Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
THERE IN THE ROUGH TIMES
I’m a sentimental old fool at the best of times – but Tuesday night kind a floored me – when Northern Ireland scored a 4-1 aggregate victory over Ukraine to qualify for the European Championships next summer, in England.
Like many of you reading – I love my football – but I’ve never quite understood why half the human race don’t have the opportunity to generate anywhere near the type of interest you get with the men’s game.
Baby steps have been taken over the last few years, specifically in England – with the WSL now on TV and some of their national players becoming household names. But here in Ireland – we’ve been a little late to the party. And if woman’s football was a party – Northern Ireland is the guest who turns up late but crashes through the door with a soundsystem and a load of booze (after supplies had all ran out), instantly starting a conga-line and making everyone smile.
In that respect it feels as if everything happened all at once. Keep in mind that just fourteen short years ago, Northern Ireland’s Women didn’t even enter qualification for the World
Cup or Euros. A few years before that they literally didn’t exist.
When they eventually played competitive games, Northern Ireland were a team taking part to make up the numbers, unsupported, players often footing the bill themselves with local press totally indifferent.
Yet as I write (Wednesday morning) – my social media feeds are loaded with hysteria around that same side. Friends (many of whom I’m certain don’t follow football, let alone women’s football) are discussing the goals, or that mad red card – they’re making plans for an English road trip next summer or sharing videos of daughters, younger sisters and nieces showing off their new found soccer skills.
After the game, manager Kenny Sheils said the adventure was Northern Ireland’s greatest sporting story, ever. He paused – as if to correct himself and tone down the hyperbole – only to then claim ‘not just in Northern Ireland – in the UK’. In fairness he mentioned the word context – and when you consider that context – his claim is arguably perfectly rational.
Consider this
– the second lowest ranked qualified team at next year’s Euros are Finland who are deemed the
16th best team on the continent. There’s quite a gap before you get to Northern Ireland (the only debutant) who are ranked 27th.
So yes, despite having deserved to qualify – they stick out like a sore thumb. I mean – think about where these players play their club football. With the men, it’s a big deal when a player from a local club represents his country – like Linfield’s Shayne Lavery did last month. There’s very few other examples. With the women – it’s a big deal when a player isn’t playing their football locally. Indeed – the captain (and first goalscorer) Marissa Callaghan has been with Cliftonville all her life.
The second goalscorer (and also the keeper, who had a blinder) both play for Glentoran.
These players have no business heading to an international tournament. And all this before you consider that a bunch of the team’s best players – the ones who do play their club football outside of Northern Ireland – were injured. Liverpool’s Rachel Furness – who scored the opener in Ukraine – hobbled off shortly after and was resigned to screaming encouragement from the sidelines at Seaview while occasionally waving her crutches in the air.
So Kenny Sheils (circled) has a point. It’s definitely something of a fairytale. It’s also a complete gamechanger. It’s not just woman’s football that has received an enormous boost – becoming instantly fashionable to those practically unaware of it as recently as last week – it’s woman’s sport.
Marissa, Rachel, Simone – all those players – lead by their charismatic coach – have done something that goes way beyond a team winning a simple game of football. For this sport – for so many people likely to become involved – nothing will ever be the same. Gamechangers, indeed.
Wednesday morning saw politicians, actors, TV presenters and a whole host of familiar faces pay tribute to the Northern Ireland Women’s team – and while that’s fantastic – extra credit must go to those who have been there right from the start.
People like Tara-lynne O’neill, (above) who you will recognise straight away as the long suffering Ma in Derry Girls. Tara-lynne has been working on a play called Rough Girls documenting the choices for women footballers of the partition era (their story is infinitely more interesting than I’ve made it sound) and has been speaking out on Woman’s football for some time, eventually taking up the role as ambassador for the NIWFA.
“The transformation with Kenny Shiels has been phenomenal” she explained this week. “That group play with no fear, as if anything is possible – like they really belong there. They’ve really inspired a whole community of young people – boys and girls.
“They’re a special group” she continued, speaking to our sports show on Monday. “They get up and play a sport that has been predominately seen as a mens game – so they already have to fight to be on the pitch. They win and lose as a family. That’s what we need in Northern Ireland – an opportunity to be part of a community that’s so positive.”
Tara-lynne’s way with words – given her profile – is crucial. She’s also willing to give her time and energy to the local game – and her help so far should not go unnoticed. If you’ll excuse the corporate plug – she’s teamed up with Electric Ireland – a company who have played an enormous role in generating both cash and awareness for the local game (to the point their #gamechangers campaign strap line has become a motto of sorts for players across the country).
Once again collaborating with the IFA to encourage young women to play – they’ve come up with the Shooting Stars initiative – and a special book which will publish football stories written by children aged 8-11 years, judged by Tara-lynne and former Northern Ireland captain Gail Redmond.