Finding Our Own Space

Megan Thomas, Glasgow, Scotland

Goal Click have teamed up with EE to tell the stories of UK grassroots teams born out of adversity - that have overcome hate with hope, with the aim of making the beautiful game more inclusive for all. Because there is a place in football for everyone. 

Megan Thomas plays for Camp Hellcats FC, a team founded in the Southside of Glasgow in 2021 after a group of women and non-binary people started playing a weekly 5-a-side game during the second pandemic lockdown. They quickly developed into a 50-member-strong squad - winning the Glasgow Women's 7s beginners’ tournament twice! The team is driven by the passion to make football accessible for all, regardless of age, ability, race, sexual orientation, and gender. 

Inspired? To find your place in football, in Scotland, head here.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us how your football life began?

My name is Megan Thomas and I come from Glasgow. I am the captain of Camp Hellcats FC and tend to play in midfield (left wing or centre). I am currently training to become a train driver. I have wanted to do this for a number of years now. I tend to enjoy working in safety critical roles where there is a strong procedural element and this career ticks both those boxes!

I have loved football for as long as I can remember. As a young girl, my Dad used to take me to see Celtic play - Henrik Larsson was my favourite player and I used to love watching him. However, as a girl it is very hard to picture yourself in the same shoes as a man. If there had been an equivalent in women’s football and a stronger place for women in the game when I was young, I think my confidence would have grown rather than shrunk.

Another notable highlight has to be, at 11 years old, going to see Bend It Like Beckham at the cinema. I am sure a lot of female players would agree that this film is memorable for them. At that time I do not recall seeing any other big efforts to promote women’s footballers and I found this film so inspiring as a young girl who loved the game. 

What has your football journey been up until now? 

I started playing football when I was at school. Unfortunately there were no girls’ teams available outside of the school team which presented a lot of challenges. When I was around 12 years old my mum took me to a training session for a boys’ team. I remember being reduced to tears by the comments made by the boys there and I went home before the session got underway. 

I played for my school for a year, but I had very little confidence at this point and it was not a particularly enjoyable experience for me. I cannot remember playing much football after I was 13, until now. 

Last year, a friend contacted me and asked if I wanted to be involved in a casual game of five-a-side and from there, the group of players have grown into Camp Hellcats FC. We still play fives but we also play competitively in a monthly tournament and this is something I hope we continue to develop and take further.

What did you try to capture with your photos? Was there a wider meaning with the photos?

The photos were taken at a variety of places including the pitches where we play fives, our local (and favourite) burger place Freddy+Hicks, and at another set of pitches where we recently played in a friendly tournament with other local teams. 

The photos are intended to show a candid and realistic view of the team. There is one particular image of Becky which I feel is important. The picture was taken by our teammate, Lesley. In the picture Becky is wearing a Rangers shirt and I am wearing a Celtic t-shirt. In Glasgow, there is a huge stigma surrounding the two local teams and there is still a lot of animosity amongst fans. It was important for us to show that our team does not face these barriers.

You can also see the team trying to create a pyramid formation. We had just finished playing five a side and were very tired, but the idea was put forward and we went for it. It shows the fun side of our team, the strength we have, and the fact that we can rely on each other.

What role does football play in your life and in your community?

Football is one of the biggest parts of my life, whether that is playing or watching. During the Scottish Premiership season you can find me at Celtic Park, biting my nails and dreaming of victory. Alongside this, being able to play football with like-minded individuals is so rewarding.

Being from Glasgow, football is a huge part of day-to-day life and conversation. The local grassroots teams have created their own communities and that allows players to have access to a progressive and safe space.

What impact has Camp Hellcats had on you? Why is it so important to have an inclusive space to play?

If that 12-year-old girl in tears could see me now, she would be very proud. Camp Hellcats FC has given me the confidence to push myself in a way I never thought possible. It has made football so much more enjoyable for me. I walked onto that pitch a year ago not knowing many people and I now have a great group of friends who thrive as a team, I am so proud of that. I cannot stress how important it is that we have an inclusive space to play. I think playing sports can be nerve wracking, never mind playing a sport which is traditionally dominated by men. By surrounding ourselves with inclusivity as much as possible, Camp Hellcats FC has been able to develop players who previously would not have had the confidence to walk onto a pitch at all.

How important is it for male allies to fight sexist abuse?

Although progress has been made, women are still constantly facing barriers in relation to football due to it being so dominated by men. This goes from access to pitch space to being viewed as credible. On one occasion last year whilst we were playing five-a-side, a group of young boys shouted sexist abuse towards our players, all whilst their male coach stood and watched. It was not until a female coach appeared that an effort was made to stop them. 

It is so important that men are involved in the conversation regarding sexist abuse, not only in football but in day to day life - men should educate each other and call each other out. It is not a woman’s job to teach men how to be better. I feel that by including respected and notable football heroes in this conversation, we may be taken more seriously in our battle to end sexist abuse in the game.

What do you think the future looks like for football in your community? Why might the future be hopeful? What would you like to change?

I want to see Camp Hellcats FC grow as much as possible. I would love to see the team secure regular coaching and develop towards playing 11-a- side. I would also love to see us secure a trophy in some form. On a personal level, I want to continue to grow in confidence and develop my playing ability.

The future looks bright and I finally feel as though women are finding their own space in football, although we still have massive boundaries to cross. Most recently I have been involved in a lot of conversations about how the exposure the Women’s Euros has received is so important and very exciting.

I feel that companies investing in women’s football and communities growing within the game have forced a conversation we did not need to have before. I would like for women to be taken more seriously and be given more credit for how incredible they are. I would also like us to feel more welcome and safer in male dominated spaces.

Series edited by Emma Walley.