International Women’s Day is being celebrated all around the world on Monday, March 8.
IWD, recognised since 1911, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
The campaign theme for 2021 is ‘Choose To Challenge’. A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change.
At Aston Villa, we’re proud to support International Women’s Day and we want to celebrate the achievements of one of the many incredible women to work at the football club.
Security and Crowd Safety Co-ordinator Clare Buckley recently obtained her Level 4 Spectator Safety Certificate. At the age of 31, she is one of the youngest female Safety Officers in the country, in what is a predominantly male dominated environment.
Clare, who has been working in the spectator safety industry for five years, is now able to conduct the role of Safety Officer when required, the most senior position for any event.
“I feel honoured to have been recognised by the club and to have been asked to share my experiences and achievements, to encourage other women and show that working in football and security is for everyone.”
Hi Clare, thanks for joining us, how long have you been with Aston Villa?
Hey, you’re welcome! I started with Aston Villa in May 2019 just before we got promoted to the Premier League; so approximately 21 months now.
What made you join the football club?
I never planned to work in football, it was something that I guess I kind of fell into. Leaving school, like many others, I never really knew what I wanted to do. I have worked in a variety of sectors, especially after having my son in 2014, and being on my own I needed to accommodate work around childcare as most people have to. This is when I found an administrative role at another football club (I won’t mention any names) for three days a week. This was my introduction into the world of football, where I began to gain an interest around spectator safety. Like any job you enjoy or have an interest in, I wanted to learn more and progress, which I did, and along my journey I met some really knowledgeable people who helped me progress by offering support and guidance. In 2019 I was approached by Keith Wiseman (Safety Officer) and William Stevens (Deputy Safety Officer) at Aston Villa in relation to an open vacancy of Safety and Security Co-Ordinator, offering me ongoing career progression which I couldn’t turn down.
Do you have an interest in football?
Honestly, football never interested me – people do, that’s why I enjoy this role so much as you meet and work with all sorts of people from different backgrounds, however, I must admit Aston Villa has taken me in and I have found myself getting more and more into football. My little one is now an Aston Villa fan too and when I am not at work we watch every away fixture, cheering them on!
Tell us about your role?
This is so difficult to explain but will do my best! Primarily my role is as it is described, ‘Security and Stewarding Co-Ordinator’, meaning I am responsible for coordinating a team of approximately 300 staff ready for a matchday in addition to any agency stewards working fixtures. I assist with the recruitment process, train and ensure each member of staff is qualified to the correct standard. Within my team, I help with the planning of upcoming fixtures and ensuring all relevant stakeholders are informed; police, medical etc. Many people think that being a football club, when there are no games taking place, we have nothing to do. We really aren't that lucky! Between fixtures is probably our busiest time, with Aston Villa being an events centre there is always something happening and a requirement for our services. One of our most recent operations is working alongside the NHS to open the vaccination centre. This has required a 24/7 security operation with a flexible rota to meet the needs of the NHS.
Additionally, we need to plan in advance of each fixture; providing relevant documentation to stakeholders and any potential plans moving forward. This last 12 months has been an extremely challenging time for us having to plan for behind-closed-doors football and then the return of spectators. In both cases, this has been a real educational experience for us all. Part of my role is to ensure that all of our plans are actioned effectively when conducted and then dynamically implement any changes where required.
What do you do on a matchday?
On a matchday it's my responsibility to ensure all staff are briefed and posted as per the plan, rectifying any issues along the way. I regularly conduct welfare checks on staff and resolve any problems they may have. At a fixture where spectators are present, should there be an incident, if required, I will attend to ensure that the situation is resolved to everyone’s satisfaction and prevent escalation. For example, many of our staff on a matchday will encounter abuse for implementing safety requirements. The no standing rule is the most common and it is my responsibility to deal with any ongoing or post incident staff concerns.
In the absence of the Safety Officer, I may be required to cover the role within the control room where I am then responsible for all safety decisions, however minor or major they may be. With Aston Villa having three fully qualified Safety Officers on site, we often rotate and cover each other’s duties.
Are there many females who occupy your role?
There are only a few female qualified and practising Football Safety Officers who I am aware of or have met. However, there seems to be more involvement from women now compared to when I first started, which is a brilliant thing to see as it had always been a very male dominated environment.
You must be incredibly proud to have achieved your Level 4 Spectator Safety Certificate?
Yes, I am extremely proud to have achieved my Level 4 in Spectator Safety and the opportunity I have been given by Aston Villa Football Club. The support I have received from not just the club but others in the industry has been amazing and they have guided me down the right pathways for which I will be eternally grateful.
Do you have any advice for anyone, in particular females, who are looking to work in your industry?
Security work has always been seen to be predominantly male dominated in the same way that football has, but over the last few years things have adapted so much for the better and have been more inclusive. If you have a passion to do something and obtain the skills to do it, then go for it. Security is usually thought of as your stereotypical nightclub door supervisor work, however, it can be far more complex and diverse than that and there are so many different opportunities available for anyone who wants to progress in the industry.
Happy International Women’s Day from everyone at Aston Villa Football Club.
