Manchester United confirm exit of senior staff member

Manchester United have announced that Polly Bancroft - the club's head of women's football - will step down from her role at the end of the season.

Bancroft, who has worked at Old Trafford since October 2022, will leave the club to become Grimsby Town's new chief executive. She has played a starring role in overseeing the development of United's women's team and helping them become a strong force in the women's game.

Her highlights include United Women reaching their first-ever FA Cup final last season and achieving a second-place finish in the Women's Super League [WSL]. The club also clinched UEFA Women's Champions League qualification for the very first time during her tenure.

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As well as providing support to head coach Marc Skinner, she also played a key role in significant improvements in infrastructure for the women's team, featuring a new training facility at Carrington. The popularity of the women's game in England has been on a sharp rise since the Lionesses' European Championship success in the summer of 2022.

United Women, as recently as last weekend, played in front of a record-breaking WSL crowd at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal, with 60,160 people in attendance. United, however, were beaten 3-1 by the Gunners.

Though Bancroft will continue in her role for the rest of this season, Grimsby, who are currently trying to avoid the threat of relegation to the National League in League Two, are delighted to have her on board ahead of the 2024/25 season. Chairman Jason Stockwood is delighted with the appointment, insisting the club is 'thrilled' to have