Staff
Meet The Team
Meet our team
Working hard to govern, support and develop grassroots football.
Hannah Simpson - Chief Executive
Hannah joined West Riding FA as CEO in 2012 and brings a wealth of experience from East Riding FA, Liverpool FA and UEFA where she is a Participation Consultant providing consultancy services to other National Associations across Europe on strategic development and operational planning. In this role, she works on the company’s long-term strategy and manages all contractual opportunities and obligations and focusses on our key priorities including stakeholder engagement, strategic partnerships and overall business sustainability, growth and development. Born and bred in Nottingham, Hannah played as a youngster before progressing to represent Notts County Ladies in the National League Division 1. Hannah then went on to have stints for Hull City and Scunthorpe United before calling time on her playing days, with the odd moonlighting in the West Riding Women’s Beginners League.
Andrew Shuttleworth - Facilities & Investment Manager
Having joined West Riding FA in 2003, Andrew works as the Facility Development & Investment lead, working with applicants, partners and communities to support project identification and delivery throughout the end-to-end process. The role includes supporting all types of priority projects, including 3G Artificial Turf Pitches, Changing & Club Facilities, Grass Pitches, Small-Sided facilities and Hub sites. Andrew’s role supports The FA’s and Football Foundation’s aims to deliver a positive impact within communities and to help transform lives and communities through great places to play! Andrew played for a number of clubs in the area including Guiseley, Bradford Park Avenue, Liversedge, Harrogate Railway, Thackley and Ossett Albion.
Jo de tute - Head of Football development (People)
As Head of Football Development (People), Jo is responsible for the management of the Football Development Team, ensuring that West Riding FA delivers against FA targets and at the same time ensuring all staff provide a professional and customer led service to our customers. She has lead responsibility for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Customer Excellence, as well as holding the role of Deputy Senior Safeguarding Lead. Sport has been a huge part of Jo's life from a very young age and she was fortunate to represent Yorkshire at Cricket for a number of years. She has previous experience of working as a Sports Co-Ordinator in a local secondary school and an Assistant Sports Development Officer for East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Victoria Johnson - Finance Officer
Victoria is our longest serving staff member here at West Riding FA after joining the organisation in 1991 as an admin. In her current role now as Finance Office she covers all aspects of finance throughout the company from managing the day-to-day discipline fines, referee’s fees, course fees, pitch bookings, bar takings, paying the company utility bills as well as daily banking reconciliation, invoicing, receipting and chasing up of unpaid debts. In her time at West Riding FA Victoria has met the likes of David Beckham, Michael Owen, John Barnes to name a few as well as the England and Spain national teams who have trained at our facility Fleet Lane.
Lee ashforth - senior football development officer
Lee joined the organisation in 2019 to manage the organisation's Coach Education programme. He now line manages a team of staff here and creates, develops and runs our Volunteer Workforce Programme which has events suitable for all those involved in the game. Lee has been involved in semi-professional football since the age of 19, both as a player and manager. He is currently Joint Manager of NWCL side Campion AFC.
Steve conboy - football development officer
Joined in 2014, Steve’s role is to support all areas of grassroots football with the aim of increasing the number of people playing the game and also leads on everything Women and Girls. He is a Level 3 Coach with 10 years’ experience volunteering in grassroots clubs as both a coach and committee member. Steve has also spent 5 years coaching in the Leeds United Girls Academy and is now working for The FA on the England Lioness Talent Pathway as an Events Manager and also as a Talent Reporter.
tom dent - football development officer
Tom re-joined West Riding FA in 2021 having previously been part of the development team for 4 years up to July 2016. As a Football Development Officer, he provides support to clubs and leagues within affiliated football and also support other groups and organisations in recreational football across the county. His role incorporates all formats, however, he leads on inclusion work supporting disability football and other underrepresented groups. Tom has played football from a young age in Hull & the East Riding and continued to play in the Central Midlands League and NCEL for Westella & Willerby. He has also coached in grassroots football as well as a couple of stints in the USA.
Dan Wiseman - Facilities & investment officer
Dan joined the West Riding FA team in July 2022 to expand our facilities & investment work alongside Facilities & Investment Manager Andrew Shuttleworth. Dan will support our club, league and partner networks to protect and enhance their football facilities. Grass pitch improvement is a priority for us, with Dan alongside Andrew leading our work to ensure all affiliated football is played on a good quality pitch by utilising Football Foundation grants and securing funding from a variety of sources.
Reece Sockett - football services officer
Reece joined the Football Services department in January 2018, after 5 years at Football Evolution in an Events Manager role which included creating and running small-sided leagues across the country. His main duties are to ensure that The FA’s grassroots rules and regulations within Step 5 and below are adhered to. A grassroots football player himself, he is responsible for investigating possible rules & regulation breaches this may result in disciplinary charges been raised. Reece’s role entails processing red cards and cautions, providing guidance to clubs on a wide range of enquiries and conducting investigations into alleged breaches of FA ruling. In addition to this, he is also responsible for acting as secretary for both non-personal and personal hearings.
jack mason - football services officer
Jack joined West Riding FA full-time in 2020 after graduating from University and after completing an internship with us in 2018. A keen Sheffield Wednesday supporter, Jack’s main duties are to ensure that The FA’s grassroots rules and regulations within Step 5 and below are adhered to. A grassroots football player himself and former referee, he is responsible for investigating possible rules & regulation breaches this may result in disciplinary charges been raised. His role entails processing red cards and cautions, providing guidance to clubs on a wide range of enquiries and conducting investigations into alleged breaches of FA ruling. In addition to this, he is also responsible for acting as secretary for both non-personal and personal hearings.
Mark haywood - referee development officer
Mark is responsible for the recruitment, retention, progression of referees within West Riding. He joined the organisation in 2015 and is an ex Level 1 Referee with 15 years on the PGMOL list as a Referee, now operating as a PGMOL Match Observer outside of his role here. Mark also holds a National CORE Coaching Role for 2B Referees as well as being an FA Tutor delivering the Basic Referees Course.
Paul Ratcliffe - designated safeguarding officer
Paul is the Designated Safeguarding Lead for West Riding FA. He is the point of contact for anyone within football for players, coaches, officials, parents who have any safeguarding and welfare concerns. Paul works closely with our network of club and league Welfare Officers, The FA’s Safeguarding Team and external statutory safeguarding bodies such as LADO’s and Police and Social Care. Prior to his role here he worked for Leeds City Council, Sure Start, NSPCC, Barnado’s and Wilf Ward Trust all in safeguarding & welfare related roles. Paul is a veteran of the game who has played 5-a-side football for many years.
diane horne - Business Support Services officer
Diane has been with us 13 years at West Riding FA, initially joining to manage the Coach Education programme, which she did for 9 years before her moving to her current role of Business Support Administrator. Diane has a number of responsibilities such as undertaking the role of ‘Health and Safety Coordinator, managing all award and ticket applications, managing the procurement and appointment of suppliers, managing the pitch and function room hire and dealing with football debt recovery.
gemma webster - national safeguarding administrator
Based out of West Riding Gemma’s role is in National Safeguarding. Gemma joined in 2021 and she works with 11 County Football Associations across England to support the DSO with embedding safeguarding best practices and compliance. Her role is to develop and roll out proactive communications to ensure we are supporting our volunteers and workforce to stay up to date with their safeguarding requirements.