the Cherries, Bleazard is determined to lead the team to new heights, including a potential promotion to the Women’s Super League 2 (WSL2). Her journey with the club has been marked by rapid growth and opportunities, both for herself and the team.
Helen Bleazard said: “No, not a chance. I mean, when I came in, Bill Foley hadn’t brought it under the men’s club, so yeah, we were still under the trust. I think it was my first season, they then halfway through came in and it was drip-fed, the resources and everything. If they’d done too much overnight, it would have been too much. But she only had the one chance to go full time as a player and never expected that she would get the opportunity as a coach. So I never really thought it’d be an opportunity as a player, let alone a coach, and the fact it’s happened so quickly I think it just shows the growth of the game as well, which is great. But to be able to actually do this as a day job and it just be my only day job is something I’m really looking forward to.”
Bleazard’s transition from player to coach has been swift, reflecting the rapid development of women’s football. She expressed her excitement about fully dedicating herself to her coaching role, leaving behind her previous day job to focus entirely on the team.
She continued: “I’ve got two more weeks of my day job until I can fully embed in, but yeah, it’s just being able to have that time and it not be so much of a hobby, like this will actually be my day job. So being able to be around this building [at the performance centre] more and more, and not only what I can do on a day-to-day, but what I can learn from the people in this building. We’ve embedded so much already, but it’s about how much more we can do for the last months of the season.”
Bleazard’s first season as head coach has been a learning curve, with adaptability being a key focus. The team has experimented with various formations, highlighting her flexible approach to coaching.
“It’s been huge,” Bleazard said, on the learning curve so far. “I think the biggest thing for me is just trying to be as adaptable as possible. I came in thinking we might play one or two formations and we’ve played three or four already this season, and it’s just kind of the needs of the game and what we can learn from that. I’ve said to the girls multiple times I’ve made mistakes this season, it’s how I’ve learned from it. It’s also what they can do to learn from theirs as well. But just trying to be as open as possible and I always say be a sponge and try and learn off as many people as you can and try and seek mentors along the way.”
The club’s ambition is evident, with Bleazard acknowledging the significance of her full-time role as a statement of intent. Despite the team’s impressive trajectory, she emphasized that there is no pressure for promotion this season, focusing instead on learning and growth.
“We’ve put ourselves in a position that’s probably why I’m being offered this early because I think everyone forgets that this is our first season in tier three,” she said. “And yes, we’ve had a massive trajectory, but I’ve always said there is still no pressure on us on promotion this year. It’s about learning and growing, and we’ve put ourselves in that position to do so, which is great.”
Bleazard remains optimistic about making history with the club, driven by the support from the men’s team and the club’s overall direction.
Asked if the aim is to make more history this season, Bleazard was emphatic: “Absolutely, why not?”
As AFC Bournemouth Women continue their campaign, Bleazard’s leadership and the club’s strategic backing promise an exciting future for the team.
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