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Her Game Too is delighted to announce a new member of its family today, with Emma-Louise Callister becoming the official Ambassador for the National League North club Chorley FC.
From spawning a love for Manchester United due to her grandad, the successes of the Lionesses and watching her daughter play for Chorley, Emma-Louise has had plenty of experiences within football that she is eager to share!
Sharing the start of her story, her Grandad kindled her love of football, determined to have someone to watch the games with and later, Emma’s love of Manchester United was born.
“I was the first grandchild born and I think my grandad decided well before I arrived that he was having a football buddy irrespective of gender. My grandparents had my mum and my uncle, and neither were into sport so it was just him. And that’s where it all began.“
“From when I was old enough to sit still, twice a week I would go straight after school for tea and we would convert the back bedroom into our viewing room where we had Bass Shandy and snacks whilst my nana was downstairs watching the soaps and shouting up the stairs to keep it down. I loved being part of it; hearing him tell me stories and teaching me the rules and about all the players.“
“Even the night he died I had been with him just half an hour prior as we had been watching Manchester United v Bordeaux. It was every match without fail. My grandad made me fall in love with it and because Manchester United meant so much to him, it became so much more, especially after he passed when I was 13. Football was a direct link to my closeness with him and it just never went away. I learned he was right…there’s no feeling like football.”
Everyone remembers their first game, right? And Emma’s just before United’s famous treble winning season, she recalls the feeling of going to Old Trafford for the very first time and then, lately, what the treble winning season meant and a special moment at the victory parade.
“I remember my first game at Old Trafford just after Christmas when I was 9. We beat Newcastle and I just could not get over actually being at the stadium I had watched on TV. I don’t think I need to go into too much detail about Manchester United winning the treble and what it meant. I was 12 and screaming at the parade bus outside McDonald’s on Chester Road and swearing blind that Ryan Giggs had noticed me.”
As with many of our ambassadors, the lauding of the Lionesses seems a constant feature, with Emma-Louise no different in waxing lyrical over the inspirational Lionesses.
“Watching the Lionesses' successes has been amazing. Male or female I’ll stick my shirt and playlist on and get behind the athletes representing our country and swear it’s coming home every time. It’s fantastic how the lionesses have inspired so many young girls to get into sport. It’s opened doors for a whole new future generation of footballers and is huge even in the mental and physical health of young girls.”
Her fondness for Chorley FC, a Lancashire based National League North side, started with her daughter playing for the club.
“My daughter Ava is big into her football and has been playing since she was 8. I think it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that whether it’s your sister or daughter or partner, anyone can have any hobby they like and that they are safe and respected when participating or spectating.“
“My daughter has been playing for Chorley FC for 2 seasons now and we’re lucky enough to have amazing male coaching staff and a supportive home club who want to help expand their female section. We get to watch the men’s team play a lot and it’s very important that female fans feel safe, heard and involved when enjoying the match. We haven’t personally encountered or experienced any sexism or disrespect at this club as of yet which has been wonderful and really refreshing.”
Emma-Louise has a wonderful advocate at the club, working closely with Suzanne and has clear ideals for what she wants to achieve with Her Game Too.
“My plans (alongside my wonderful Advocate Suzanne) is to ensure that should any unfortunate situations ever arise, women and girls at the club know there is a designated support system where they can voice any concerns or behaviours and that it will be addressed. Also we want to oversee things like ensuring there are stocked sanitary facilities in the bathrooms and making sure there are equal opportunities for fans and players.“
“The idea of getting more females into coaching roles to help create or support more girls teams is really important too. When I did my coaching badge and started going on courses I was the assistant at a boys team. I would love to see more female coaches involved in grassroots level boys teams as I think that could contribute massively in the ways boys view women in sport and the respect we are shown from an early age before behaviours are learned.”
Finally, Emma-Louise draws on negative experiences for simply being a woman having an opinion on football, whilst ending with a poetic quote on how Her Game Too can change society and football for the better.
“In football, women have a different opinion we’re often made to feel like we’re wrong because of our gender. The ironic thing is that men have actively prevented women playing football over the years (Copa 71 as a more well known example) but then will act like we have a lot of catching up to do and because “we’re late to the party”, we can’t have the same treatment or even treat it as the same sport. I find it amusing that certain people say that women shouldn’t be commenting on the male game as they’ve not played at that level, but they have no issue with Jim White getting involved every week.“
“There are also many male journalists and presenters who are so abundant on our screens talking about what the professionals need to do more, for example, Matt Lucas (from Little Britain and Bake Off) hosting a Fantasy Football show but heaven forbid Mollie & Rosie Kmita show their faces alongside Fenners on Soccer AM!“
“Even if we can’t change attitudes, we can correct behaviour through education or repercussions. If you’re going to make me or another female feel uncomfortable, unsafe or undervalued then it’s you who has no business being there, not me and that needs to become to new normal. Sport is a place for anyone who loves it and who knows how to be positive, respectful and polite to another person.“
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