Words by Rob, Jennifer, Natasha, Hannah, Nadine & Bryony
Photos by Chris McCaughey
Rob – Head Coach
I got involved with Clydebank ladies after replying to an ad looking for a head coach.
I’d never coached in women’s football before but was intrigued by the prospect of a new challenge.
The first thing I noticed was how dedicated, unified, and committed the players were.
The girls were enthusiastic and wanted to better themselves.
They were receptive to my ideas and suggestions for the training and match tactics.
After establishing myself, I set the girls individual targets and was amazed at how ambitious and motivated the team were.
I promised I would help them achieve their goals, but they far exceeded my expectations. The development in the team and the players has been incredible.
And it’s all down to the players themselves.
Initially, we struggled a bit for results, which is to be expected in any transitional period. However, the girls never gave up on me or their goals, and now they’re reaping the rewards.
This season Clydebank Ladies got to the last 16 of the League Cup and are pushing to be in the top half of the League table.
During my time at Clydebank Ladies I’ve had to re-evaluate and adjust my own coaching methods which helped me as a coach and as a person.
I’ve built up a really good rapport with the players and they continue to amaze me and make me proud with every game they play.
Jennifer
Football has always been a big part of my life, most of my family are very football orientated, in particular my dad. Going to games with my dad gave me many enriching experiences and some unforgettable memories.
It is a big part of why we are so close and why I wanted to pursue playing football. I joined Clydebank not long after finishing school and it really helped the transition between school and uni, as it is quite a diverse team in terms of age and personality.
Playing football and being surrounded by the girls helped me massively with confidence, which is something I always struggled with.
It helped me come out of my shell, which has been invaluable, helping me in my studies and in my day-to-day life. Clydebank Ladies has given me life-long friends and a way to take my mind off the stress of uni. Not to mention, it is a great way of keeping fit!
Natasha
Clydebank Ladies helped me massively in terms of mental health and gave me a real sense of Belonging.
Anywhere in life, I’ve always felt I never fitted in and the same can be said for football and in teams I played for before.
There’s just something different about the girls at Clydebank.
They accept me for me, all the carry on and banter.
I feel valued, celebrated and encouraged to be me.
This has been essential in elevating my self-esteem and factors heavily in my footballing performance.
It also transferred outside football and aided in everyday life.
Even in high pressure games, I feel somewhat at ease knowing the girls have my back irrespective of outcome, but still fuelled by the desire to win together.
Even when I’ve been struggling and feel overwhelmed with personal problems they have always supported me and extended help beyond football.
It’s like we’re FAMILY NOT FRIENDS.
Viva la Bankies for life!
Hannah
Being surrounded by a team of coaches and players who, at times, have more belief in you than you do yourself, sets Clydebank apart from other teams.
I grew up playing football, but even from nine years old, I was always far more concerned with playing a good ball through or putting in a thunderous tackle than scoring goals.
I often felt overlooked and like I didn’t really stand out to the same extent as others, as a result. At times, this would force me to doubt my own ability.
Since joining Clydebank where I am surrounded by players and coaches who fully believe in me and consistently push me to reach my potential, I realised just how fundamental this is to football.
Being given the encouragement and means to constantly develop myself as a player helped eradicate a lot of the self doubt which previously held me back.
Losing this, I gained a lot of creativity in my game play and now take significantly greater enjoyment from the game itself.
Before joining Clydebank, my experience of women’s football teams was they could be quite cliquey.
So, I would generally avoid getting overly involved in social events as I think team politics can take a lot of enjoyment from the game itself.
At Clydebank, that’s not really an option.
It’s like you’re not just signing up to kick a ball about, or a lifetime of roly polys, there’s a much deeper friendship and mutual understanding; you don’t need to prove yourself as a player or person to be accepted.
Ultimately, this encourages us to work even harder for one another on the pitch.
Nadine
Clydebank Ladies was a real turning point for me and has totally changed the trajectory of my life.
After my mother passed, I battled immensely with my mental health. My life became overshadowed and consumed with grief.
It was really on the off chance I saw the team playing football in the park while walking my dog and pleaded with Bryony, who is now our captain, to join with me, under the guise of ‘a laugh’.
I played football as a kid until my early teens so was not entirely naïve to the game.
However, I was very naïve in understanding the profound beneficial impact it would have on me.
Almost three years later and I’m still here; testament to how pivotal it has been.
Football, for me, was an unintentional holistic approach to mental health and I’m eternally grateful to Clydebank Ladies for providing that space for me.
The football element was merely the face of what I was doing; within there was a lot of personal development, growth and personal achievements.
Although some of it was minute, it was still significant and accumulative.
I always felt I was surrounded by this incessant white noise that was inescapable, be that anxiety, sorrow, anger, despair… but when it came to football it was quiet.
I still battle; however, over the years football has equipped me with an arsenal of tools to empower me, give me some semblance of ‘normality’ and, upon reflection, acts as something of a biomarker of how far I’ve come.
I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of girls who, unknown to them (until now), helped me unequivocally on this journey.
I’m currently working towards obtaining various instalments of coaching badges as a means of ‘paying it forward’.
Hopefully when the time comes, I can be as inspirational and instrumental in cultivating the same positive changes for others as this team has been to me.
Bryony – Captain
Playing football has always been a huge part of my life.
I’ve played since school and it was the one thing that always remained consistent in times of adversity.
Football accepted me before I had fully accepted myself.
Football has no judgement, no ill-will, it was welcoming, nurturing and gave me a much needed outlet for my teenage angst.
When I returned to Clydebank in my late twenties, it was a friend who suggested we should go along and try out for Clydebank Ladies to blow off some steam and have a laugh at the same time.
Since then, it has grown to be so much more than that.
Not only for me, but for every other person involved in the team.
We’ve worked incredibly hard to get to where we are now, as it has been no easy feat.
In our first season we were on the brink of folding.
Numbers diminished and coaches deserted us.
It would have been easier to call it a day or join other clubs, but this was not in the spirit of us as a collective and we fought tooth and nail to remain Clydebank Ladies.
This wasn’t solely motivated by the love of the sport but more by the love for each other.
Our bond, our sense of togetherness and sense of belonging, which still translates today.
With no-one to govern us for a period, we devised our own training, and subsequently this group of women created their own ethos, culture, and values without influence nor any real conscious effort.
One of resilience, community, and inclusivity.
You still see some of our core characteristics at play today.
Our stubbornness, pride and defiance.
We’ve been consistently referred to as a team who don’t know when they’ve been beaten.
With this sentiment instilled in us, and for those joining, Clydebank Ladies have a bright future ahead.
My flatmate calls us a cult, but I prefer the terms sisterhood and family.
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