While I was young, I was surrounded by a football fanatic family and community so it never felt weird for me to love football. Although in secondary school my passion grew greater, I felt the pressures of society to not be interested in it, putting me off participating in anything with football. Since then, I have no longer allowed those views to take control over me, and instead, I openly show my interest in football without worry.
This week, I interviewed Brentford Women's B Team’s midfielder, Betsy Harwood, on her own experience of being a woman in football:
Firstly, do you think it was more difficult to start playing football compared to a man? She says it felt natural as all her family had done it, including her siblings, so it was bound to happen. Even though there was a positive support system around her, there were very few outlets that were available; the closest club was a 30 minute drive away, making it more difficult.
Did you feel as though society held you back? There were certain comments that boys her age would make while playing which would be irritating however she did not let that get in her way. She, also, recognises that professional female footballers have to work harder to be recognised as there is naturally a difference.
What does football make you feel? Overall, it is an outlet for all emotions from anger to happiness. There is a huge aspect of self pressure that comes with playing football that can be extremely overwhelming, especially starting from young.
Do you feel a difference between supporting a team and playing for a team? When you are playing, you are playing for the team and yourself instead of the badge; it is very difficult and demanding. While supporting, you want the players to play for the supporters and followers, and is a lot more enjoyable.
Would you ever consider professional football? No, as there is the risk of it taking up so much of your life and you failing, so you are left with almost nothing. It is a very high risk decision especially as it is so mentally draining.
From this interview, I took a more positive outlook on women in football. Even though I had a somewhat negative experience with football growing up, I have a lot of faith for the future. Furthermore, seeing the turnout of my school’s year 7 football club brings me plenty of hope. I do wish to live on and see an improvement in the accessibility and funding of women’s football and I hope you reading take a more supportive view on women’s football.
Thank you to Betsy for this insightful interview!
