My Passions:Football as a player!!

Yes Football!!! Not shopping, makeup, shoes or chocolate. I've never been your typical girlie girl and in the days of high fashion and image being so important on tv I think I'm getting less and less girlie.

I've loved football since I can remember....my earliest memories are of my gran taking me over to the park when I was 4 and letting me run wild with a ball and even kicking it back to me. It was an old heavy brown thing, none of this fifa pristine white leather, light as a feather nonsense you get these days!! As I got older the local boys used to call for me to go out and play football in the street with them (it was cricket in the summer and we used the neighbours wall to chalk three stumps and bails on for the wicket....no need for a wicket keeper the ball just came straight back at the bowler if they were successfull!!!).

When I started secondary school I'd play at every playtime available. We'd use footballs, tennis balls, scrunched up bits of paper....anything to kick around. It was during one such break that I ventured over a wall to retrieve the ball and landed knee first on an upturned brick....ending up in A&E and resulting in stitches!!! Very girlie!!!!

My playing career developed only when I was working and got invited to join in a kick about one lunch time with the 'boys' and some other like minded girls. I can remember the first such occassion trying to drive to a band rehearsal the same evening and not being able to control the clutch on the car as my muscles had seized up so much!!!

I got fitter and ended up playing for a ladies team on a regular basis. All too late I fear as I was in my early 30s at this point and my speed was very lacking although I read the game really well and even if I say so myself had a mean left foot on me my career didn't last very long. I did however win a golden boot award for an indoor five aside competition (for those who don't know what that is it means I scored the most goals!!!). However I fear I was born in the wrong era. Girls didn't play football as part of PE in my day, and I wasn't allowed to join the boys in playing for my school either even though they wanted me to and I was one of the better players!!!

Now I have to resort to watching my beloved Man City from the sofa. More of that in my next blog I think as you've probably heard enough of my ramblings for today!!