Watford Women Partner with Hollywood Duo for Change

Watford Women faced relegation to the third tier in July and operate as a part-time club but Hollywood investors Sound of Gol are stepping in to make a difference. Actress Judy Reyes known for her role in *Scrubs* and her partner George Valencia aim to dismantle socio-economic barriers and create opportunities for Latina girls in the U.S. and London. They view Watford a club they admire as an avenue for implementing meaningful change.

In exchange for their investment, Watford will gain resources and expertise through a newly formed board which will also work to integrate members of the Latina community into women’s football. The board includes commercial expert Anna Chanduvi, Kieran Theivamanoharan and Alex Stone both previously associated with the FA and FIFA along with Watford’s head of women’s football, Helen Ward.

Valencia emphasized the importance of inclusivity, stating that young Latina girls are just as passionate about football as anyone else. He aims to provide them with foundational knowledge of football culture to bring back to the U.S. Reyes highlighted the lack of representation among coaches and the need for opportunities in the sport. Unlike previous investments in women’s football, Valencia noted that their approach is not commercialized.

They plan to showcase their investment’s impact through unique initiatives like designing a mascot in collaboration with their team in Latin America. Helen Ward, who started her role in August, remarked on the challenging summer for Watford after relegation but expressed optimism about the new investment. She believes it will significantly impact the club focusing not just on financial gains but also on addressing under-representation in the sport.

Ward envisions inventive revenue-generating strategies beyond conventional sponsorships to foster genuine growth.