Pitch Invasion: My story as a woman on a Football Club board – Highly commended at the Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Writing Award 2026

Description

Karen Dobres never expected to fall for football – let alone help revolutionise it. In Pitch Invasion, Karen shares her hilarious and heartfelt journey from someone who ”always zoned out when bloody football was on the telly” to becoming a Director at Lewes FC – the first football club in the world to pay its women and men players equally.

In 1994, Karen could barely sit through a match at Wembley. Fast forward to 2023, and she”s introducing multi-million-pound deals for the women”s team of her local club. How does a trained counsellor and former catwalk model end up navigating the male-dominated world of football? And how did she turn her ”imposter syndrome” into a tool for change?

With bisexual pirates, vegan snacks, and even a designated breastfeeding area, Lewes FC is no ordinary football club. It”s a pioneering force for equity, inclusion, and innovation. Through Karen”s witty, self-deprecating storytelling, Pitch Invasion gives readers an insider”s view of the quirky yet revolutionary culture at Lewes FC. From organising Suffragette flash mobs to introducing Prosecco on tap at the stadium, Karen brings to life her experiences at this fan-owned, debt-free, gender-equal club where everyone – from local supporters to pop stars – helps shape the future of the game.

From 2017, when women”s football was still fighting for recognition, to the present day, Pitch Invasion is the story of how one woman helped lead the charge for gender equality, challenging football”s entrenched hegemony, not just for one club, but across the UK.