New founder and honorary president of Arsenal Ladies Vic Akers

Published: 21 August, 2014
by STEVE BARNETT

IT’S been all change at Arsenal Ladies this week with Vic Akers being given the new title of founder and honorary president of the club, while former player Clare Wheatley has been promoted into the role of general manager.

After 27 years’ service to Arsenal Ladies and women’s football as a whole, Akers’s new position will see him step away from the day-to-day running of the team. He founded the side in 1987 and led them to 32 trophies in his 22 years as manager, including a Uefa Women’s Cup in 2007. His success resulted in an OBE for his services to the game in 2009. After stepping down as manager in 2009 Akers continued to contribute to the success of the team in the new position of general manager. He will now remain a regular at Ladies’ games at Meadow Park, as well as continuing to provide advice and counsel to the Ladies coaching staff.

Clare Wheatley moves into the position of general manager, where she will oversee player transfers, contract renewals and aspects of the coaching set-up. She will also play a key role in the recruitment of a new Arsenal Ladies manager to replace Shelley Kerr, who departed after the FA Women’s Cup victory over Everton in May.