A whole new ball game to come at Pools
AMID all the recent
pomp and
ceremony of David
Beckham picking
up his 100th
international cap, one small
fact was overlooked.
Beckham was lauded as the
fifth footballer to rack up a
century of England
appearances; Gill Coulthard
may be small in stature, but
shes hard to overlook in
English football history.
I got a bit peeved with the
news that David Beckham was
the fifth player to earn 100 caps
for England C he wasnt, I was,
she said.
So I rang the FA to tell them
C it went down really well . . .
But her playing days over, 119
international caps behind her,
Coulthard is starting a new
chapter, coaching the newlyformed
Hartlepool United ladies
team.
Coulthard, a defender by
trade, spent over 20 years with
hometown club Doncaster
Belles, and was part of their
rise to the very top of the
womens game.
And, with the new venture to
come at Victoria Park, she is
well aware of the benefits of a
tie in with a Football League
club.
I Joined Doncaster Belles
aged 13, had an England trial
and got my first international
cap in 1981, she said.
But I spent over 20 years
with the club and its great to
see them in the position they
are now.
They linked up with Rovers
and it proves that linking up
with a club pays off.
Pools use the training area
at Houghall and Ive known
Russ Green(chief executive) for
a long time.
There is a call for it in the
area, we dont seem to have a
good team in a very good
league.
In the North-East weve got
Sunderland and Newcastle
playing in a good league,
why not give it a go this side
of Durham?
She added: My boots are
now hung up and I want
to put something else
back into the game,
Im working
towards my prolicence
and where
better to start
than here.
Im excited
about it all C
womens football is
only going to go one
way. Its one of the
biggest growing
sports around now, its
massive.
When I first started
out I wondered where it
would go.
I thought that in ten
years time there would
be a real competition at
the top C but there isnt,
theres still Arsenal,
Fulham, Doncaster and
the like.
Where are we going
wrong? A lot of it is down to
money and sustainability. Clubs
arent going to give you money
if theres nothing in it for them,
but its great to tie in with
Pools. It can only be of benefit
to all.
Hartlepool already has
made a mark on the
international stage,
with Lindsay
Johnson
impressing for
Everton and
England.
The central
defender has
reached the
highest point,
she was part of
the World Cup
squad last year,
and Coulthard
believes hopefuls
looking to make
their mark at
Pools next season,
have the perfect
role model.
In Hartlepool
weve got Lindsay
and anyone within
our region can look up
to her, she added,
ahead of a series of
trials where she hopes
to find a new Lindsay
Johnson for the team.
I would like to be able
to use her here, get her in and
see what her input can be.
She has gone from playing in
the region to playing for
England C what a story C and
Im sure there are others who, if
we can get them in, can achieve
their potential.
And she firmly believes she is
launching a new venture with
plenty of potential.
Ive played in the league we
are going into (Durham County
Development League) and its
not great, but the aim is to get
out of it asap and move on, she
vowed.
The aim is to take the club
as high as we can C we want to
be in the Premier League.
Listening to the chairman
here, Ken Hodcroft, and
listening to Russ they want to,
so why not?
It does work and can bring
people in. It can increase the
women fan base at the club.
I want to get everyone
involved, Keith Nobbs with the
Football in the Community
programme and build up a big
structure of teams.
And she added: I have high
standards C Ive been involved
in the women's academy at
Peterlee and Houghall College.
My standards are right up
there, its up to the players to
meet me, because I wont drop
my standards.
Pools, about to enter their
centenary season after starting
out in the 1908/09 campaign, are
equally enthusiastic about the
new venture.
Clubs who have introduced
female football have reaped the
benefits, said chief executive
Russ Green.
We are finding we are
getting more women through
the gates, more girls in the
Playing For Success classrooms
and the interest is growing.
They want to be part of the
club and while we want to
introduce a ladies first team, we
want long term to introduce a
number of junior sides and all
age groups through our centre
of excellence.
Having Gill on board is great
and she will attract top players.
Peterlee have their team and
have progressed, now with our
name attached it can only help.
In the days of announcing
the team, weve had a lot of
interest and it opens doors for
us.
IOR are behind the scheme
100per cent and everything we
have done with the centenary
year is being fully backed.
ö It was reported in New
Zealand yesterday that
Wellington Phoenix have
turned to the PFA for advice
after Pools announced that Joel
Porter was staying at Victoria
Park. Phoenix say they had
agreed a three-year deal with
the striker before Pools took up
the year-long option on his
contract last Friday.
9:13am Monday 12th May 2008
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