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Beyond the Pitch Episode 65: The North London Derby, Lioness injuries, and Mental Health Breaks
9 Plays1 month ago
Join Catherine and Cate for an extended discussion about the North London Derby (clue: Cate is a Spurs fan), Lionesses injuries and the importance of mental health breaks.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Preview
00:00:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to Beyond the Pitch, a daily women's football podcast brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network. I'm Catherine and I've got Kate here with me all the way from Italy. Very, very nice.
00:00:19
Cate
Yeah, I'm, um ah you know, I'm playing a way today, as we say with football.
00:00:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:00:27
Cate
I'm not home, I'm in a different home. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:00:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
who ah So today we'll circle back, discuss a bit more about the weekend's WSL. actions especially the North London Derby will then move to the international break and injuries and we'll also talk about mental health breaks which by the way we fully think are deserved and they are very deserved
North London Derby Experience
00:00:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
breaks.
00:00:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
So first of all the WSL, the North London Derby, what did you think of the game?
00:00:51
Cate
Yes.
00:00:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Did you watch?
00:00:56
Cate
Oh my god. So I work i work at Tottenham, right? At the stadium during match day, and during match days.
00:01:07
Cate
And I was, I'm not playing, I'm not, I'm not watching.
00:01:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sure.
00:01:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:01:12
Cate
I'm not watching this time. big Sorry, I'm not, I'm not working this time because I want to go and watch it. Last year I was working when we won 1-0 and I was really, I mean, I was glad that I was there and I appreciate, et cetera.
00:01:25
Cate
But I was really upset because I was like, this is such an historical moment. It was just before the Christmas break. So we went on a break to start the second half of the season. And I said the last time in our podcast before the game on Sunday, I was like, I think that's really gave, you know, my team's first, the boost to really go and play like a second half of the season really well. And it got us into the FA Cup final, et cetera.
00:01:54
Cate
I don't know what this is going to do to us. I mean, we're not going to do a fantastic time. The past three games were not very good, but also it wasn't just a question of a one nil loss. It's like four nil, four nil, like we need to maybe kind of like step back a moment and reflect on this and just go like, whoa, what's going on?
00:02:16
Cate
Okay, strong strong opponents, fair enough. So CT, Arsenal, fair enough. but So I went to watch the game. I was very excited.
00:02:27
Cate
I'm part of the proud Lily White. So we also did some filming.
00:02:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm hmm.
00:02:31
Cate
So it will come out.
00:02:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:32
Cate
It will be really nice. I met some of the other, ah you know, proud Lily White as well. It was really nice in that way. And then I sit down, I sat down, and then I literally, we started, I turn around and it's like, go. And I went like, no, no, like, no.
00:02:51
Cate
oh like this happened to us last week with city okay in 20 seconds no not again no it's impossible surely there must be a mistake and there was no mistake um so i mean well done to arsenal i'm i'm thrilled for them it's ah quite impressive to you know to to to see that since the change in leadership in their coach, they have not managed to loss so lose yet and and for, you know, cup games and also home games, et cetera, WSL games.
00:03:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was just going to ask,
00:03:30
Cate
but
Tottenham's Gameplay and Arsenal Fixture Clash
00:03:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
you mentioned about Spurs defensive frailty.
00:03:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
What do you think has changed this season? Do you think it's just, I mean, obviously Grace Clinton, Celine Bizette coming to United, which I'm very happy about, but I am assuming Spurs fans are not very happy about, but what do you think it is defensively that that is kind of trying them?
00:03:54
Cate
i So I don't know, to be honest. ah the the The real question is, i don't I'm not technical enough to understand that. So I can only analyze from someone that like and enjoy watching games.
00:04:07
Cate
So I can give my opinion in that type of way. um I think we actually started the season quite well. And then I i don't really know. Sometimes if...
00:04:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, sure.
00:04:18
Cate
So if it would be an office, like if it would be the team that they manage in the office, I would say, okay, communication has broken down somewhere. What, where, ah that's how it feels. It definitely felt like that with city. It was just like, okay, guys, literally, what is that? And it felt a little bit the same with Arsenal. However, I have to say.
00:04:41
Cate
I didn't find the game entertaining anyway. It wasn't it wasn't very entertaining. It was quite a flat game. That's also one of the reasons why it upsets me even more. And again, we build some good chances. We just fail to you know really shoot on target. um The same thing happened with CT. And I think It's such a frail moment because those things can really get you down very quickly when you are like, and how can I explain?
00:05:16
Cate
ah I think we were more dominated by City in the game we played with City last week than with this arsenal.
00:05:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:05:25
Cate
With this arsenal, it felt like I don't know, after the first goal, it felt like, oh my God, again. And then, I don't know, again, a little bit of miscommunication, like we lost the ball way too many times.
00:05:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:05:42
Cate
And then I was, yeah, just we couldn't keep it. And then I was just obviously surrounded by a lot of supporters and everybody was like, we need subs earlier, we need to do this, we need to do that.
00:05:54
Cate
I felt a little bit like when Serena does it, you know, like when lionesses are a bit struggling, and everybody's like, bring no!
00:05:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:03
Cate
And she doesn't. um But yeah, I mean, look, I want to think about the positives. I absolutely love the fact that we played at the big stadium.
00:06:12
Cate
It was a great turnout. I have to say, hats up to the Arsenal supporter. The Arsenal side was super packed, very red. So they really came with the guns. A lot of scars, a lot of noise, a lot of movement. So, I mean, I appreciate that. And with regard to this, I also want to give a little shout-out to Boula FC. I don't know if whoever is listening to us know who they are, but if you don't, please look them up.
00:06:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:42
Cate
They've organized alongside actually the WSL Barclays, the WSL, this thing that was incredible. So they they gave away a few tickets and they call it ah Stadium Hop. So what they did is that together with the London Brass Band, they came all the way to Tottenham, walking up the high street, playing some music outside the stadium, et cetera. And then as soon as the game finished there, they straight away hopped into Chelsea, Manchester city.
00:07:13
Cate
So it was both gaming a day. I would have done the same if I did, if I didn't have a dinner, I would have, I mean, how lucky are we to just, you know, be in a city where you can go and watch two incredible gaming one day.
00:07:27
Cate
I was just, it was just so good.
00:07:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:29
Cate
I i love how they planned it, right?
00:07:32
Cate
So how they plan it in a way, the schedule and everything.
00:07:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
no
00:07:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
so Could I interject for a moment to just talk about ah it's literally just been announced that Arsenal's game against Bayern has is moving to Borenwood, which I mean, apart from anything else, it's just really inaccessible. It's north of London, kind of near and St. Albans and for me, someone who doesn't live in London, it's just too long. It just makes the journey far too long. The Emirates Stadium is accessible, it's central, it's easy to get to. But yeah, I mean, and again, we've talked about this before, but moving this fixture because of
00:08:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah fixture clash so let me explain. So Arsenal women's team was due to play in the Champions League against Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium on the 18th of December. Tickets were sold since September and it was all going well. They sold I think seven and a half thousand tickets until much later. I think it was a couple of weeks ago they announced that the men's Carabao Cup was going to be the same day against Crystal Palace and so the men need the stadium, the women therefore have to find somewhere else to play. And I have just two thoughts about this and then we'll move on. um One thought is just why is it the women's team's problem? that we've We got there first essentially, find us keepers, we had the stadium first.
00:09:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the other thing is that like, it just would have been such a good opportunity to make a statement that because I understand the business side of it and the money argument, I totally get that. And business-wise, they made the right decision. But for social change, sometimes you need to make a statement of saying, well, I'm not going to do what's right for business. I'm going to do something that's going to kind of cause a big statement that's going to really push the boat out. I think sometimes we need that. And I was disappointed.
00:09:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Anyway, let's move on. ah Chelsea are dominant. Sonia Bombasto is bombastic. I'm saying that as much as I can because I love that phrase.
00:09:51
Cate
The idea is that...
00:09:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
She's the first ever WSR manager to win seven on the trot, history made yet again.
00:10:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah United and Chelsea, Manchester United that is, are the only unbeaten sides until next weekend and I will be at that game. So come on United, I've got my matchday
Chelsea and Manchester United Highlights
00:10:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
shirt ready. I'm wearing a Millie Turner rainbow laces 21 shirt.
00:10:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think we're gonna win. I think Chelsea are probably going to score quite a few goals um and probably make that eight. So there we go. But that is um next weekend. And also attending the Chelsea game was someone a little bit more famous than me.
00:10:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Usain Bolt, I don't know if anyone's ever heard of him, I mean, you know.
00:10:42
Cate
I don't know if anyone has not heard of him.
00:10:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
i
00:10:45
Cate
Yeah, it was or
00:10:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
name Maybe I'm just as famous.
00:10:49
Cate
it was really cool It was really cool. It was really nice actually. I don't know if he was on purpose or if he was like, I don't know, like planned as in like, you know, sometimes celebrities are invited and you know, it's kind of like, I don't want to say he's a job, but kind of. But I actually think he probably did come not for that reason to support, you know, he's a co-country woman.
00:11:13
Cate
ah bunny although she didn't perform as well but I mean a bit difficult against Chelsea but yeah it was really nice to see that it was really really nice um um and
00:11:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, I think Michelle did kind of play, she played like Bunny Shaw, but I think the problem is Chelsea just neutralized her. They just kind of marked her out of the game. But yeah, it was really nice. The picture of him with Lauren James and Bunny Shaw was really nice.
00:11:41
Cate
Yeah, it was really cute.
00:11:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I love Lauren James. ah just i say And I say that as a United fan. I think she's just brilliant. And I love how chilled she is all the time. You can see her, she's just like, Yep, and you can see that like the world could be on fire and she would just be strolling through like, yep. Yep, I'm here. um Also, we had some big news today. Sam Kerr gave the news of a baby on the way with her long-term fiance. Do you want to tell us more about that?
00:12:19
Cate
Yeah, I mean, talking about Chelsea, she was present at the game as well, of course, as usual, even though she's still injured. Although I was it last week, I think, I think it's last week that she posted this kind of like cryptic message with her football boots saying, ah finally, or something like that, see you all soon. And I was just like,
00:12:43
Cate
I actually thought, is she going back for, and you know, are they going to play her for like the city game or is like the big news and things like that?
00:12:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
look
00:12:51
Cate
Because I think another day she also said something about big news. So that's what I thought. But instead, the big news is the fact that her and her fiance um will become parents.
00:13:04
Cate
Well, next year, obviously, because now we are at the end of So yeah, 2025 big years, Herfian is also playing for Westam. Westam posted a really nice little, ah you know, congratulations post as well.
00:13:19
Cate
It's really nice to see. um Yeah, I mean, they've been together a long time. It's quite nice to see. I like that.
00:13:25
Cate
I like that. yeah
00:13:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Have you seen, it was really cute, Manchester United, Hailey Ladd is also pregnant and
00:13:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
and they did a gender reveal for her and it was so nice. They made um essentially like, um the they got a football, a fake football filled with, I'm not sure what it was, I think it was like um ah some kind of dust or glitter in the colour of what the baby is and then um they kind of she launched the football into the air and Millie Turner kicked it and then it exploded with this colour. I'm not going to ruin it for anyone. You can go and look at it yourself. It exploded in this colour and yeah it was so nice. That was very heartwarming um for a gender reveal video. I'm i'm not a huge fan of these massive gender reveals that they do, but that was very nice.
00:14:19
Cate
The Global Sports Podcast Network is changing the face of football podcasts with dedicated daily content for every Premier League game, women's football, fantasy football, and a daily Premier League wrap-up broadcasted in five different languages. This is your one-stop shop for your daily football fix. Find GSPN wherever you find your usual podcast.
00:14:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
OK, so for our second topic, we are going to talk about the international break that's coming up and a few key injuries for England that unfortunately are also happening at the moment. So recently, this week, it's been announced that Ellatoon has a long term injury. She's going to be out for at least six weeks. So she's going to miss some key games for United, some key games for England. And I mean, I think I really wish her the best. um I love Eletine. She's one of my favorite. I say this about everyone, but she is one of my favorites. I think I just love a lot of plays. I think she's fantastic. She just has this ability to score goals, especially at Wembley. So I think England especially will really miss her against the United States. um I think it could be a good opportunity for someone like Grace Clinton, for England especially, because I think quite often
00:15:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
when people talk about England they and say, oh, Grace Clinton should be started, she's in really good form. I think quite often the thing is where to put her in the team, um because she quite often, like yet ah this weekend for United, she actually played in a bit of a deeper role. um But I think she really prefers kind of playing more upfront and kind of where allotune's been playing for England might might suit, might be good for her. um And I think that is something they'll try.
00:16:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Otherwise it's kind of how do you fit her and Georgia Stanway and Kira Walsh all on the pitch at the same time is quite difficult and Ella Toon. But yeah, all the best to Ella Toon.
00:16:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
She's had a really tough few months and ah yeah, I just wish her all the best. Who else may not make it with only 12 days to go until the big game?
00:16:28
Cate
Yeah.
00:16:35
Cate
yeah i mean i don't oh oh my god let me tell me about that day so i have a birthday party to go on the 30th of uh november and i was like
00:16:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'll see you in a minute. I need to go to a birthday party.
00:16:49
Cate
I was like, who, who is having a birthday party when Emma Hayes is coming to play at Wembley? And my friend was like, me. I was like, okay, fair enough. ah No, I will go to the game. There is no way. The only, no, I was just thinking like the only way I would miss that game if it's like really terrible weather and it's really raining it. And I'm like, nah, even that, the only way I miss the game if they don't play the game.
00:17:17
Cate
if for whatever reason they postpone the game or or there is something and they don't play but otherwise no way it's such an historic no no way come on we have like we are going to have there playing the two best coaches in the world as in like national team football coaches national team football coaches
00:17:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah i I think the best few coaches in the world just period, personally. i mean i I really don't like all of these conversations about who's the best because I always think there's room for a lot of people to be really, really good. We don't need to so decide like who is the one best, but I definitely think those two have to be.
00:17:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
All I will say is, if Emma Hayes tries to shove Serena, I'll jump down and protect her. I will jump down and be a ah Serena protector.
00:18:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because she's tiny.
00:18:13
Cate
um what What are you sitting? Are you coming to watch the game?
00:18:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, I'm coming. I'm actually sitting row 16. So 16 rows back on the side.
00:18:22
Cate
just yeah Just behind a doghouse, so you can jump down to defend Serena.
00:18:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah but i can Yeah, I can jump down and I'll defend Serena. she's She's just so tiny and I feel like if it wouldn't take someone very strong to try and push her and she'd just fall over because she's so tiny. um But no, I'm very much looking forward to that as well. um I mean, there are some other question marks over players. I really hope there's been no news. So Georgia Stanway played for Bayern Munich on Sunday.
00:18:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah She was withdrawn on 66 minutes, which for anyone who watches by in regularly, that is very early for Georgia Stanway to come off.
00:18:54
Cate
Yeah.
00:19:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
It might have been tactical, ah they were too nil up, it might have just been to give her a rest. um But yeah, I really hope that she's okay because that would be a massive miss along with our Latoon. That would be an incredible miss um for England. We've also got some players slightly less in form, for example, Bethmeade.
Beth Meade's Performance
00:19:27
Cate
Beth Meade? Yes, I agree with you because on Sunday, I don't know, on Sunday she came on quite late to play, right?
00:19:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then you've got...
00:19:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
me
00:19:36
Cate
And I don't know if, I don't know, it just, I don't know if it's just me thinking that or not, but it felt like she's not quite there. And I'm just like, ooh, is that something we don't know about?
00:19:48
Cate
ah Do you know what I mean?
00:19:50
Cate
or Or is it that it you know the victory was so comfortable that maybe they didn't want to risk it? I don't i don't know. I have no idea. but i don't Do you know when you just have that type of feeling, which is like,
00:19:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:20:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that she's not fully on top form.
00:20:05
Cate
inna what's happened yeah exactly and I mean, I don't know. Sarina was at the game at the Chelsea Manchester City game on Sunday. So I don't know who she was looking and who she was a checking out, et cetera.
00:20:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, quite a few players there. Alex Greenwood, Jess Park played, and then the Arsenal is why you've obviously got Alessia Russo scoring really, really quickly. Alessia likes doing that. um Yeah, Leah Williamson, I thought, had a really good game, which I was happy for.
00:20:39
Cate
actually yes yes you're right you're right i have to say that's true i agree on that yeah
00:20:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
that she Well, she's got this, because her specialty is picking out these passes And I just don't know how she does it, how she sees this pass and then makes it.
00:20:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's so accurate. And yeah, anyway, ah she had a great game. A lot of people to look at. Savannah was there. At the same time Brighton were playing.
00:21:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fran Kirby just had, I've watched this back on YouTube. Fran Kirby just had a wonderful game, which is fantastic.
00:21:11
Cate
Yeah.
00:21:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
She's just in the brilliant form. um She got her, 100 involvement in goals in the WSL, 66 goals and 35 assists. Should she start for England against the USA? With Ella Thun being out, there is a kind of midfield.
00:21:34
Cate
Right? Right? That's exactly what I was thinking. I was like, oh, look at that.
00:21:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:21:39
Cate
What a coincidence. You have like an um incredible beginning of the season. And I don't want to say like the best game you've ever played, but a really, really good game you played.
00:21:50
Cate
And, you know, you smashed another record and then LA is out and it's just like, oh, would the you know, Selena doesn't really like to change formation too much.
00:22:00
Cate
I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.
00:22:02
Cate
I would but then I'm not a coach but I also think that sometimes maybe this is the romantic side and I'm just like yeah but if someone is really like you know they're riding that wave should you know just let them ride that wave and just go like yeah yeah let's go in and smash it but also she's you know she's an MIA's ex-player so I think she would want to go there and be like
00:22:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean.
00:22:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:27
Cate
Like, you know, like, coach, I love you when you were my coach, you know, I love you, but now I'm just going to have to like smack you. Well, smack you as in like by scoring goals. is it like a rappan you It's just disclaimer in case someone is listening. So yeah, I, I would, I would, and I hope she will get to.
00:22:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, I definitely think she will get minutes. I think whether she starts for me, it depends on what Serena wants to see because we know that these friendlies have a purpose, which is getting ready for Euro 2025. And I think it will depend on what she wants to see because these games are all about kind of testing her on paper strongest team, which we saw against Germany. Um, because I think she, that is her, the team that she thinks is kind of her top team is what she put out against Germany. Everyone is going to complain but I think she's going to do the same thing the same team against the USA and a lot of people will complain but then I would just say well look at the France game everyone complained when she kept the same 11
00:23:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
when we went away to France and we had our best performance in probably two years since the Euros probably. um so yeah that But I do think Fran Kirby will get some minutes because I think she is quite obviously still an important player for the Lionesses and it's not even just in terms of football but also in leadership and also in having that experience and I think that um yeah she will definitely be involved in some way. I'm not sure she'll start.
00:24:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:24:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. Our last topic for today is a very, probably the most important topic that I've certainly covered on the podcast so far, talking about mental health breaks.
00:24:38
Cate
Yep. So one of the reasons why I also wanted to cover this one is because this week, um so Courtney Brooke, Courtney,
Mental Health in Sports
00:24:48
Cate
Courtney, I think Courtney Brooke anyway, Brooke Wine, sorry, who is an Australia professional ah football player. ah She plays currently, well, currently she's on a break, obviously, but ah the last ah play she play played was ah the North Carolina courage as a winger.
00:25:08
Cate
uh and at the North Carolina college they play in the women's soccer league so uh in the United States and also she is an OC national team and she only is she's only 26 so she's not too old not at all and I'm not saying that mental health as an age not at all what I'm just saying is that she's quite in her prime right of her career it's not like who i'm coming towards towards the end i'm a bit i don't know what to do that type of thing no no no i absolutely love her so what she did is that this week through her management company she posted a so statement
00:25:45
Cate
just after the ah Australia team was announced for the international break and she wasn't there and so she posted a statement saying this is one I mean informing and this was also one of the reason and I absolutely loved that she's still brave to just say this is what's happening to me she mentioned she had a couple of tough two years in the past so the past two years were quite hard And I'm just like, do you know what? That is actually so good. And it's like it's really good. Because in many other careers, you are actually allowed to say that. You know you can have a compassionate leave. You can have some days where you know you're like, hey, look, if you need a day or two to just kind of like reset, go back into it, make sure you know it's very important. And in here, we pretend like that they perform all the time.
00:26:35
Cate
and very often when they are treated a little bit like objects. And I'm saying this in a in in a nice way. I'm not saying in a nasty way or anything, but I was at an event with which was was the Middlesex F.A. and there was a Dr. Michael Bennett there who is the head of player welfare of the PFA. ah and and and And he mentioned that a lot. He spoke so much about this, about the importance of it. You see, he was a football player and he told us you know he told us about his story and how
00:27:13
Cate
you know he was sold into a place and sent into another than went to another than out of contract here and it was just like people just. not pretended but it's like I had to change you know teams, cities, leagues and everything and it's like people feel that you can you're just like a machine and you can adopt very adapt very quickly and that has so much effect on you and you know how much are they selling you for you know is that my value you start to ask your yourself so many questions and I wonder if you know um so Courtney has played in Australia a like she hasn't
00:27:49
Cate
been abroad, and she just played for the home league and the national team. And this is the first time that she actually ventured out and moved to the United States to play for a different league and a different team. And I wonder if that triggered it. I'm not saying that it triggered because of how the team is or how the country is, et cetera. Sometimes when you are moved away from your overall comfort zone,
00:28:16
Cate
you're kind of like, you need to really face everything else. And maybe that happened to her. And now she's like, Whoa, wait a minute, me first, I need to, you know, come back into it first.
00:28:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:29
Cate
And then I will be able to perform again. And I love that for her.
00:28:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I definitely love that as well. I think you're right. I mean, she did Australia to the US is quite a move as well. It's probably the furthest um she could move. But I think even more than that as well, there are so many questions about player welfare that we need to think about.
00:28:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
just kind of every day with the social media and I know we have a big discussion about criticism is okay, abuse is not okay, um but I mean I always just think what players do obviously get things from social media because even if they don't read it other people tell them about it and then there's the consistent pressure of having I mean the growth of the game is fantastic but quite a lot of these players now will I've started playing at a time when so you would have been lucky to get 500 bands in the ground. And suddenly you've got thousands shouting your name. um That's a lot of pressure as well. And one thing that i I know that I am guilty of, but I try not to be, is try not to put players on pedestals. Because I think if you put a player on a pedal so pedestal, it's very nice to kind of show them support. but
00:29:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
also that gives them such a long way to fall and I think that can be a big thing with players as well is that we put so much pressure on them but also we expect so much we demand so much as fans and I think quite often we just need to have a bit more acceptance that they are humans they are human beings and they will have their own issues and every you everyone has their own issues and I think just talking about it more and more is the best thing that we could do. I just wanted to bring in, Jess Carter said something, I listened to ah a podcast with Jess Carter a while back and she said that ahead of the Euros, ah she was in the England squad but she actually asked Serena if she could leave early to go home because she was just overwhelmed and exhausted.
00:30:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
and I really liked that she said that and you know she said she knew that that would put her euros spot in jeopardy because she knew that um well if I'm choosing to go home now maybe I won't get called up for the euros but still made that decision to go home and do what was best for her and then of course she did get called up again um but yeah just again talking about it I think is the absolutely best thing that that we can do
00:30:47
Cate
Yeah.
00:31:04
Cate
Absolutely. and And as you said, you know, just ah last thing, because before I know we're running out of time, so we need to wrap up, but, uh, exactly what you said before we expect so much. And I'm glad that players are starting to be vocal. I love what the PFA is doing. The PFA is great on welfare. It's so good.
00:31:24
Cate
It's you know, there's so many ex players in their former players that go like I know what happened to me I'm not gonna let this happen to the next one. Let's be vocal about it. I love it. I love it I love it because I'm also guilty of that, you know, you just go like yeah my like this is your job just perform Just go there and play all the time and do this. That's what we expect But it's a, yeah, it's a, it's a little bit too much expectation on them.
00:31:49
Cate
So well done.
00:31:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:31:50
Cate
Well done to Courtney and I wish her to have a fantastic like break.
00:31:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. um So I think that's all we have time for today, unfortunately.
Closing Remarks
00:32:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you for joining us, and we look forward to welcoming you to the next episode of Beyond the Pitch. Bye for me.
00:32:09
Cate
Bye for me.