Hi all, some posters have expressed an interest in my memories of playing Women's Football in the early development stages of the Women's game. I have started a thread detailing what led up to my involvement and its culmination with an FA Cup final. I hope this is okay (mods) and proves to be a good read. Due to the length of the thread it will need to be written in instalments over a period of time. So here goes........... I was born in 1958 in North Shields, Northumberland, as it was back in the day, and taken to SJP by my favourite Uncle Cliffy when l was very young. My love affair with the club has remained a constant ever since. Earliest memories are of playing in the back lane with my best friend Helen, we played on our bogie or we kicked a football up and down the lane for hours on end. I remember asking at every birthday and Christmas for a NUFC strip, but never got one as it was seen as "not proper" for a lass! At the age of about twelve, due to my Dads work, he was a miner, we moved from the North East to the West Midlands, leaving behind our family and friends for a new start in an alien land. The culture shock remains a vivid memory to this day. The house we moved into was brand spanking new, it had a proper bathroom, inside loo and central heating, all things the house in Shields definitely didn't ! There were ten houses in the close and most but not all were Geordie families who had relocated from the North. Despite many of the kids being of similar ages to me, they were all boys! I was genuinely the only girl on the block. The old saying if you can't beat them join them was never truer, but being a proper tomboy l didn't mind at all. Scrumping, climbing trees, building camps, but most of all.....Footie.... I played, competed with and in lots of cases out skilled and out fought many of my male peers. Hour after hour we played footie on the green at the bottom of the close., only stopping when it got too dark to see. I also practised on my own against the garage door ( not popular with my folks ) lol The areas footballing allegiance was decidedly Wolverhampton Wanderers, but my supporting of NUFC was tolerated. (What do girls know about football anyway) At school l participated in any and every sport l could, my favourites were Netball and Rounders. I ran cross country and was (because of my speed) a pretty decent long jumper, but my forte was the 800 metres. I asked if the girls could play football, but in those days, to be honest football was for the lads only. On leaving school l joined the Army and went into the Royal Signals Regiment as a Communications Centre Operator, but spent most of my time running and training as l wanted to be a Physical Training Instructor. At the time you had to have a Trade first, spend two years in that and then ask for a move. It was whilst l was serving at Catterick Garrison that my potential for the 800 meters was spotted and it was the first time that l had a proper training coach and bespoke training programme, l just loved it, sadly my left knee did not and this was the start of ongoing problems with injury. It seemed that my left knee cap was wearing away at a rate that was unusual for someone of my age. Medication and physio all helped and of course being in the military meant instant access to the best possible care, but it never really felt truly strong. Fast forward several years ......... I am now married with a young son and living in East Anglia. My husband who l met in the Army is a very talented Rugby player, having represented the Combined Services Team and is heavily involved with our local Rugby Club. It was a great place to socialise and meet other families, it was also a good place to train as l was still very active and ran a lot for fun and to keep fit. It was on one such weekend when we were at the Rugby club that l had been fooling around with some of the kids kicking rugby balls through the uprights, that l was approached by a lady and the conversation that followed would be the start of something l never thought possible......... Next instalment soon.
Yep, but no match , at least in length, for No Chance's rules. Hope this isn't a weekly thing. I always miss one episode on the weekly things, like Arrow or Game of Thrones, and can never seem to catch up. EDIT: As an aside 1958 must have been a good year as I was born that year at Preston Hospital (North Shields)
GLITF, I hope you realise that you are actually a pioneer (in a few ways, it turns out!) and this story is better than a few internet bums! Should be a documentary or biography observed by thousands x
You cant just .....stop ..... like that being a box set, back to back, type viewer .. I knew I should have waited till all 26 episodes where delivered ...dammit, GLF
THIS! When is the next installment? Engrossed and we haven't even started the football proper yet! Haha Awesome stuff GLITF!
Sorry all, getting my supper sorted out and doing my pre match rituals, no not that voodoo stuff. It's just before l sit down to watch the game l like to have everything tidied up etc. Then l can just relax, well until kickoff that is. Have a good feeling about this one. HTL. Oh what's the weather doing? It's cold and wet in the deepest darkest Fen
Is this like Sky when you can sometimes get the next episode before it is actually due to be aired? Great start GLITF, looking forward to the next. Right time to go, lets hope we get 3 points to celebrate your literary genius.
I was born there. A couple of decades later mind but same hospital. When i was young my parents told me i was born in Preston hospital and i wrongly assumed it was in Preston so took Preston North End as my football team (this was when i was about 7/8) for a couple of seasons until my dad asked me one day why i was following them. He explained the confusion and i (ashamedly) changed my allegiance to the correct place of birth but still keep an eye on Preston NE.
