Editorial Board:
Kieran Yap – Co-Chief Editor/Writer:
I’ve been a football fanatic since being obsessed by Roberto Baggio and Ronaldo as a child in the 90’s. At the 2000 Olympics I was lucky enough to watch the legendary Mia Hamm play live. Since then I’ve seen some players of similar calibre play in Australia with A-League Women sides. I’m a lucky husband and doting cat-dad who dreams of writing a movie about the life of Hayley Raso and will take a sickie to watch the Matildas.
Ben Gilby – Co-Chief Editor/Writer/Mentor
Ben is a member of the prestigious Football Writers’ Association and is part of the media team at Perth Glory, responsible for providing weekly written content on the A-League Women’s team. During the NPLW WA season, he is the women’s team media lead for Perth SC and guests on the Perth Football Podcast discussing the matches and goings on in the league.
Ben founded Impetus in September 2019 and was chief editor of the site from 2019 until the beginning of January 2024 when he announced his decision to step down to solely concentrate on writing. He now writes about Australia’s national women’s teams, its players wherever in the world they play their club football, and the Australian domestic game for Impetus. Ben additionally mentors some of the site’s youngest contributors and has been a judge in the Women’s Football categories in the Football Content Awards for both 2024 and 2025.
Genevieve Henry – Writer/Photographer
I have been in love with football my whole life, but the first time I ever watched the Matildas in 2015, a newfound passion was born. Since then, I have been photographing and writing about football whenever possible with the hope of being involved with the sport in a new way, other than playing.
Stu Barker – Writer
My introduction to women’s football came when coaching the Hampshire Constabulary Women’s football team. Since then I have been fortunate enough to spend some time working as a coach of Winchester Flyers Reserves and also assisting with the women’s team.
In the summer of 2022, I joined Moneyfields Women as a coach of their U18s and Head of Media. The 2022/23 season was one of my most treasured in over twenty years of coaching. After defeat against AFC Stoneham in the opening match of the season, we were always playing catch-up. A draw in their penultimate match gave us the chance to overtake them if we won our final match of the season. We did just that and were crowned league champions.
In 2018, I founded Since 71, a women’s football website. The aim has always been to promote women’s football at all levels, from international to grassroots, on the website, social media, and via our podcast. We were able to organically grow the website to become one of the most respected in the country and regulars at matches up and down the women’s football pyramid and Lionesses internationals.
Towards the end of 2023, I approached the editorial team at Impetus to enquire about a merger of both websites and combining our team of writers, and here we are today.
Ava-Marianne Elliott – Writer
Football has been a huge part of my life ever since I was a child. I was born and raised in a family of avid Arsenal supporters, so there was always some kind of conversation going on in my household about football, and that really sparked my interest in the game. At seven-years-old, I first stepped onto a pitch, and I knew I was never going to look back. From my roots in a WSL club’s academy system to the present day, my love for football has only grown and evolved into a deeper passion for the women’s game specifically. Through all the difficulties I faced being a woman in football, with very few role models and little to no support from my mostly male peers and coaches, I found a lot of comfort in writing about my personal experiences moving into my teens.
Witnessing the growth across the globe within women’s sport and the shift in attitudes towards women’s football has been incredible. I hope that I can contribute to an even bigger shift in attitude towards women’s football. Writing for Impetus is a huge privilege; the experience I gain whilst writing about the sport I love is invaluable, and I’m very grateful to be part of the team.
Catherine MacKenzie – Writer
I did not enjoy football for most of my early life. When I was a teenager, I eventually tired of watching my family watch Manchester United every week and decided to join in. Within a year, I had a poster of David De Gea (United’s then-goalkeeper) on my wall, and I was obsessively following United and the Premier League.
When United women re-formed in 2018, I started following them, although like many, my passion was truly ignited whilst following the Lionesses in 2022. To go from women’s football being banned for 50 years to filling Wembley with 87,000 people for a Euros final against Germany…that is amazing progress which still gives me goose-bumps.
My day job involves looking at data as a social researcher, and I like to approach football in a similar way. I always like to think about the social narrative that surrounds women’s football and often find that just as interesting as the football itself.
I’m still just as passionate about Manchester United and the Lionesses, but I have a burgeoning interest in other leagues around the world too. I follow the Scottish Women’s Premier League, the Eredivisie Vrouwen in the Netherlands, the Frauen Bundesliga in Germany, the NWSL in America, and the Saudi Premier League too.
When I’m not watching football, I’m probably either talking about it or playing with my cat.
Gethin Thurlow – Writer
Having loosely followed the WSL since 2014, my interest in women’s football peaked at the same time as my interest in writing – summer 2022. After finishing my A levels I decided to combine the two and it’s just built naturally from there. Some of my standout moments in journalism so far have been getting to interview the commentator Vicki Sparks and the first Black captain of the Lionesses Mary Phillip. As a journalist I like to cover issues/leagues that don’t get reported on so much by the mainstream media as there are plenty of stories out there worth being shared and read.
Our Team:
Adam Johnstone – Photographer
With over 15 years in media, Adam has built up a football photography portfolio over the past few seasons, mainly shooting EFL games. Based in Wiltshire, but covering all over the UK, Adam photographs a variety of matches for Impetus.
Adrian Geremia – Photographer
Adrian is a young photographer based in Melbourne, Australia, who provides outstanding images for us from the Melbourne-based clubs in the A-League Women and the NPLW Victoria.
Aimee-Lou Caldecourt – Writer
My passion for women’s football started when I was nine, when I watched my first game at the AMEX Stadium in Brighton, my hometown, and since then my interest has grown to me wanting to pursue a career in this industry.
Growing up, I was surrounded by football, so I couldn’t not fall in love with it, and because I can’t play, writing is the best option. I’m currently a Multimedia Sports Journalism student studying at the incredible Wembley Stadium, and I’m falling more and more in love with football every day, which I didn’t think was possible!
Alice de Koster-Kitto – Writer
Based in the suburbs of Sydney, Alice covers the game in Australia regularly for Impetus.
Alyce Collett – Writer
Alyce is based in Melbourne, Australia, and provides Impetus with weekly coverage of the A-League Women as well as regular coverage on Irish women’s football and feature articles on the UK game.
Arwen Moses – Photographer and Writer
I am a photographer, writer, and content creator from Scotland. I have always loved watching football, so working in football media is my dream career. So far, highlights of my work include working with teams in the Scottish men’s Premiership, covering the Futsal World Championships in Barcelona, and freelancing as a photographer for several teams. I am currently working with Dundee United FC and hope to study media at university next year.
Beck Hartley – Photographer
Beck is a photographer based in Melbourne, Australia, who provides outstanding images for us from the Melbourne-based clubs in the A-League Women and the NPLW Victoria.
Bethany Monkhouse – Writer
A committed fan of Manchester City, Bethany contributes regular deep-dive analysis of players for Impetus.
Boh Blythin – Writer
Football has always been a part of my life, with a die-hard Manchester United fan for a dad, the sport was always discussed. My passion for football, specifically the women’s game, has grown massively over the past two seasons. I was struggling a lot with myself and my identity when I found an interest in the game. Since then, walking through the turnstiles and watching such a thrilling sport has been my ultimate peace. This made me realise that I wanted to be more than a fan on the sidelines and instead make an impact on the game.
From there, I started writing personal blogs, photographing the game, sharing my personal thoughts, and uploading them all to social media. I’m more than excited to be a part of the Impetus team and develop myself in the sports media industry to preach the importance of the women’s game.
Cat Bryant – Photographer
Based in Perth, Western Australia, Cat provides us with regular photography from the NPLW WA competitions.
Caitlin Kelly – Writer
As a child, watching football was definitely not something I enjoyed. But growing up in a small family full of Leyton Orient fans, where I was taken along to games home and away, there was no doubt that I would soon fall in love with the game. At the end of the WSL season, before Euro 2022, where I began watching women’s football. Fast forward to now, my Saturday is typically spent at Brisbane Road or somewhere else in the country watching Orient, and my Sunday at a WSL game. Off the back of the Lionesses’ success in the Euros and World Cup, the legacy women’s football is creating is something so special, so I am thrilled to be part of Impetus to share my love for the game with the world!
Camilia Lane – Writer
Football has always been a massive interest of mine, as well as dipping into other sports. I get enjoyment and happiness out of watching football, and my interest in women’s football started a while ago, and I decided that I wanted to develop my knowledge of the game. I love analytics of the sport and finding ways that decisions could have been made better. This is the career path that I would love to follow, and Impetus will give me opportunities and experiences to help me pursue this.
Chris Myatt – Photographer
I am a new and aspiring London-based photographer supplying images of WSL matches for Impetus.
Clare Wood – Photographer
I’ve been into photography, based in Leeds, for a number of years, and watched womens football since 2022.
I suffered a period of severe anxiety in 2023 and made it my goal to get out to a WSL game in 2024. I managed early that year, and it changed me and gave me the confidence to go out more, but having a camera in my hand always helped give me more confidence so I combined the two loves and started out in my sports photography journey to promote women in male-dominated sports, I now cover some local lower level teams and established a link with an WSL team.
Danja Gerwig – Photographer
Danja provides Impetus with quality photography from across Europe, particularly Barcelona Fememi, and the Scandinavian leagues.
Denise Duffy – Writer & Podcast Manager/Presenter
An American, now based in Taupō, New Zealand, Denise has had her eye on international football for decades. A witness to the rise of the 99ers, she comes to the sport with across-the-grain thinking and a definite feminist perspective. She is thoroughly enjoying her latest deep dive into New Zealand football. Denise covers all aspects of the women’s game in New Zealand, from the national team to Wellington Phoenix in the A-League Women and the local domestic scene.
Denyse McCulloch – Photographer
Provider of photographs to Western Australia NPL Women’s side, Subiaco, Denyse has given us permission to use her shots of matches involving the club as part of our coverage of the competition.
Ella McShane – Writer
Hailing from Western Australia, Ella has also lived in London, where she has covered the WSL, WSL2, and Lionesses for Impetus. Now returning home to Perth, Ella will be reporting on all aspects of the women’s game in Western Australia from professional levels to the state and regional leagues.
Ellie Clifford – Writer
I’ve been a Nottingham Forest fan for many years, supporting both the men’s and women’s teams. However, my love for women’s football really started when watching the Euros in 2022 and witnessing England’s success. Working with Impetus has helped me achieve my goal of working in the sports industry and to help further promote the growth of women’s football.
Eloise Smallbone – Writer
Football has always been an important part of my life, and I grew up in a family of avid Arsenal supporters. But watching the Lionesses win the Euros in 2022 inspired me to pursue a career in this industry. I am excited to be a part of the Impetus team and cover the most important games, stories, and features within the world of women’s football, as the game continues to develop in an incredible way.
Emily Robinson – Photographer
I have always loved taking pictures and capturing moments that I’d be able to have for life. After being surrounded by football in my family my whole life, it’s only in the last few years that I’ve fallen in love with the sport, and watching the moment that the Lionesses won The Euros back in 2022 is something that I will never forget. When I went to my first ever football match, which was England v Netherlands at Wembley in 2023, I took a few pictures of the stadium and atmosphere, and when looking back on them, I knew instantly that being a Sports Photographer is what I wanted to do. Since then, I have taken my camera with me to a couple of WSL games before joining Impetus and have become a photographer for Gloucester City Women.
Emily Wyatt – Writer
Growing up in the northeast of England surrounded by avid Sunderland fans in both my family and friends, I undoubtedly went on to grow up with a love for watching the game. I attended my first women’s game when I was around nine years old, which was Sunderland v Manchester City, and ever since then, I was sold.
During the women’s Euros in 2022 I had just left school and was making decisions about my future. I was instantly inspired to work in the women’s football world after watching the tournament, which changed English football forever. Ever since, I have jumped on any opportunity that has come my way which will help me build my career in the sports media with additional plans to go to university this year to study the field further.
Emma Burke – Writer
Impetus is proud to have Emma, one of the inaugural 10 members of the Our Game Women and Non-Binary Persons In Football program in Australia, on our team. A respected writer in the country, Emma is a key part of our group of writers covering both the Matildas and A-League Women.
Emmanuel Faith – Writer
Based in Nigeria, and being a SDG 5 advocate (Sustainable Development Goal Five – which promotes the “adoption and strengthening sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels), which involves writing articles and speaking at various panel events, I am actively involved in empowering gender equality, and that includes in football.
Having supported Chelsea since 2005, I started watching women’s football actively in 2014 during the U20 World Cup, where Nigeria reached the finals against all the odds. I later watched the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and club football in 2019. I write about women’s football because I believe that the media has a crucial role in popularising this beautiful game.
Freya Hiscott – Writer
Based in Manchester, I have been a Manchester City supporter for as long as I can remember. However, my passion for the women’s game sparked after England’s success in the 2022 Euros. Ever since, I have been eager to attend as many WSL and Championship games as I can. With an aim to share my love for football and elevate the visibility of women’s football through my writing, I am proud to be part of the Impetus team.
Grace Jones – Photographer
In February 2023, my mum dragged me to our local club and I witnessed Lewes Women’s win 6-1 over Cardiff City in the FA Cup. I’ve been hooked on the women’s game ever since. Having dabbled in sports photography during school, I decided to take my camera to Lewes’ last game of the 22/23 season and very quickly realised this is what I wanted to do. I’ve only been around this sport and community for a short while, but it’s had an incredible impact on me and my life, and I have now been able to photograph the Lionesses at Wembley for Impetus! At the moment, you’ll mostly find me photographing Lewes Women, under the name Rebekah Grace (confusing, I know), but I look forward to what the future holds!
Hannah Chadwick – Writer and Photographer
My love for women’s football started in 2019 after watching my first game at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which unfortunately resulted in a loss for the team I support. But my interest in working in the sports industry didn’t take hold of me until the Women’s Euros in 2022. Working in women’s sport, especially women’s football, is now a dream of mine, and I’m determined to make my dream a reality. Working with Impetus is a way of doing so. It is an incredible team full of incredible opportunities.
Hannah Parnell – Photographer
Hannah is a Suffolk-based photographer who has provided photos exclusively for Impetus from international matches played in England and also for our East Anglian women’s football coverage.
Harvey Todd – Photographer
Based in Staffordshire, I am passionate about capturing stories around women’s football. I started watching the women’s game in 2019 and really fell in love with it during the 2022 European Championships. I’m a regular at Stoke City Women matches, usually with a camera. It has been great to see their women’s setup evolve in recent years and that will hopefully continue to flourish in years to come.
Isabelle Campbell – Writer
Originally from Perth, Western Australia, Isabelle is now studying in Melbourne. She provides weekly coverage of the A-League Women and NPLW WA for Impetus.
Izzy Poles – Photographer
I fell in love with sports photography after joining my University women’s football team and snapping the moment we won the league and got promoted!
I shoot a variety of sports, however, with football being my main sport, I shoot regularly with men’s sides Cambridge United in League One, Norwich City and the academy in the Championship and Premier League 2, and as many Women’s Super League / Cup games as possible. On the very rare weekend I am not photographing games, I love to be part of the crowd at WSL games and cheering on the Lionesses during international breaks.
Jean-Pierre Thiesset – Writer & Photographer
I was born in France where I have spent most of my life except for seven years in USA (1993 to 1999 in Pennsylvania, 2002 Atlanta). I played football when I was young and then went on the coaching side for young men (U7 to U15) in different amateur clubs.
When I retired at the end of 2017, I started to follow women’s football more closely, and I loved it so much that I cannot quit it now! What I like about Women’s football is the fair play and the skills of the players. It is incredible to watch them play. Furthermore, the players are so easy to approach and so available and kind to the fans.
I support Olympique Lyonnais – OL – and France teams (both Men and Women), and I am a member of OL ANG’ELLES the Women OL fans club, and of the Rouge & Bleu OL fans club. I also support all women who play football when they do not play against my teams.
Jonathon Hagger – Writer
Based in New Zealand, Jonathon is a huge fan of Wellington Phoenix and played a key part in Impetus‘s coverage of the 2023 World Cup matches that were played in that country. He now provides regular coverage of the A-League Women and the women’s game in New Zealand.
Katrina Pacaj – Photographer
I’m a Sports Photographer based in Stoke-on-Trent. I’ve been taking photos of sports for a number of years now, starting off in the stands of Chelsea Women matches to being accredited for a variety of sports, including the European Women’s Volleyball Championships, ITF Tennis, Super League Basketball, League Two, and Barclays WSL.
Kris Goman – Writer & Photographer
Kris is a Sydney-sider who became obsessed with women’s football during the 2019 Women’s World Cup. She takes up the story: “I’d had a passing interest prior, watching the occasional W-League on a Saturday afternoon on the telly and did get to witness Norway beat Germany in the semis of the 2000 Olympics, but the 2019 World Cup kicked off a passion that turned me into an avid fan. Late 2019 saw me travelling to the USA to watch the USWNT play Portugal and catch a few NWSL games. Since then, I’ve attended all the W-League matches in Sydney and a couple in Canberra and Newcastle as well as all the Olympic qualification matches. I’ve always had an interest in photography (travel and tennis mostly) and started taking my camera to matches to document the games and capture the action. I joined a worldwide writing team to cover the 2020 Challenge Cup, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the coverage of the A-League Women and Matildas for Impetus. I’ve got many favourite teams, the Matildas being top of the tree, but I tend to have favourite players more than teams, which can make it tricky at times to figure out who to support. But I just love watching all women’s football and follow the A-League Women, the WSL, and the NWSL closely, which requires many late nights.
Writing about women’s football also came quite naturally. I’ve always loved analysing and understanding what I’m seeing through words, so when I realised that I could help people understand women’s football through my words and analysis, it was a no-brainer. I’ll always be an Arsenal fan first, but the exciting thing about writing is introducing people to something new, whether it be talent, clubs, or leagues. It excites me what people can do with words to grow the game and show people what there is to learn and see.
Lindsay Cook – Photographer
Based in Hertfordshire, I am a football-loving mum of three. A lifelong Preston North End fan, I started to watch and photograph women’s football when my daughter joined Hitchin Belles, and I became an Impetus contributor in 2024. I love how accessible female football is for families. We have been able to watch top-level football in great stadiums for a fraction of the price. My personal highlight is watching my daughter and her friends as England flag bearers in Brighton against Spain in the Euro 2022 quarter finals against Spain, an amazing experience!
Madeleine Blount – Photographer & TikTok Content Creator
I’ve been playing football since I was nine years-old thanks to an encouraging sports coach at school. My love for the Lionesses sparked when Walsall FC gave me a free ticket to their match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since then, I have attended as many of their matches as possible, all around the country. More recently, I have been supporting my local women’s teams, Aston Villa and Birmingham City. My passion for the game has grown to a point where I really want to work in the women’s football industry. I have been exploring many different avenues, from coaching (with a local U9s team) to social media and photography. I am currently looking for the perfect degree to study next year at university to help me reach that career goal. I am part of the team creating content for the Impetus TikTok platform. My personal TikTok account is @madeleineblount.
Mariella Prew – Photographer
Usually based in Sussex, but now on a gap year in Australia, I have always been a Brighton and Hove Albion fan, but my passion for the women’s game came at the start of the Euros in 2022. After England’s success, I was eager to see more. Once the 22/23 season began, I started buying tickets to as many Arsenal and Brighton WSL matches as I could, before making the decision to take my family camera with me to the stands at Meadow Park. Since then, I have not wanted to put the camera down, and I am always on the lookout for games I can cover!
Max Parris – Writer
I’m a fan of football based in Western Australia, and a keen football journalist at only 14 years of age. I’ve already built a following on Instagram of over 1,200 followers. I’ll be covering the women’s game in the state.
Mia Kipling – Writer
I only started watching women’s football after seeing the Lionesses play and win at the Euros in 2022. I always watched West Ham United, but never really saw anyone I could idolise, as it was all men and I was a young girl enjoying the beautiful game. I’m a severe over-analyser because of being forced to watch the same part of a game 100 times with my dad, so we could see what could’ve happened if they had done the tiniest thing differently, so getting to analyse games and write about them for Impetus is my favourite thing ever.
Paige Walder – Graphic Design & Artwork:
I’m a graphics designer from Brighton. I create logos, promotional work, and sports graphics. Having played football myself since I was 12 years-old, it has always been a deep passion of mine. Several years ago, I met my girlfriend, who plays professional football around the world. This is what made me realise that the women’s game needs more creative marketing, and that’s where I came onto the graphics design scene! I won the Women’s Football Designer of the Year Award at the 2023 On Her Side women’s football awards for my work for Impetus.
Rachel Cohen – Writer
Rachel is based in London. She’s a lifelong Spurs fan and, more recently, a Spurs Women season ticket holder. She runs http://spurswomen.uk.
Rachel Gore – Writer
Like many in the UK, my interest in women’s football was amplified during the summer of 2022 when the Lionesses won the Euros. Following on from this, I attended my first ever football match and became an avid follower of the women’s game. Joining Impetus was one of my first steps towards working in the sports journalism industry. I thoroughly enjoy contributing to the site alongside my university studies.
Rafaella Macintosh – Photographer
Rafaella is based in Cheshire and has extensive experience in sporting photography and web design. The match day photographer for Fleetwood Town FC men’s team
in the fourth tier of English football, and the match day photographer and web designer for Manchester Central FC who compete in the Manchester FA, Rafaella is additionally the official photographer for British Lacrosse.
Rob Lizzi – Photographer
Rob is based in Perth, Western Australia, and provides Impetus with photos from Perth Glory’s A-League Women matches as well as all Perth SC’s matches as part of our coverage of Western Australia’s NPL Women’s competition.
Ryan Imray – Photographer
In 2020, after sustaining my 2nd ACL tear, I reluctantly accepted that my playing days were over. Being a shift worker, coaching was not a possibility, so I needed to find another way to stay involved in football, a sport I love and have been involved with my whole life. My local club, Wainuiomata AFC in New Zealand, had no photographer and not much of a social media presence, so I took it upon myself to change that. I taught myself how to take photos and create graphics for the Football Club.
Fast forward to now, and some of my notable achievements and accolades are: In 2024 becoming the Wellington Phoenix Academy Photographer, an Accredited A-League Photographer for three seasons, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Official Photographer, head of media for Wainuiomata Football Club winning Social Media Account of the Year in 2021 and a finalist in 2022 and 2023.
In 2022 I was a Capital Football Photographer of the Year Finalist, in 2023 I was fortunate enough to be the Capital Football Photographer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Recipient, 2024 I was voted by the football community in Wellington to be the recipient of the Capital Football Personality of the Year Award and I was fortunate enough to be nominated and voted as a finalist for the 2024 Wellington Regional Sports Awards Volunteer of the Year Category.
Ryan Miller-Woods – Photographer
I’m an Australian of both Northern Irish and Scottish descent. With Football, I’ve loved watching the game from a very young age. The overall appeal of it is that it really does bring people together from the passion it exuberates, the historic rivalries that exist between teams, the highest of highs as well as the lowest of the lows the game can provide, the drama a match can bring at a split second, the determination a player and/or team can have to come in clutch and most importantly make it count in the dying seconds of a match and so much more that I’m not even close to scratching the surface in regards to how special Football really is. Apart from my love of football, I am the host of a motorsport podcast called ‘The Next Generation (A F2 and F3 Podcast)’ since March 2021 and have an audience in Australia, the United States of America, England, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, Brazil, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. I am also massively into photography, and my pictures from the match between the Matildas and the USA in November 2021 were published on the Area Sports Network website to an audience of 9,149 people.
Sophie Puodzius – Writer
I became interested in women’s football after the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 win and regularly began attending matches at Arsenal in the WSL and Milton Keynes in the FAWNL.
Analysing standout players whilst watching games has become one of my passions, so getting the chance to research such talented players and produce articles for Impetus is a dream come true.
Tilly McDonald – Photographer
Tilly is based in Melbourne, Australia, and provides Impetus with photography from the Melbourne-based clubs in the A-League Women and has captured the Matildas for us.
impetusfootball.org 