This is another pioneering achievement from a woman who already has several on her resume.
Lydia Bedford, who played for Brentford’s under-18s in England and became the first woman to hold a coaching position at an English Premier League club, will take up a new role in Calgary with Wild FC.
She will become the first coach of a Northern Super League (NSL) club when the league’s inaugural season begins in April.
“I want to be known for my accomplishments among the teams I work with,” Bedford said.
“We all know that Canadian soccer has been successful over the years. The Canadian national team is really famous for the achievements of the women’s soccer team, but there has been a lack of professional leagues in this country and that means people have the opportunity to participate in the national soccer team. It’s about creating something new and special.”
Bedford joins Calgary Wild FC, the city’s first women’s professional football club, after previously working as head coach and assistant coach at Leicester City Women and Arsenal Women, most recently with the Brentford men’s under-18s team since May 2023.
Her appointment at Calgary will be her first senior managerial position since Leicester. She said this is an opportunity to get back to doing what she loves best.
“My heart is in women’s football and always has been,” Bedford said.
“Players here have all had to leave and we hope that doesn’t happen in the future, so I think it’s really exciting to be able to provide a product for the young players in this country to actually enjoy the game, develop and play in front of the fans and the people back home. This is your chance to do it.”
The search for a coach crossed Canadian borders, but according to Deanna Zumwalt, Wild FC’s board chair, Bedford presented an opportunity for the club to bring a different perspective on the game to both Calgary and Canada.
“We felt it would add to the broader community,” she said. “It also brings a different way of looking at things.”
Bedford is the latest to join the club after signing a number of players including Afghan-Canadian Farkhunda Muhtaj and three-time Olympic champion Meikayla Moore of New Zealand.
Calgary’s Wild FC, one of six clubs participating in the NSL’s inaugural season, will play its home games at the 35,000-seat McMahon Stadium once the new FIFA Pro turf is installed this season.
