Community Over Competition

Sarah Cochrane, 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.

Sarah Cochrane plays for Cathkin Blazes, a team founded in Glasgow in May 2021 to give an opportunity for people to (re)connect in the safety of an outdoor space. The club intended to create a space for women and non-binary players to take part in inclusive, free, beginner-friendly football in the park, and form a community for those who have experienced barriers to entry in the past, due to gender, race or sexuality. Based in Govanhill, one of Scotland’s most diverse neighbourhoods, Cathkin Blazes symbolises community and encourages players representing marginalised genders and diverse backgrounds to take up space in sport. 

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 Sarah Cochrane and I am from Glasgow. I work in marketing in the charity sector, and with my football club Cathkin Blazes I…make the spreadsheets, keep the squad informed, help organise participation in tournaments, and do various other unglamorous bits of admin. I also do some game day captaining.

Football has only been a routine part of my life for the past year, with Cathkin Blazes coming together in summer 2021 and providing the sort of football space I had been craving: somewhere friendly, welcoming and local.

What has your football journey been up until now? 

As a child I wanted to be involved in football, but it was difficult as there were not many opportunities for girls. I enjoyed kicking a ball about with friends on the street and taking shots against my dad in the park, but opportunities to play in a more organised setting were few and far between. 

I totally fell away from football when I was a teenager, and it was not until I was reaching my mid-twenties that I found my way back, when I learnt about Glasgow City FC. I had been living here my whole life and had never heard of Glasgow City: a women’s team not affiliated with a men’s side, with a cabinet full of silverware, founding members of the SWPL, outspoken about sexism in the game, with incredibly inspiring players on their roster like Clare Shine and Lee Alexander.

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

My photos were taken in Cathkin Park, where we train each week, and at Firhill Sports Complex, where we play monthly grassroots tournaments. Cathkin Park is an amazing spot, rich in football history - it was formerly home to Queens Park FC and Third Lanark. It is where we started playing in Summer 2021, and after a winter spent on floodlit five-a-side pitches, it has been so nice to return!

I wanted to capture the friendly, supportive, and sometimes silly atmosphere at our practices and games. I wanted to show off our kits, which feature stunning artwork created by Blazes Josie and Lizzie. I wanted to show people feeling happy and confident on the pitch. I wanted to make a record of our time at Cathkin Park, which we will have to leave behind when winter sets in, as it is unlit. 

You can see so many Blazes in these photos: there is founder Yas and coach Emma; hockey goalie turned footie goalie Steph; and Titi, whose football scepticism fell away completely after her first session. There are people who have been part of the group from day one, and people who are giving football a go for the very first time.

What is your favourite photograph? Why?

There is a photo that shows Nuala coaching. We can only see some of the people she is speaking to, but amongst them are folk who have been coming almost every week for twelve months, alongside people who have just arrived for their very first session. 

It reminds me of how much we have been through in the last year – learning 7s rules at our very first tournament, after just a couple of months kicking a ball about in the park; being invited to the Having a Ball tournament at St. George’s Park; our winter pitch crisis, resolved by the generosity of Govanhill Baths Community Trust – who enabled us to keep our winter sessions free.

But it also reminds me of how little has changed, that we are at our core exactly as we were one year ago. Despite having established a stable community, our group still grows week on week as it did right at the start; we are still able to provide a welcoming space for people of all abilities to play.

What are the opportunities for women's and non-binary players to participate in your community?

We are lucky to have a monthly grassroots women’s 7s tournament on our doorstep. Women’s Football Glasgow have managed to connect groups from across the city in quasi-competitive play, which is great fun. Being part of a wider inclusive football community, outside of just our team, offers more opportunities for people to play in different parts of the city and on different days of the week, with teams like Glasgow Saints, Glasgow West and Glasgow Pride. 

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

Football has completely changed my life over the past twelve months. I am hooked on the post game high. My social circle is always growing, and I have found myself part of a brilliant community of people driven by similar values.

Cathkin Blazes has allowed me to develop my confidence, on and off the pitch. It is a supportive group where we celebrate each other’s strengths and trade the tricks we have been practising. It is important to have an inclusive space to play, free from the judgemental attitudes of men who deride the women’s game. 

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

Playing in commercial hire pitches and in the park, we are of course targets of occasional sexist remarks and micro-aggressions – which feel designed to remind us that we are not entitled to take up space in the game. It is always up to us to shrug off, respond to, or reason with the men and boys who do this. It is time their pals stepped in.

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

Our ambitions are to find some stability, in terms of where we meet to practise and how we fund that. We are happy championing the community over competition, and continuing to provide a space for players of all abilities.

I feel excited about the future of football in our community. There are lots of grassroots women’s teams emerging, which means more opportunities for more women to take up space on the pitch. Some groups aspire to play in 11-a-side leagues, whilst others keep it casual – it is great that there are options! I would like to see affordable pitches that are not owned by private interests, and I would like for women’s fixtures to be shown in pubs. 

Series edited by Emma Walley.