Georgina Nicholas was “devastated” to lose her job at Arsenal due to the coronavirus pandemic but will now join them in Europe in her role as chief executive of JD Cymru Premier club Haverfordwest.
Nicholas spent eight years at Arsenal after managing multiple retail businesses in London’s West End and being headhunted by the Premier League club to work as their retail operations manager.
The 38-year-old “loved my job” of overseeing five stores, 27 managers and 300 people, but her world was turned upside down in August 2020 when Arsenal responded to the Covid crisis by announcing plans to make 55 staff redundant.
Nicholas was among those to get the dreaded call to join a Teams meeting and hear the bad news as Arsenal publicly defended their actions by saying they had looked at “every aspect of the club and our expenditure before reaching this point”.
She said: “I was devastated, it was really difficult to manage. It was also devastating to see people you spent so much time with lose their jobs.
“I was told: ‘Look, this is the situation we’re in, this is the decision the club has made and this is the result of that’. You’re told to go through a consultancy period where your job is potentially on the line and you can argue why you should stay in role.
“But it’s hard to argue when they’ve already made the decision. I did put some options forward about other roles, but I knew what was going to happen and that my life was going to change.”
Arsenal drew strong criticism at the time for making a swathe of redundancies in their football, commercial and administration departments.
But Nicholas remains philosophical about the call, saying: “Ultimately it was a business decision, nothing personal. It didn’t come as any shock to me.
“I’m certainly not going to criticise Arsenal because that was right for their business. I was a casualty of it as millions of other working people were during that period.”
Nicholas had left her native Pembrokeshire at the age of 17 but with few opportunities in the London retail market post-Covid she returned home to west Wales.
She helped her family provide care for her sick grandmother and briefly took a retail role that involved an “unfeasible” amount of travel across the UK.
“I’d done a complete 360 coming home and felt I had been knocked off my pedestal,” said Nicholas, who spotted on social media that Haverfordwest were seeking a general manager.
“I thought ‘That’s really interesting’ and the chairman Rob Edwards was looking for someone with in-depth experience of working in football.
“I went through the process, put a presentation together, and got the opportunity of putting my vision for the club into life.”
Nicholas was appointed in March, with Haverfordwest so impressed with her CV and ability that her role was upgraded to chief executive officer.
Two months later Haverfordwest qualified for Europe for the first time in 19 years, and only the second occasion in their history, by beating Newtown on penalties in the Cymru Premier’s European play-off final.
The Bluebirds meet Shkendija of North Macedonia in the first qualifying round of the Europa Conference League, with Thursday’s away leg to be played in the 33,000-capacity Tose Proeski Arena.
Haverfordwest, whose squad contains Wales Euro 2016 semi-finalist Jazz Richards, must make the 95-mile trip to the Cardiff City Stadium for the return game as their Bridge Meadow ground does not meet UEFA standards.
“We’re definitely ahead of plan but our ambition is not only to be in Europe but to be successful there,” said Nicholas.
“We know it’s difficult to attract players because our location is off the beaten track. But the higher the profile of the club is raised the more attractive it becomes.
“Rob is quite a visionary and we want to be a trailblazer that sets trends. Leadership positions in sport tend to be male dominated and it’s important we see more females coming into sport in general and taking up roles.
“But it’s not just about being a female. It’s about having the right person in the right role and meeting the objectives of the club and the board.”
And what about the possibility of going back to the Emirates Stadium in European competition one day?
“That would be a good story to tell,” she said. “I don’t think we’re quite there yet, but one day who knows?”
Cavalier SC clinch Jamaica Premier League title in dramatic penalty shootout victory over Mount Pleasant
Cavalier SC secured their third Jamaica Premier League title in thrilling fashion on Sunday night, defeating defending champions Mount Pleasant FA 4-3 on penalties at the National Stadium in Kingston.
After a hard-fought 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time, the match was decided by a tense penalty shootout. Cavalier SC goalkeeper Vino Barclett emerged as the hero, making two crucial saves during the shootout. Nicholas Hamilton, who entered the game late in extra time, sealed the victory with the decisive penalty.
Mount Pleasant had taken the lead in the 65th minute through Devonte Campbell, whose well-placed shot found the net. However, Cavalier SC quickly responded just two minutes later when Richard King leveled the score from close range.
Despite both teams pushing for a winner in extra time, neither could break the deadlock, leading to the drama of penalties. Initially trailing 0-2 in the shootout, Cavalier SC staged a remarkable comeback, holding their nerve to prevail 4-3.
In the playoff for third place earlier in the day, Arnett Gardens secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Waterhouse.
Cavalier SC's triumph marks a significant achievement for the club, avenging last year's final defeat to Mount Pleasant and showcasing their resilience and determination throughout the season.
Injured Ederson replaced in expanded Brazil Copa America squad
Brazil coach Dorival Junior has replaced the injured Ederson for the Copa America and called three more players up to an expanded squad.
South American governing body CONMEBOL announced that teams can now name a 26-man squad, up from the original 23 allowed at the tournament.
Dorival Junior has called upon Juventus defender Bremer, Atalanta midfielder Ederson and Porto forward Pepe as the extra players for his team.
Manchester City's Ederson will not be fit to play at the Copa America, so Sao Paolo's Rafael has been called up in his place.
The goalkeeper suffered a small fracture on his eye socket in a heavy collision with Cristian Romero against Tottenham and missed the end of their league season.
Brazil’s original 23-man squad, announced earlier this month, did not include Casemiro, Richarlison or Gabriel Jesus, though 17-year-old prodigy Endrick was included.
Selecao are nine-time winners of the Copa America and will kick off their campaign against Costa Rica in Group D on June 24.
Outgoing Brighton boss De Zerbi not walking into new job
Roberto De Zerbi insisted he does not have another job lined up after overseeing his final game as Brighton and Hove Albion boss on Sunday.
One day after surprisingly announcing De Zerbi's departure, Brighton ended their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 home loss to Manchester United.
That meant they slipped below rivals Crystal Palace to finish 11th in the table, their first bottom-half placing since finishing 16th in 2020-21.
De Zerbi has been linked with several big clubs since leading Brighton to European qualification last season, with Bayern Munich, Milan and Napoli touted as possible landing spots for the former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk coach.
However, De Zerbi says he has not reached an agreement with any other club, telling reporters: "There isn't any club – no-one offered me anything. At the moment, nothing.
"I hope to work in the Premier League again. I don't know where or when, but it was an honour to work in the Premier League."
Sunday's defeat was De Zerbi's 70th Premier League game in charge of Brighton, with his top-flight win percentage of 37 per cent (26/70) the highest of any boss in the Seagulls' history.
Battling a lengthy injury list for much of 2023-24, Brighton made a total of 143 changes to their starting lineup throughout the course of the campaign, with only Manchester City in 2019-20 (144) ever making more in a single Premier League season.
Asked by BBC Match of the Day if there was a particular reason for his exit, the Italian added: "We didn't find the agreement to move on. I want to keep my way.
"I know very well what I want to do and I know I am a coach and I have to accept the policies of the club.
"They gave me an incredible chance. They gave me the possibility to know incredible people, to play and to work in the Premier League, to play in the Europa League. They gave me the opportunity to know this club, this city, these fans and that I cannot forget."
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna and Nice coach Francesco Farioli have both been tipped as possible contenders to replace De Zerbi, with Brighton having a reputation for excellent succession planning under owner Tony Bloom.
Asked about the search for a replacement on Sunday, Bloom said: "We always try and have a plan. We have got a plan. We now need to execute that plan."
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