Refereeing - Playing - What's Occuring

I'll take a break for a week from what got me here and give you an up to date post of what I've been up to with refereeing recently;

I was really chuffed to be asked to be the Senior Linesman for a pre-season friendly between Notts County Ladies and Everton Ladies a couple of weeks ago. It was a lovely day, the match was at Nottingham, the ground was in great condition. The Teams played well and it was a relatively incident free match to be honest.

It was great to see that the match had so many supporters, even though it was just a pre-season fixture. So good to see the interest growing in the Ladies game. From my own point of view -I also wanted to see how I would fair if I went for trials. I've only gone back to playing this year after two seasons out, and I want to get back to the top leagues again.

Tonight my Mum went to a presentation evening on my behalf at the Nottinghamshire FA - great having a PA (I was at work), I found out that I have been allocated the 'Women's Cup Final' as the Referee - Which is great, as long as I don't get to the final with my current football team - Radcliffe Ladies - and we could actually get there, they were in the final last year!!!!

Talking about playing - We played Rotherham yesterday. We dominated the first half, then they bagged a goal before half time. Second half we came out in fighting spirit, I took a shot but hit the floor- managing to just scoop the ball across the packed goal line, to enable Danni to find the back of the net. No Fear though - a few minutes later I managed to find the back of the net myself, in the same style as 'Rashford' - well if it's good enough for him??????

Love my Football,

It's Childs Play

Football - It's what I do. It's just part of me. 

I have an older brother and sister. My Mum said that when we were younger as a punishment;

My Brother would have his x-box taken away

My Sister would have her mirror taken away

I would have my football taken away

I would come home from school, go upstairs and get changed into my football kit. I was lucky, because I was brought up where there were only around 150 houses. The rest of the area was forest, sports fields, open fields, really good sports facilities and roads where we could race round on our bikes. Everyone knew me as the girl who always wears football kit. 

There were around 10 of us, perfect for playing football, making music videos or building dens. It was great to have that amazing downtime, it allowed me to have child's play, which in turn allowed me to concentrate on my football. 

I am driven, really driven. I am competitive and will always work so hard. But I learnt over my childhood that downtime, personal time and friends are as important as training hard

Manchester United - World Skills Final

As I said in my last post - What a dream to play at the 'Theatre of Dreams', to run on the hallowed turf of Old Trafford. 

Well, every year the top players from the Manchester United Soccer School go to a long weekend event where they compete at football skills to be the winner of the World Skills final. When I say the World Skills final, I really mean it. These are the best players from every school that Manchester United has, so UAE, USA, Europe, Australasia, Far East and India, aswell as UK 

When I first started at MUSS I was determined to win a place at that final, I told my Mum that I would get there. It took 5 years to do it, but then I made the final for the last three years of my attending the school. I was the first player to make it to the final for three years, there were a few that had done two. I was presented with Welbeck's signed shirt as a well done by the MUSS training staff. 

The weekend at the final is amazing, beyond all dreams. All the finalists and a parent/carer stay in a lovely hotel in Manchester. We had a meet and greet meal on the first evening where we would get to know the other finalists, again some of the people I met here have become good friends, and some are also now signed to Championship clubs. 

The next day we spent at Carrington - Manchester United's training facility. It's an amazing place with pitches as pristine as you'll ever see. The indoor training has everything you would ever need, with indoor pitches, various training aids for target shooting, dribbling, shooting etc. The gymnasium has all sorts of equipment and the training rooms have all the up to date equipment. 

Oh - and the car park is pretty impressive, along with the first team players amazing cars and a Chap washing them all !!!!

We trained with the first team coaches in the morning including Rene Meulensteen and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it was hard training but I learnt so much from them. 

In the afternoon we went over to watch the first team training, and then amazingly had the chance to have a kick around with them and spend some time talking and getting autographs - how incredible to meet these footballers and kick a ball around with them. 

The next day we went to Old Trafford and played on the pitch prior to a premiership game. The crowd watched as we played a game and showed some of our skills. I was interviewed by the Manchester United commentator - Alan Keegan, who is lovely and whose Daughter I also became friends with through MUSS

Anyone attending MUSS will benefit from the experience, learn about football and themselves, and meet such amazing new friends

Anyone getting through to the World Skills Final - WILL NEVER FORGET IT 

To be a Manchester United Red Devil

Manchester United love then or loathe them, they are the biggest team in the world. Who wouldn't want to play in the kit, or play on the hallowed turf of Old Trafford. To hear the roar of the Stretford End !!!!! Wow it's a dream for so many.

More and more people kept telling my Mum that I was a good player, that I could do well with a bit more training. My Mum is originally from the Manchester area, and spent a lot of her childhood going to Manchester United, Manchester City or Stockport County. She looked around to see what sort of training was provided.

Bring on www.manutdsoccerschools.com

I spent eight summers going to Manchester United Soccer School. Top level coaching with top level facilities. It was residential and the programme and training was run the same way as the first team. It consisted of;

Physical Training

Skills Training

Nutrition

Psychological Training

Emotional Intelligence

Alongside the football development was another very important aspect that my Mum hadn't even thought of. I had spent all my time before MUSS playing in the local football league, with only one other girl in the league, playing for another team. All of a sudden at MUSS I was playing alongside other girls from all over the World. We were similar, we loved the same things our conversations flowed and we laughed a lot. Around Christmas time every year we would start to contact each other, finding out when we would be arriving to MUSS this summer, who would bring what, who was sharing rooms with who. We would be so excited.

-MUSS girls

I actually lived the nearest. The others came in from Iceland, USA, Australia, Europe and India, aswell as various locations in the UK. The girls I met at MUSS I count amongst my best mates, we have shared something so amazingly special, and have fantastic memories. Some of us are still in the football world and meet up at various matches. I've even flown overseas to meet up with some.

-having a laugh at MUSS

Year on year our Coaches would report on our progress, and my football ability progressed ten fold. The coaches are incredible, and they have now gone from being Mentors to being good friends. Although everyone of my coaches has given me invaluable help and advise along the way, my eight years at MUSS took me to another level.

- MUSS progress report

Forever A Riverside Jet

You’ll Never Forget Your First Team!

My Mum came home when I was 4 years old. ‘Football on Saturday’? She had been on a bike ride and seen a Guy coaching football on the local park. She had asked him if he coached girls, apparently he was really chuffed cos they hadn’t got any girls in the club at all and he wanted to get girls to come along.

On Saturday Mum and I turned up to West Park in Long Eaton. There were around 50 Kids all aged 4 or 5, doing a taster session. On my first day another Kid (Riley) pulled my hair, I ran over to Mum and told her, ‘make the next tackle a good one’ she said, I ran back to the training.

I was chosen for the team for that season, and what a team. Apart from Kylie moving to France, we stayed together. We won the league one year, it was amazing to go on the stage to collect our trophies.

Adrian was our coach, he worked so hard, he typified the unsung hero. Prepping our training whether rain or shine, arranging our matches and just coping with a gang of kids going through childhood. I stayed with that team until I was twelve, when I had to move across to the Girls league.

I’m still so close to all the Guy’s. Riley never pulled my hair again...

Where it all began!

I’m 18, but my story begins in the 1930’s. This picture is of my Great Grandad

– Joseph Clarke Vinden

he was a brilliant footballer, renowned in the Manchester area. My Grandad says that people would often stop him in the street, even years later, to tell him what a fantastic player his Dad had been. He was the demon of the back post, a striker with immense power. He received his England call up, how amazing. He was the pride of the family, and the pride of Stockport.

In them days you made your own way to go and meet the rest of the squad. He was told to get to Liverpool to meet the squad, and they would then be boarding a boat to travel over to Ireland. Knowing how important this was, he got to Liverpool early, SO EARLY that he decided he would go and have a drink whilst waiting. My Great Grandad was sociable and started chatting with others in the bar. Before he knew time had flown by. He ran down to the Dock to see the boat on the horizon, already on its way to Ireland. He lost his place and wasn’t asked again.

i can only imagine how he felt. I know how I would have felt. although I never knew him, he has taught me a lot in regards to life in general and more importantly on the field of play. He has taught me that, yes of course you can have banter down the pub, but when it comes to the game, it’s crucial to keep your head switched on, sheer professionalism is needed, until the job is complete, then maybe.. just maybe you could have a pint, or 5.