The League Managers Association is devastated that our Member Services Director, Ali Betson, has passed away due to illness at the age of 53.
Ali joined the LMA in 2013 and, over the course of the next decade, became an integral and ever-present support system to hundreds of LMA members and their families. She was appointed to the LMA Executive Board as Member Services Director in June2017 and was often the first port of call for members and colleagues, at their most difficult times. She leaves a legacy of pastoral care, for which the LMA and its members will be forever grateful.
The relationships Ali fostered during her 10 years have had an invaluable impact on the LMA’s ability to deliver world class services. She was a woman who had the ability to save lives with a conversation. Her selflessness and empathy made her a much loved member of the LMA team.
She was an extremely intelligent football administrator, and was instrumental in the founding and development of the LMA Institute of Leadership and High Performance, supporting the career progression of thousands of managers and coaches in the professional game. Through the LMA Wellness programme, Ali was the driving force in the implementation of an all-encompassing provision, which included safeguarding the physical and mental health of the LMA membership and their loved ones.
Ali was a passionate Derby County season ticket holder, whose love of football and the managers within the game took her to stadiums all over the country, sometimes to support her team and sometimes to support her members. We will miss her dearly.
Paying tribute to Ali, LMA Chief Executive Richard Bevan OBE said: “It is impossible to express the sadness and loss that the whole LMA team feels following Ali’s passing in a few words. She was a mentor, a friend, a colleague and a huge part of our lives for so many years.
“The LMA is a community which, for over 10 years, has been served by Ali with an unwavering sense of affinity and care. Her legacy will live on in the support programmes she established and we will honour her memory through emulating her kindness and selflessness.
“We send our love and condolences to Ali’s family, her husband Iain, her daughters Laura and Emily and her granddaughter Edie. We wish to offer our support to any LMA members or partners affected by Ali’s passing.”
