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On Wednesday, this new ownership entity announced the appointment of Van Ginhoven, the English national team's general manager under head coach Sarina Wiegman, taking on the role of global women's football operations director. The new multi-club ownership body, with the San Francisco-based Bay FC as the first club among its holdings, has a history in hiring individuals from the English FA.

The selection in recent months of Kay Cossington, the prominent former FA technical director, to the CEO role was a clear statement from this organization. Cossington is deeply familiar with the women's game thoroughly and now she has assembled a leadership team with a deep understanding of the evolution of the women's game and filled with practical experience.

Van Ginhoven marks the third central staffer of Wiegman's coaching team to leave recently, with the chief executive exiting prior to the Euros and assistant coach, Veurink, leaving to assume the position of head coach of the Dutch national team, but her move arrived more quickly.

Moving on has been a shock to the system, yet “I’d taken my decision to depart the Football Association well in advance”, she says. “My agreement covering four years, just as Veurink and Wiegman had. As they re-signed, I had already said I was uncertain about renewing myself. I had grown accustomed to the thought that following the tournament I would no longer be involved with the national team.”

The tournament became a sentimental competition as a result. “It's sharp in my memory, having a conversation with the head coach in which I informed her regarding my plans and then we said: ‘We share a single dream, how incredible it would be if we were to win the European Championship?’ In reality, it’s not like dreams come true frequently however, remarkably, this one did.”

Dressed in orange, she experiences split allegiances post her tenure in England, during which she contributed to claiming two Euros in a row and served on Wiegman’s staff when the Netherlands won in the 2017 European Championship.

“The English side will always hold an emotional connection for me. Therefore, it’s going to be tough, especially with the knowledge that the players will be arriving for national team duty soon,” she comments. “In matches between England and the Netherlands, which side do I back? Today I have on orange, but tomorrow I'll be in white.”

In a speedboat, you can pivot and accelerate swiftly. In a small team like this, that’s easily done.

Bay FC was not initially considered as the management specialist concluded it was time to move on, but the opportunity arose at the right time. Cossington began assembling the team and common principles proved essential.

“Almost from the very first moment we connected we experienced an instant connection,” states Van Ginhoven. “We were instantly aligned. We have spoken at length about different things around how you grow the game and what we think is the right way.”

Cossington and Van Ginhoven are among several to relocate from well-known positions within European football for a fresh start in the United States. The Spanish club's women’s technical director, Patricia González, has been unveiled as Bay Collective’s worldwide sports director.

“I was highly interested by the firm conviction regarding the strength of women's football,” González comments. “I'm familiar with Cossington for an extended period; when I used to work at Fifa, she held the technical director role for England, and such choices are straightforward when you know you will have around you individuals who motivate you.”

The extensive expertise among their staff distinguishes them, says she, with Bay Collective among a number recent multi-team projects to launch in recent years. “This is a key differentiator for us. Various methods are valid, however we strongly feel in having that football knowledge on board,” she states. “The entire leadership have progressed in women’s football, throughout our careers.”

As their website states, the goal of this group is to support and lead a progressive and sustainable ecosystem for women's football clubs, based on what works addressing the different demands of women in sport. Achieving this, with everyone on the same page, without having to justify actions for why you would take certain actions, is incredibly freeing.

“I liken it to transitioning from a tanker to a speedboat,” says she. “You are essentially navigating in uncharted waters – as we say in the Netherlands, I'm unsure if it translates well – and you must depend on your individual understanding and experience to choose wisely. Adjusting course and speeding up is possible in a speedboat. Within a compact team such as ours, that is simple to achieve.”

She adds: “In this role, we begin with a clean canvas to start with. In my view, our work is about influencing the game on a much broader level and that white paper enables you to pursue any direction you choose, within the rules of the game. That is the advantage of what we are building together.”

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

For a flavour of what is to come, which elements are crucial for a top-level environment? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve