Calum Best: 'I'd never even thought of being involved in football like this'

Calum Best tells all on being the chairman for a women's football team and filming BBC Three’s Squad Goals

The love of football is in Calum Best's blood. His late father George, who spent the best years of his career at Manchester United, is lauded as one of the greatest players in the game's history, and Calum remembers the sport featuring heavily in his childhood. "I'm a huge football fan," he says. "At one point I wanted to follow it as a career choice, but living in California it wasn't to be."

Now, though, Calum is back involved with his father's old profession and is filming a new series of Squad Goals: Dorking 'Til I Die for BBC Three. After being an active online part of the Her Game Too campaign that aims to tackle sexism and champion women's football, Calum was approached by his friend Marc White - the owner of Dorking Wanderers Football Club - to see if he'd like to take the volunteer position of chairman for his team.

"I'd never even thought of being involved in football like this before. But, I thought there was the opportunity to do something positive for women's football," Calum says. "And, of course, I quite liked the title!"

At a time when there has been huge growth in interest in women's football - not least since the Lionesses' success at the Euros this summer - Calum has taken charge of a tier six team.

The new series of Squad Goals: Dorking 'Til I Die follows Calum as he tries to whip the ladies at Dorking Wanderers into shape. But he insists he got involved with the team long before he knew a camera team would be interested in filming. "I took the role before any television was involved," he says. "I've done a lot of reality TV, but I took the role as chairman for a different reason."

Instead, Calum sees his role as chairman as more of a passion project. "I just wanted to do something exciting and to learn as much as possible as I go," he explains. "It is all new, but this is a professional role. I think people who have watched me on TV before will see a very different side to me."

Calum is keen to state he is the right person for the job too. "I'm very lucky to have contacts in this industry, so I thought I could give the team some experiences they may not have previously had," he says. "This year we got a box at Wembley for the Champions League final!" Next season, Calum has plans to take the team to Manchester United to watch a game. "I enjoy seeing the girls enjoy themselves," he says.

Calum thought the opportunity to be featured on the returning series of the hit show Squad Goals was not to be missed. "When the episodes go out, I think people will be really interested in what this team is doing," he says. While some of the players "couldn't care less" about the filming, many have taken a shine to the spotlight. "Some of them took to filming like a duck to water," says Calum - name-checking Bianca and Charli from the show. "I wanted the show to be less about me and more about the girls."

Calum's sees his decision to champion women's football as linked to his childhood. "I was raised by my mother, so I've been surrounded by women my whole life," he says. "Working for a ladies' team has opened my eyes up to parts of the game I've never really known before."

He mentions the team's great camaraderie and openness, but it is their "hard work and love for the game" that makes him the most enthusiastic. "Seeing the girls enjoy themselves has been fantastic," he says.

Still, his time at the club has not come without its difficulties. To get the best out of the team, Calum was forced to make some big changes to the existing regime. "I had to make some ruthless decisions," he says. "I had to sack people in my first year. Now we're flying, but it took a while for me to take proper control. It is always a low moment when you don't meet the goals you've set for the team, too."

He is quick to follow up any negativity with his thoughts on it being a positive time for women's football at all levels. "We've had such a great year with the Euros win. There should have been a shining light on the women's game anyway, but now the stadiums are full, this is a moment," he says. "I'd love to think young women could watch Squad Goals and think that they might like to play football as well."

Though Calum admits he "wasn't really thinking" about his father when he accepted the position at Dorking Wanderers, he believes George would be "proud" of his decision. "In the late '60s there was a very male attitude to football, but I think he'd look at this and say it was pretty cool and interesting. Times have changed. He would come down and support me, without a doubt."

Looking forward, Calum hopes he can continue to push the team into the limelight and climb through the leagues. "I have big plans for this team - this is not a short-term thing for me," he says. "I have a driving goal for the team to succeed, I want to stick with it. I want to take these girls to Championship level - three, four or five leagues up from where we are now."

Watch Squad Goals on the BBC iPlayer