Stars like Rose paved the way but we want more
Football is life for Scotland goalkeeper Lee Alexander.
She plays every day, represents her country and gets paid to boot but she admits it has been hard work getting to where she is today.
“I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices, but I wanted to work as a footballer and be paid for it and I got here so it has all been worth it.”
Alexander, now 30, first started playing football when she was five: “I’m not sure where it came from. My parents are quite sporty, but they liked basketball, golf and netball. There were no footballers in the house.
“When I was at nursery, I was friends with the boys and we loved playing football. When I got to primary school, my class had 27 boys and six girls. By the time we got to Primary 7, there were only three girls left.
“None of the other girls played football but I would play with the boys. I was the one who brought the football in, so I was the one who picked the teams.
“None of the boys seemed to bother that I was a girl. They just accepted it.
“There was no girls’ team so I joined the boys’ team. I was the first girl on it.
“It didn’t bother me, but there was always a bit of a stigma that because I was a girl, I wouldn’t be very good. I used that to show that I could play – and I could do it well.”
Up until 20 years ago, there were few opportunities for girls to pursue their interest in football.
“It wasn’t until fourth year that there was a girls’ section,” said Alexander.
“I eventually started playing with a girls’ team that, for a long time, I didn’t even know existed. They were few and far between. Now there are so many girls’ teams and leagues.”
Alexander, who plays full-time for Glasgow City, was first called up by Scotland in 2015.
“There have been some great moments,” she admitted. “Euros 2017 was the first major tournament Scotland women’s team ever qualified for, then qualifying for the 2019 World Cup.
“Following my football dream is the best thing I have ever done. Never in a million years did I think I would ever get to this level but here I am.
“I love seeing how much the game has grown. And attitudes are changing. It is now so much more accepted that girls can play football.
“It’s a sport. And it doesn’t matter what sport you choose as long as you enjoy it.
“There is still a stigma around women’s football in the sense that we are not as good as men. But it’s different. Professional boys have been playing competitively since they were about 15 years old, and in teams where they train almost every day. They are paid a salary.
“Women’s physical capabilities don’t compare and, even at national level, teams tend to only train two or three times a week. Many aren’t paid and have to juggle training with day jobs. It’s only in the last couple of years that I have been paid more than a part-time wage.
“So much more investment is needed – and promotion. We are filling more of Hampden with every game but we want to get to full capacity. And we need more initiatives to get girls involved.
“Playing with boys was second nature to me, but mixed football can be daunting for girls.
“When I think back to the time when girls and women weren’t allowed to play football, it seems crazy.
“People like Rose have paved the way for me and the generations before me.
“But we still want more for the generations to come. And hopefully we can be the women to drive that campaign forward.”