Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis will increase his financial contribution to Nottingham Forest Ladies for next season as part of a “one club” mentality.
The Ladies’ team will now operate “fully under Nottingham Forest’s control at the City Ground” and a number of their games will be held at the stadium next term.
Lee Billiard has recently been appointed general manager of Forest Ladies, and the application process for a full-time manager/head coach will begin shortly.
A statement by the club said: “Nottingham Forest are delighted to announce that it is committing further to the Ladies team and will operate under a 'One Club' approach.
“The vision of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is to create a ‘one-club mentality’ where the ladies’ team are given the necessary backing to achieve success in the coming seasons and in order to help with this, Mr Marinakis has kindly pledged to increase the financial contribution to Nottingham Forest Ladies ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.
“After operating independently in previous years, Nottingham Forest Ladies were previously the benefactor of a financial donation upon the takeover of the club.
“With the new, additional financial and resource backing, Forest Ladies will now operate fully under Nottingham Forest's control at the City Ground with senior members of the club focusing on the development and success of the club's female programmes.
“Success will also depend on the appointment of key members of staff, both on and off the field, and following the recent arrival of Lee Billiard as Forest Ladies’ full-time general manager, the club are now searching for an experienced, full-time football manager to drive the team forwards on the pitch.
“The financial backing allows Forest Ladies to add more professional resources in order to aid development and player welfare. In-depth video analysis will be added, along with fitness performances data, injury prevention monitoring and additional medical care.
“Attendances at Forest Ladies matches increased by over 90 percent on the previous season and, as a result, Nottingham Forest are now committed to hosting a number of Forest Ladies games at the City Ground in the 2019-20 season to help the club to further improve its profile.
“The 2018-19 campaign has been a fantastic one for Nottingham Forest Ladies and as the club strives to make further improvements, the continued commitment and support of Nottingham Forest will only help to aid the development of women’s football in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
“The open application process for Forest Ladies' full-time manager/head coach position will follow shortly."
