Lancashire FA Staff
Got a question? Find out who you need to contact
Meet the Lancashire FA team!
Here you can learn more about our hard-working staff and find out who to
contact for a particular query.
If you would like to speak to someone directly, please call us on 01772
624000
If you are still unsure about who
would be best-placed to answer your question, drop us an email at info@lancashirefa.com and we will
ensure that it is forwarded onto the right person.
chief executive
Simon Gerrard
Chief Executive
Simon is the visionary CEO of Lancashire Football Association, having joined the Company in June 2018, and proceeded to progressively modernise and transform its operations and governance with his energy and drive, ensuring it can succeed within both the sporting and business arenas moving forwards.
Simon is a strong and vocal advocate for creating an inclusive environment where football can be enjoyed by all, and this is reflected in the Lancashire Football Association mission, as well as within the working environment at the Association.
With his passion and enthusiasm for football, and his keen desire to create an infrastructure for developing football for the future, Simon has a long history of rising to challenges and having a positive influence in the industry – he has worked within the Football Association Group for over 19 years.
As well as his strong impact at Lancashire Football Association, notable other achievements include transforming investment and partnerships whilst CEO at Cheshire FA from 2011-2016, and, when Team Manager for various England Disability Squads, supporting the Partially Sighted Team to win a World Cup Bronze in 2008. Simon continues to work within Team Operations, supporting the current England Futsal Squad.
Outside of football, Simon developed a third-generation climbing centre offering a unique climbing experience for all ages and abilities. He is a keen cyclist and golfer and enjoys both watching and playing football, whilst sharing his interests with his wife, Kim, son, Jake, and his extended family and close friends.
football development department
Iain Kay
Football Development Manager
Iain, who has worked for the Association for a total of
nine years, started his current role in October 2016. His role includes
developing, maintaining and delivering the FA National Game Strategy across the
whole of Lancashire. This involves line managing the Football Development team
when delivering the National Game Strategy, the Whole Support Plan and the
Facility Targets. Outside of work, Iain is a passionate runner, completing the
Preston Half Marathon as part of the Preston Guild in 2012. Iain is also an
avid season ticket holder at local club, Preston North End; his family even
holds shares within the club since it formed back in 1880.
Email: iain.kay@lancashirefa.com
Lee Boyer
Head of Facilities & Investment
Lee Joined the Lancashire FA in January 2019 and is the county contact and lead on facilities development programmes, supporting clubs, schools and Local Authority’s in particular.
He is passionate about grass roots football, having been a volunteer and an employee employed in various roles in Sports Development for over 25 years, as well as being a previous Manager and Coach of several semi-professional and amateur teams across the county. One particular highlight was winning the Lancashire FA Amateur Cup in 2012. Consequently, he has seen first-hand the great work many of our volunteers do to ensure the game takes place, in their community and clubs.
Lee is a long standing Burnley and Accrington Stanley supporter, having first watched Stanley in their North West Counties Days and has followed the national men’s team home and away on many occasions.
Email: lee.boyer@lancashirefa.com
Nick Birchall
Football Development Officer (Education)
Nick, who has been a part of Lancashire FA since 2015, works in association with Universities, Colleges and Schools
across Lancashire. He leads on the Club Charter Programme and is heavily
involved in the Junior Football Leaders course and Futsal Coaching courses. Additionally,
Nick is the main point of contact for clubs in Blackpool, Fylde, Preston
boroughs and Wyre. Outside of work, Nick, a keen Blackburn Rovers Fan, is also
a FA Coach Mentor and a grassroots Football Coach
John Treacy
Football Development Officer (Leagues)
John, a Bolton Wanderers supporter, has worked at Lancashire FA for ten years
and has been heavily involved in grassroots football for the past thirty years. His role in Lancashire FA includes
implementing a variety of programmes and strategies in order to support
Lancashire FA’s member leagues and the clubs that they support; this includes
the FA Charter Standard League programme, the FA Youth Review and Player
Registration. John is also the lead of Respect, an attribute which is extremely
important to Lancashire FA. Moreover, John also oversees rules and regulations
and supports participation in the adult and youth 11v11 games. Additionally, outside
of work, John was an official and founder member of the Police Roll of Honour
Trust in helping create the National Police Memorial Monument in London, in
remembrance of Police Officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Email: john.treacy@lancashirefa.com
Iain Mackie
Football Development Officer (11v11/Recreation)
Iain, who has been with the Association since early 2017, supports the development of adult football. His role, which includes using recreational and flexible football formats, allows as many people as possible to enjoy football in Lancashire. Moreover, Iain is also the main point of contact for clubs from Bolton, Bury, Greater Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale and Rossendale. Iain, who is originally from Suffolk, supports his local team of Ipswich Town. However, Iain is also quite the globe trotter, spending his teenage years living in Madagascar and Kenya.
Email: iain.mackie@lancashirefa.com
Michael Nadal
Football Development Officer (Women and Girls)
Michael,
Chairman of Lancashire Schools FA, is our lead on our Women and Girls Football
programmes; a role which he has enjoyed for over ten years. Through his role he
supports new projects which encourage women to become more involved within
football in Lancashire and aid existing movements such as the Wildcats Clubs.
Moreover, Michael is the former coach of the girls section, a role that he is
very proud of. Michael is also the generic Football Development contact for
clubs in Chorley, Sefton, South Ribble, St Helens and West Lancashire. For the
past 25 years, Michael has been a keen season ticket holder at AFC
Telford United; although he does also watch Newcastle United. Outside of work,
Michael enjoys spending time with his two children and planning his wedding
which is scheduled for May 2020.
Andrew Whitaker
Football Development Officer (Disability and Inclusion)
Andrew, who
has been working at Lancashire FA for the past six years, ensures that football
is an inclusive sport and available to everyone throughout Lancashire. Through
his role, Andrew aims to utilise the amazing power of football in order to
improve a person’s physical wellbeing, mental health or using football as part
of a recovery tool. Andrew is the lead on developing the disability game across
the county, he oversees Lancashire FA’s Ability Counts league, and he also
works to secure national FA projects that focus on disability or impairment.
Andrew is also our lead on walking football. Moreover, Andrew is the main point
of contact for clubs in Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and the Ribble Valley.
Outside of work, Andrew is British, European and World Champion at
powerlifting. His record is 220KG’s which he will increase in the future.
Rachel Owen
Facilities & Investment Officer
Rachel joined Lancashire FA in 2020 where she now supports the County on facility development programmes, predominantly surrounding grass pitch improvement initiatives where she helps develop and support clubs with their grant funding applications to investment partners. The role ensures a visible support presence with Local Authority’s, funding partners, schools and our clubs across the County. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys spending time with her family and is a keen footballer where she competes at Tier 4 of the women’s pyramid.
Coaching department
Colin Greenall
Coach Education Manager and Apprenticeship Programme Manager
Colin, who
has worked at Lancashire FA for the past 13 years, manages and oversees
the delivery of our coach education courses as well as the Apprenticeship
Programme. Prior to his role at Lancashire FA, Colin was a professional
footballer. His former clubs include Preston North End, Blackpool and Wigan
Athletic and he still checks how the clubs are faring throughout the season.
Colin is also often heard on BBC Radio
Lancashire giving a live summary of the match.
Email: colin.greenall@lancashirefa.com
Andrew Watson
Apprentice Mentor
Andrew, who has worked for Lancashire FA
for six years, started his current role four years ago. Andrew’s role includes
planning, developing and delivering our PE and School Sport Apprenticeship
Programme. Andrew, a Manchester United supporter, is also heavily involved in
football outside of Lancashire FA as he is an FA Level 1 and Level 2 coach
educator for grassroots coaches. Moreover, Andrew is also a semi-professional
footballer who enjoyed two promotions and an FA Cup run with Curzon Ashton.
Referees department
Shaun Taylor
Referee Development Officer
Shaun,
who has worked at the Association for four years, has worked in a few different
roles before settling in the Referees Department. During his current role he is
responsible for the recruitment, retention and development of all referees at
grassroots level across Lancashire. This role ensures that the referees
experience as a match official is as enjoyable as possible. Shaun, a Blackpool FC supporter, is also a Level 4 referee himself; this means that he
officiates in the North West Counties Football League and the Evo-Stick
Northern Premier League.
Neil Yates
Head of Safeguarding and Well-Being
Neil, who has
been at Lancashire Fa for a total of eight years, and his colleagues within the
safeguarding department are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of all
under 18 participants in the county. His role in the FA centres on this
principle of safety. Neil also delivers many of the free workshops which
Lancashire FA offers, including the Adults in Junior Football workshop which he
helped to create five years ago. Neil is also an FA tutor on our Safeguarding
Children and Welfare Officer workshops as well as our Referee courses.
Previously, Neil was a Football League Assistant Referee. Outside of work, Neil
is a National Leader of Governance after being a school governor for fourteen
years and the Chair of a school for five.
Email: neil.yates@lancashirefa.com
Chris Doherty
Designated Safeguarding Officer
Chris, who has worked at the Association for seven years, assists with any discrimination and equality complaints whilst working closely with his colleagues Neil and Rachael. Chris is also a fully qualified first aid instructor and an enhanced community first responder. Chris also delivers the Association’s free CPR/AED Awareness Training workshop to the clubs across Lancashire. In addition, Chris is an affiliated FA tutor for the Safeguarding Children, Emergency First Aid and Welfare Officer Workshops as well. Outside of the FA, Chris is involved in grassroots football as a Club Welfare Officer and a goalkeeping coach. The Manchester United Supporter also works as a freelance Health and Safety, Food Safety and First Aid Tutor.
Football SErvices department
Lewis Smith
Football Services Officer
Lewis, who has been at the Association for just over a year, is responsible for the recruitment, retention and development of all referees across Lancashire at both grassroots and elite levels. Lewis is also the lead on the development of all referees within the county who are aiming to progress through the referee pyramid onto the higher levels. Moreover, Lewis is also responsible for promoting female refereeing and supporting the referees ensuring that their match experience is as enjoyable as possible. Lewis is also a Level 2A referee and he officiates in National League Premier and Premier League Reserves. Outside of work, Lewis is a keen Wigan Athletic supporter as well as supporting the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. He also adores rugby union and supports Wigan Warriors
Email: lewis.smith@lancashirefa.com
Rachael Pearson
Football Services Officer
Rachael joined the Association in October 2018 and works alongside Neil and Chris in the safeguarding department. Outside of the FA, Rachael is involved in grassroots football and is a U5’s coach.
Email: rachael.pearson@lancashirefa.com
Justyna Demuth
Football Services Officer
Justyna, who has been working at Lancashire FA for a total of ten years, is responsible for administering the FA Level 2 and FA Level 3 (UEFA B) in Coaching Football courses. Moreover, Justyna is the main point of contact for the FA Junior Football Leaders course. She also oversee's the running of the Coach Admin department. On top of all this Justyna is the main lead on CPD events
Andrea Gratton
Football Services Officer
Andrea, who has been working at the
Association for four years, is the main contact for enquiries relating to the
FA Level 1 in Coaching Football course.
Hayley Mather
Head of Governance and Regulation
Hayley,
who has worked at the Association for over 12 years, is the main point of
contact for discrimination or serious participant charges. Hayley is also
involved in the Board of Appeals, personal hearings and debt recovery.
Phone: 01772 644268 | Email: hayley.mather@lancashirefa.com
commercial department
David Chell
Head of Commercial and Operations
David,
who joined Lancashire FA in May 2017, works closely with the CEO, board, staff
and other stake holders to develop and instigate our new five-year strategy.
David is also responsible for all commercial and operations at the Association
and is always keen to speak to potential partners and sponsors. Previously,
David has worked for Manchester City, Southampton, and AFC Fylde; as well as
some of the UK’s leading sporting, visitor and leisure attractions. David is
involved in Grassroots football through his two sons; this inspires David to be
passionate about making a difference in what we deliver as a County FA.
Email: david.chell@lancashirefa.com
Lyndsay Riding
Sales Manager
Lyndsay joined Lancashire FA as Sales Executive in April 2019. Lyndsay is responsible for building all key relationships with advertisers and sponsors at the county ground. She is always keen to meet new businesses who have an interest in supporting grassroots football. Lyndsay also assists in the booking of conferences and events at Lancashire FA. Prior to joining us she has worked for Bartle Hall and Marriott Hotels, where she was instrumental in building partnerships with many football clubs. Outside of work, Lyndsay is a Liverpool supporter and enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons who all support different football teams; making the football season an interesting one for this household!
Michael Marsden
Leisure Supervisor/Duty Manager
Michael’s role is one of an ‘operational’ role to look after all the people that come to the County Ground as guests, delegates and pitch users. He is responsible for all 3G pitch bookings and to ensure the building is clean, maintained and secure.When he’s not at work, you will find him spending time with his little girl Millie, his wife Rebecca and their two dogs Bella and Alfie.
office staff
Jane Wareing
Accounts Officer
