FOOTBALL and the name Raynbird go hand-in-hand in Basingstoke - but it is a female member of the dynasty making the news this week after taking over the new role of director of football for the Hampshire FA.

Fifty-year-old Vanessa Raynbird is the daughter of the town's "Mr Football" Peter Raynbird and granddaughter of Dick Raynbird, both great servants to the game locally.

Her new appointment at the Hampshire FA came out of the blue. It means she will chiefly oversee the four representative teams in the county.

These consist of a youth team and under-21 side for the men and an under-18 and senior team for the women.

Raynbird said: "The Hampshire FA just approached me with this new position and asked if I would be interested in doing it. I was more than happy to take the role on and feel I am up to the challenge."

With her ancestry, Basingstoke-born Raynbird has football in her blood. She played in midfield for Southampton women's team, before moving into management.

Her work also involves the beautiful game, as she is owner of Kits and Pieces, based at Woodmancott, which supplies all kinds of football-related items.

Raynbird has been manager of the women's senior and under-18 Hampshire rep sides for the past seven years.

The senior team went unbeaten under her reign in the South West Counties Competition last season, before losing the final.

However, there was some consoation as the under-18 team won their respective competition.

Talking about the director of football role, she said: "My main priority is to make people more aware of the rep sides in Hampshire. After all, we do play in the South West Counties Competition, so the games we play mean something.

"Perhaps to improve the profile, we will have to travel around the county. I don't think we have ever played a game at the Camrose - so that is something to think about."

Raynbird will be introducing a monthly management meeting and will also look at the possibility of re-introducing a men's senior team.

But she says that improving the profile of the other teams is the only way to make that happen.

As well as being boss of the rep sides, the new director of football will also stay on as manager of Portsmouth's women's team, who play in the Women's Premier League South Division.

Raynbird said: "As my new post is only part-time, I will continue to manage Portsmouth. I think this can only help, as it will keep me in contact with people at that level, which will be a good thing."