Mitchell to step down, but not without a legacy

After 12 years of managing Halifax FC Women, manager Rob Mitchell has taken the decision to step down from his position. The journey he has had over his time in charge has been full of many ups and downs, but there is no doubt that the impact he has had on the club is overwhelmingly positive.

His tenure has had many successes such as taking the club from tier six to tier three of the women’s football pyramid, alongside winning multiple pieces of silverware and having memorable cup runs too.

The decision to leave wasn’t an easy one for Mitchell, but a multitude of factors came into play that made up his mind.

“We compete against teams who’ve got resources and finances. I just think as a club, it needs to go in a different direction now,” said Mitchell. “I think my own personal aspirations of trying to coach or manage at an elite level feel the longer that I’ve stayed at one club it shows loyalty but at the same time it probably shows safety.”

Looking towards the future, Mitchell is leaving his options open to multiple different pathways that could allow him to achieve his management career goals.

He said, “I think I’ve worked tirelessly over 12 years to try and ensure that we’ve got a team and club, and I’ll continue to do that wherever I go next, whether that’s at another club or another project or however that looks.”

For the next step of his managerial career, he stated that he would move to another club to be a number two or even a first team partner. His ultimate goal is to go to any club that’s got aspirations of progressing and going even higher. 

Since officially announcing his departure though, Mitchell has stated that he believes he should have left the club at the end of last year. His reasoning for staying on was due to circumstances occurring after the conclusion of the 23/24 season.

“We lost nearly every player for various reasons so I felt obliged to stay and help the club rebuild and be in a position where they can complete this season, and to give enough notice to bring someone else (another manager) in,” said Mitchell.

Because the side had lost so many crucial players, it set up a difficult year for the Eagles. A lack of foundations coming into this season has meant that results and points have been hard to come by for Mitchell and his players.

This season Halifax accumulated a total of seven points after 22 games and are sat in 11th place. For context, after 22 games last season they were on 31 points and in sixth, 22 points clear of the relegation zone where they have now finished.

Mitchell said, “This is the first season where we’ve suffered adversity to the point where we’re facing relegation. Before we have suffered adversity and we’ve come back even stronger. It’s been tough.”

The club are set to be relegated as they have finished the season sitting in the bottom two. They have had little to celebrate all year as they have lost 19 games and have accumulated a minus 73 goal difference in the process.

One of the results that summed up the type of season Halifax have had was their 2-1 loss at home to Liverpool Feds. They took the lead early on but the game was level by half time, and then they conceded in the last few minutes to lose the match. It was extremely disappointing for everyone involved with Halifax as despite having a performance worthy of a positive result, they got nothing from the game.

On a more positive note, however, before Mitchell leaves the club have the chance to win one last piece of silverware under his management.

Halifax have reached County Cup final in May, where they will face off against Leeds United after beating Harrogate Town in the semis. If they go that one step further and win the competition, they would have won it an impressive five times in a row and for a second time under the name Halifax FC Women, following their rebrand from Brighouse Town in 2023.

The County Cup has been a favourite competition of Mitchell’s during his tenure, with the first one he won being a particularly memorable one for him.

“I always say that the first County Cup we won, it was a big moment because it was something that I always wanted to achieve as a young manager when we first started out,” said Mitchell. 

Halifax have a recent history with Leeds United in cup competitions after they faced off in the League Cup in 2023. The match was very eventful and heated, ending 4-3 to Halifax, leaving a close match-up in the final a likely outcome.

Another layer of complexion to this fixture is that many of the Halifax players who left at the end of last season such as the previous captain Shauna Legge, twins Darcie and Drew Greene and midfielder Ellie White now play for Leeds. Alongside this, Halifax midfielder Danielle Whitham has also made moves between the two clubs in the past, creating further connections between the sides.

Having worked with Mitchell for many years, Assistant Manager Kevin Heetun knows Mitchell will be a real loss to the club once he leaves at the end of the season.

“When we talk about people defining a club in terms of DNA and identity, I think his fingerprint on the club is massive … he’s really put his heart into the club,” said Heetun.

Mitchell has also had a large impact on Heetun’s career as well, providing him with the opportunity to coach professionally.

“I will be forever grateful for him because he gave me a chance in the National League,” said Heetun.

This impact he’s had on the club is hard to ignore, with achievements such as winning League titles and even achieving unbeaten seasons also being part of his legacy.

Despite being the one to have shaped the modern history of the club, Mitchell wasn’t always the manager that he is today. When looking back on his time when he started, he feels that there is a big difference between that and what he is like as a manager now.

Reflecting on those earlier years, Mitchell felt he was quite “naive” and “inexperienced,” believing he couldn’t give the players the level of coaching they deserved.

“Now obviously I’m doing coaching badges and qualifications and CPD (Continuing Professional Development). So I’ve got to a level where I can maybe deliver the messages a little bit better. I’ve still got a long way to go, I’m learning,” said Mitchell.

Although Mitchell still believes he has room to grow as a manager, he is massively appreciated by current players such as defender Anabelle Cass. She has spent a significant amount of time under Mitchell and spoke about him in high regard.

She said, “He’s an overall lovely person. He’s very kind and he’s all about football. He puts his heart and soul into it.”

Whitham, a player who has also had a notable amount of time being coached by Mitchell, praised him highly too. She made a point to emphasise his passion for the game and expectations he has for his players.

“He’s got high standards. And I have some high standards, too. People think he’s hard work, refs in particular, but he’s just passionate,” she said.

Mitchell is also lauded for the connections he builds with players on a more individual level, with Whitham highlighting this side to his management style too.

“I’ve always had a really good relationship with Rob. I think he knows what he gets from me, and I know what I get from him,” she said, “and as long as you understand that from each other you get along.”

It’s not just gratitude and praise that the departing Halifax manager gets though, with him receiving a high level of admiration too. Heetun especially applauded Mitchell’s ability to manage the club with such a low financial power in comparison to other teams.

“Early in the game he realised that if he had the right environment, despite not having a big budget or anything, he would be able to attract the right players and build (a team) and compete in the league,” he said.

The most impressive side to these achievements is how they have been competing without having the same sort of financial powers that other clubs have. Also, with the club not having a large standing in the game, alongside its rebrand, it hasn’t got the same stature or pull that others might have.

This is arguably one of the best accomplishments he has managed during his time in charge. Having the ability to compete without having the same sort of finances or standing in the game has been one of the biggest challenges he has faced.

Mitchell said, “It speaks volumes and it speaks for itself. How do you take a team from that low (in the divisions) without a name or a backing or a brand or a badge? Doing what we’ve done consistently year after year as a collective, not just me, everyone who’s been involved, the players, the people behind the scenes, the staff, the supporters, it’s incredible.”

Looking at the overall impact he had on the club throughout his tenure, Cass could not have held him in higher regard.

She said, “His legacy will last forever, I don’t think he’ll ever be forgotten at the club. He’s a through and through from Brighouse right to Halifax. He can’t be beaten in my eyes, nobody can take over from Rob. Whoever comes in has got some big boots to fill.”

When taking a look towards the final games of the season, Mitchell was hopeful to end his tenure positively despite the disappointment of relegation.

“That is our objective … finish off with a cup win,” said Mitchell.

With Halifax likely losing their place in tier three bar any late reprieves, it’s possible that additional players leave at the end of the season. Wherever they end up, if that’s remaining at Halifax or elsewhere, Mitchell hopes that they will all go on to achieve greatness in their future careers.

He said, “Hopefully they look back at me as one of their favourite coaches, best coaches, whatever you want to look at it, but with fondness I suppose. That I helped them develop and gave them opportunity on their journey to be, say, pros or (go) as high as they possibly can.”

The club have already started looking for a new manager to replace Mitchell and, with the application window having closed on the 31st March, they will already be well into the selection process.

With next season’s head coach of Halifax being still unknown, Mitchell left a message for any successor coming into the club. He spoke of the importance of falling in love with the project and for the need to continue to lay foundations and build on the ones that are left behind.

Mitchell said, “I think just enjoy the ride and understand that you’re probably not going to get rich coaching Halifax, but you’re going to get richer experience and you’re going to get rich with the people that you meet, it’s more of a family club.”

Whether the new manager will be able to reach the same heights as Mitchell is unknown, but it will definitely be one of the most interesting story lines to follow going into next season.

With Mitchell’s future also being undecided, for the time being he will continue to work with Halifax FC girls and carry on helping their development.