QPR: a new chapter of growth and success inspired by dedication and ambition behind the scenes
Queen’s Park Rangers Women are navigating a new chapter of growth and success, where they shine a light on team culture, youth and grassroots development, alongside being highly ambitious for the 2025/26 season.
QPR play in the FA Women’s National League Division One South East, the fourth tier of the women’s football pyramid, after securing promotion in 2021. The team currently sit fourth in the league table, with four wins, two draws, and two losses. The team plan on securing promotion to the next tier, through playoffs at the end of the season.
On Sunday, the club face Luton Town on the big stage at Loftus Road in the FAWNL Cup, hoping to welcome another record crowd in a tough contest for the women’s side.
QPR CEO, Christian Nourry, Head of Women’s Operations, William Lambert, manager Danny Harrigan, and player, Emily Hill spoke to the media about investing in youth football, strengthening the women’s team, and building stronger ties with supporters.
A club with big ideas
Previously serving as the Head of Academy Operations at the club, Lambert now plays a role in both the men’s and women’s sides. His dual role as Assistant Academy Director for the men’s side and Head of Operations for the women’s side allows him to have the best of both worlds with QPR.
In his current position, he oversees the strategic direction and day-to-day management of the women’s and girls’ pathways.
Speaking to the media, he emphasised the importance of developing youth teams to ensure all players have equal opportunities to succeed:
“We aim for every player associated with QPR to have an individual development plan tailored to their technical ability, tactical understanding, and physical profile. That applies to everyone, from the academy to the youth and first teams. Our structures ensure each player has equal opportunities to progress through every pathway.”
Alongside his focus on the development of the youth academy at QPR, developing as an individual is also central to Lambert’s vision. Through the women’s program, he ensures successful players in the reserve team have an opportunity to learn from the first team. Therefore, all players have equal access to a system that impacts their development significantly:
“Individual development is at the heart of what we do across all age groups. For example, within our women’s program, we have a reserve team where high-performing players spend a six-week block training with the first team.
This gives them valuable experience and a taste of first-team football. We take great pride in offering these pathway opportunities, and when we identify players with high potential, we make sure they get the chance to take that next step.”
Lambert also spoke about the club’s growth and future ambitions of progression through the tiers of professional women’s football:
“We’re merging the men’s and women’s departments at a crucial time, with women’s football rapidly rising. We’re excited to be part of that journey and to put QPR Women on the map — not just in London, but across the wider women’s game.
We’re clear about our ambition for success. This merger is a key step in placing QPR Women on a pathway to achieve their full potential, wherever that may lead, whether to the WSL, WSL2, or beyond.”
On the club’s plans to progress beyond the Southern Division and support player development, he assured that there is a support system in place from the minute players join the academy, regardless of their age category:
“The club is fully invested. We have a club-funded pathway from the under-10s to the reserve team, with no external funding. It highlights our commitment to youth development beyond just the women’s team.
What makes us unique is our constant communication with coaches across the women’s pathway. When opportunities arise and it’s right for the player, they can step up, whether that’s to the under-16s, reserves, or the first team. It’s an exciting journey to be part of.
In terms of providing opportunities, we can confidently say we’ve achieved that over the past 18 months, and we’ll continue to build on it. Our investment will be progressive, helping us move from Tier 4 to Tier 3 and beyond. Equal opportunities remain vital to ensuring the women’s team has every chance to succeed.”
As the Head of Operations, he is focussed on building the team and using QPR Women’s long-term plan to compete in the league and maintain steady growth:
“The league is very competitive, with strong sides like Fulham, Norwich, and London Bees. Our goal is to achieve success and move out of Tier 4 as soon as possible. It’s great timing that a playoff spot is available this season, thanks to developments in the WSL.
We’re also focused on enhancing our youth programme and exploring innovative ways to grow in line with the National League and WSL. We’re proud to be part of the wider growth of women’s football and remain committed to long-term, sustainable success even if it’s hard to put a precise timeframe on it.”
Better infrastructures and development
Nourry is the current CEO of the club, having come into the role in January last year. He has emphasised a strong commitment to the women’s team and to growing both the game and the club.
He spoke about the club’s long-term objectives, as well as the progress being made off the pitch, where the team is continuing to build momentum:
“I think we’ve come a long way in a short space of time. Eighteen months ago, the club didn’t have a women’s team. The trust did a great job of maintaining the team, but ultimately, it was an addition to their core aims and goals.
In just 18 months, we have gone from a team that was part of the trust to one that now has access to all the same facilities as our Championship men’s team, along with the first full-time women’s coach in the club’s history, Danny Harrigan.
We are also starting to build the staff around the team, following the same philosophy that each team should have a voice and be involved in the support and running of the club.
What we have done is transform the players from being part of a team they are proud of, to being part of a team or club that is fully aligned with our broader vision. We will see the results of this in the next 12–18 months as we continue to build.”
Nourry also spoke about the growth of the club and its ambition to be more than just a team. QPR are building something special, but are reliant on the fanbase to continue this positive legacy:
“What we’re trying to do by fully aligning the men’s and women’s programmes at club level is to ensure that the ultimate objective is the same. Every football club and fanbase is different. This fanbase has an enormous love for this club—more than any other team I’ve seen—for their own players and academy products. That energy on the men’s side should absolutely be mirrored on the women’s side.
The idea is to have players who have been part of the club for a long time and truly understand what it means to be part of QPR. Fans love that, and it’s definitely part of the DNA of the team. Ultimately, it means more to the players, the club, and the supporters.”
On his drive to support the women’s team and the game, he expressed gratitude for the supporters of the club, and reminded that QPR has a rich history that contributes to the growing fanbase:
“For me, it gives me a personal sense of purpose. Every football club is made up of supporters—that’s the key. QPR, as a historic club with a rich history and many generations of families and fans, needs to ensure that as many of our supporters as possible feel represented by what we do.
If we want to be a football club that stands for what we believe in—equal opportunity, creating moments for people to connect and be inspired, then the women’s team is not just a nice-to-have; it’s an obligation.
Ideally, the world would work where everyone respects each other, learns from each other, and is inspired by each other. That’s ultimately why we are here: to put the women’s team in a position to flourish, to grow the fanbase, and to start building connections with supporters, hopefully reaching more people in one of the biggest cities in the world.”
However, Nourry is not only focussed on developing QPR Women’s first team, but is also set on ensuring young players have an equal playing field:
“I definitely see a future for the women’s team. I strongly believe that we should not rush into building something on the back of the trust’s work but instead take the time to understand the current landscape and identify how we can use the facilities already built for this football club to maximise the quality of everything our women’s team can access.
From access to good training facilities to sustainable training schedules, the CEO prides himself on providing equal opportunities across the board. The academy and women’s sides deserve to be set high standards both on and off the pitch to create a competitive and ambitious environment:
Ultimately, we need to ensure that the quality of opportunities is fair—if a football club is fortunate enough to have good facilities, all teams should be able to use them equally, depending on their training schedules, which is exactly what is happening at QPR.
I think there’s something special about QPR being under one roof and being able to share the experience of what it means to be a QPR player or staff member, regardless of which team you’re with. Our team shows great promise, and I’m excited about what’s to come.”
Regarding the future of the women’s game and operations at QPR, Nourry credited the women’s TikTok channel for strengthening the fanbase. Through social media interactions, the team welcomed record crowds to Loftus Road:
“The growth of the women’s TikTok channel has been phenomenal—something that didn’t exist before. The team recorded their highest attendance when they played Norwich last season, which was the second-highest attendance in QPR women’s history for a Loftus Road game.
We’re now in a position where the quality of the squad is improving. Younger players coming through from the reserve team have been fortunate to benefit from the same progress in the academy, combined with a structured training programme focused on player development.
Although it is not yet fully professional, when these sessions are taken seriously, the level of pressure on individual players is significant.
The shift in mentality has been very strong, and ultimately, the team has developed a collective sense of belief towards a common goal. You can already see that team spirit starting to build.”
Building Beyond the League
Danny Harrigan is the current manager of the women’s team, having held the role for two years. Previously a coach on the academy side, he became the club’s first full-time women’s coach in the club’s history.
He spoke about using his experience as an academy coach to integrate more academy players into the first team:
“I think the main thing for the girls is to get experience first and foremost in and around the group. The training, analysis, and performance side of things can be a bit daunting for them, coming from the academy. It’s a slow integration process, but being around matchday squads helps.
There is a real trust here between me and the players at the club, and we have several we want to push through this season.It’s important that they build their confidence, don’t feel overwhelmed coming into the new building and joining senior players, and that we bridge that gap as best we can.”
On a personal level, he shared his ambitions and strategy at the helm of the women’s team:
“Our ambitions are very clear. We want to be pushing up into tier three. This year, we are aiming for a playoff spot, something we are striving for. The season is going to go right down to the wire, but I know where we’re trying to get to and how we plan to do it.
We are taking it step by step, but we are ambitious, and we aim to secure that playoff spot as a minimum. That would be great, but no matter how this season goes, the plan we have on and off the pitch will remain the same. We are building for the long term and are more than comfortable with that approach.”
Regarding the league, Harrigan recognises the gradual development of the women’s football setup. More and more steps are being taken to making the league fully professional, raising standards and expectations for his women’s squad:
“The league and everything around it are becoming fully professional, and the standard of the league has risen once again. We’ve seen it in the individuals we’ve managed to recruit—the level is moving so quickly.
We’ve even played in stadiums like MK Dons or Cambridge, and soon at Loftus Road next week. Being able to play in these stadiums is something we never thought possible, and now it’s becoming more of the norm in the right direction.
I think, as head coach, every week and every month, there is something new happening, with new initiatives pushing the women’s game forward. It’s really exciting.”
A look to the future
Emily Hill, current club captain and first team player, spoke about her transition from the club academy to the senior side:
“It’s always been really positive in terms of the integration between the academy and the first team. Even getting the chance to train with the first team helps—everyone already knows each other quite well. So even if you’re not playing with the first team all the time, you still get to know the girls in that squad.
That makes it much easier if you do step up to play with them, because you already have that connection. It’s always been a good thing, and there have been so many great players who have come through QPR.”
The captain spoke about the learning curves in her role and how the squad work together as one unit, both inside and outside a footballing environment:
“I think it’s good for this to be encouraged, even for skills such as teamwork. You get to know the girls so well because you’re always training together, you win and lose together, you go through the highs and lows, and it’s just nice having that friendship group that’s separate from your normal life. It teaches you so much, and it’s a great learning curve.”
Current Lionesses and Arsenal legend, Chloe Kelly, is a lifelong QPR fan and a graduate from the club’s academy. When asked about this, alongside being an inspiration for the next generation of girls, Hill highlighted the benefits of having a world-class role model affiliated to the club:
“It’s probably helped. After the Lionesses won the Euros, Chloe came here to Loftus Road with the match ball, and it really highlighted the fact that she came through QPR. I think some people might come along because of her, but what matters is what they see when they get here, how we interact with our fans.
That connection is massive for us. Even if their first interest started because of Chloe, we hope fans will want to stay because they see how much we support them, just as much as they support us.”
QPR Women will play their next FA WNL Cup match against Luton Town Women at Loftus Road on the 16th of November (14:00 KO), where they encourage another record-breaking crowd to cheer on the women’s side in their new chapter of growth and success.
Tickets are available to purchase via this link: https://www.eticketing.co.uk/qpr/EDP/Event/Index/4016?position=3&utm_source=Website&utm_medium=Web_Story&utm_campaign=QPR_Luton_Women