We may not have a pitch for the rest of the season!

I’ll start with the ongoing happenings of Leeds Carnegie Ladies. It is has been such a mixed bag this season. On the playing side it has been our most successful season up to date, firstly winning the league cup final and currently sitting third in the table with a great opportunity to finish in our highest position ever. However off the field is a different story, we have been dropped for next season by our sponsor and this means that we will miss out at being a part of the professional league that is happening in 2011. That isn’t the worst; the university have offered no support in trying to get us any funding for next season just to keep a ladies team in Leeds. This is vital for all the young aspiring female footballers in Yorkshire, where would they play? They would have to travel to find a team and im sure this would put some players off.

Our home pitch this season Farsley Celtic went into administration last week which is a massive shame as they have been very supportive to us and we have all really enjoyed playing there. This also means we may not have a home pitch for the rest of the season. It seems that everything off the field is Un- professional, but we are determined as a group of players and staff to finish as high up in the league as we possibly can to show despite all this adversity we can still be successful.

We played a friendly against Leicester on Sunday (mother’s day) we won the game 4-0 it was good to keep match sharpness up as we have Millwall on Sunday which will be a tough game and one that we have to win. It was just a shame I was out all day and didn’t get chance to spend it with my mum. I did however take her to the theatre on Friday night (yes I am going up in the world) we went to see Dreamboats and petticoats in Liverpool it was all about the 60’s I have to admit I loved it, everyone was up in the isles singing and dancing, ok I will admit it I was doing the twist but don’t tell anyone.

I have had quite a busy week travelling to Durham where I did a Leadership and volunteering camp. This is something I always try and support as it’s a way young people can get involved in sport if they are not very good at actually playing. I have seen the transformation of certain young people from attending these camps, they arrive a shy, quiet individual and when they leave you see the confidence, poise and self belief brimming from every bone. And yes I do get a cut in promoting them haha!! I also attended a school in Leeds (Bankfield Primary school) I spoke to the young children and did a question and answer session with them, the school was in a deprived area but what a lovely school and the children were great I hope I have inspired some of them to take up physical activity.

Ok I best go now I am doing a boat race for sport relief in Manchester today; Comic Relief is an amazing charity and I am pleased to be able to help out, there is a mixture of sports stars, TV presenters and soap stars racing against each other. I will let you know next week how it went and hopefully I won’t fall in.