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This past Wednesday, this new ownership entity announced the hiring of Van Ginhoven, England's general manager working with head coach Sarina Wiegman, as their overseer of worldwide women's football activities. The freshly established collective club ownership initiative, featuring Bay FC of San Francisco as its initial addition among its holdings, has a history in bringing in talent from the national football governing body.

The appointment in recent months of Cossington, the influential previous technical director at the Football Association, as the chief executive acted as a demonstration of ambition by this organization. Cossington understands the women's game comprehensively and now has put together a management group with a deep understanding of women’s football history and laden with experience.

Van Ginhoven marks the third central staffer of Wiegman's coaching team to depart this year, with Cossington leaving before the Euros and the assistant manager, Arjan Veurink, leaving to become head manager of Holland, however her decision arrived more quickly.

Moving on proved to be a surprising shift, yet “I’d taken my decision to leave the FA well in advance”, Van Ginhoven says. “The terms covering four years, just as the assistant and head coach did. Upon their extension, I had already said I wasn't sure whether I would. I had grown accustomed to the thought that following the tournament my time with England would end.”

The tournament became a sentimental event as a result. “I remember very clearly, vividly, speaking with the head coach where I basically told her about my decision and we then remarked: ‘We share a single dream, what a triumph it would represent to clinch the European title?’ In reality, it’s not like hopes materialize frequently yet, against the odds, it actually happened.”

Sitting in an orange T-shirt, she holds dual affections after her time in England, during which she contributed to winning back-to-back European titles and worked within the manager's team during the Dutch victory in the 2017 European Championship.

“The English side will forever have a special place in my heart. So, it will be challenging, notably since that the squad are due to arrive for the upcoming fixtures shortly,” she says. “When England plays the Netherlands, who do I support? 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, it's effortless to accomplish.

The club was not part of the equation when the strategic expert determined it was time to move on, however the pieces fell into place at the right time. Cossington initiated the recruitment and common principles were key.

“Almost from the very first moment we got together we felt immediate synergy,” remarks Van Ginhoven. “There was immediate understanding. We've discussed extensively regarding multiple aspects related to developing women's football and our shared vision for the right approach.”

Cossington and Van Ginhoven are not alone to relocate from high-profile jobs in Europe's football scene for an uncharted opportunity across the Atlantic. Atlético Madrid’s female football technical lead, Patricia González, has been announced as Bay Collective’s new global sporting director.

“I was highly interested by the firm conviction of the power of the women’s game,” she says. “I'm familiar with Cossington for many years; when I used to work at Fifa, she held the technical director role for England, and such choices are straightforward when you are aware you will have around you people who really inspire you.”

The depth of knowledge in their team distinguishes them, says she, for the collective among a number new multi-club initiatives which have emerged over the past few years. “It's a standout feature of our approach. It’s OK that people do things in different ways, however we strongly feel in having that football knowledge on board,” she adds. “All three of us have been on a journey in women’s football, for most of our lives.”

As outlined on their site, the mission for the collective is to champion and pioneer a forward-thinking and durable system within female football clubs, built on proven methods addressing the different demands of women in sport. Doing that, 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,” remarks she. “You're journeying through waters that there are no roadmaps for – as we say in the Netherlands, not sure how it comes across – and you just need to rely on your own knowledge and expertise for making correct choices. Adjusting course and speeding up is possible with a speedboat. In a lean group like this, that’s easily done.”

She adds: “With this opportunity, we start with a blank slate to build upon. In my view, what we do involves shaping the sport on a much broader level and that clean start allows you to do any direction you choose, adhering to football's guidelines. This is the appeal of what we are building together.”

The aspirations are significant, the management are expressing sentiments the football community hope to hear and it will be interesting to follow the development of Bay Collective, Bay FC and other teams that may join.

As a preview of upcoming developments, 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