Kelly Simmons The FA’s director of the women’s professional game awarded the SVG Europe Women Achievement Award 2021

The SVG Europe Women Achievement Award 2021 has been presented to Kelly Simmons, The FA’s director of the women’s professional game [Simmons pictured here on the right next to SVG Europe editor and head of SVG Europe Women, Heather McLean]

The award is given to an individual who has achieved outstanding things in sports broadcasting, and positively impacted women in sports television, over the last 12 months.

Simmons was awarded an OBE in 2021 for services to Women’s Football. Her own career is going brilliantly, and she is helping push the women’s game professionally, as well as through exciting new broadcast deals.

Simmons, who recently celebrated 30 years with the FA, has overseen significant change within the women’s professional game since taking on her current role in 2018, including the professionalisation of the FA Women’s Super League, and a new broadcast deal with Sky Sports and BBC Sport.

Women’s football in England has never been in a stronger position, and working alongside The FA’s director of the women’s game, Baroness Sue Campbell, Kelly has helped develop one of the leading league competitions in world football, as well as attracting new audiences, media coverage and commercial partners.

For those reasons, the Advisory Board of SVG Europe Women was very pleased to finally be able to present Kelly Simmons with the SVG Europe Women Achievement Award 2021.

Kelly Simmons, director of the women’s professional game, on stage at SVG Europe’s Football Summit on 10 March 2022, talking about the future of the women’s game

Heather McLean, SVG Europe editor and head of SVG Europe Women, commented: “Kelly is an amazing woman who has achieved outstanding personal success in her career, and also done so much for women’s football, including fantastic media deals which are finally bringing the women’s game up to the same level as the men’s, growing audiences, and fuelling the growth of the women’s game from grass roots to Women’s Super League.

“Through doing so, Sky Sports and BBC Sport have been able to bring new opportunities to women behind the camera as part of their coverage, creating a full circle of progression and impact. Kelly is a very worthy winner of the SVG Europe Women Achievement Award 2021 and it was a pleasure to be able to present it to her in person at the Football Summit,” McLean concluded.

Read more about the FA’s evolution of the women’s game and Kelly Simmons’ career here

The award was originally set to have been presented to Simmons at SVG Europe’s flagship event in Amsterdam in December 2021, but was delayed due to the pandemic.

Kelly Simmons, The FA’s director of the women’s professional game