Casey Stoney is one of the most respected names in football. A leading light in the women’s game for the past 18 years, an England captain with 129 caps for her country, the first female member of the PFA Management Committee and a role model for both the LGBT community and women’s football whose personal motto is to “leave the shirt in a better place than when I took it.”
Talking at the PFA’s AGM in Manchester, Casey tackled all the big issues: from the state of the women’s game, to the fallout from the Eniola Aluko controversy and the importance of preparing for life after football. Reflecting on her own journey to the top of her profession, she’s come a long way since having to train in local parks before work…
What’s been the biggest change in women’s football in your time in the game?
Professionalism. I went from playing while having a full-time job, sometimes having to work six days a week so I could accrue enough time off to go away with England. And training at six o’clock in the morning before I went to work – on my own. I was in the dark, in a park or wherever I could find space. So to go from that to now being paid as a full-time professional, that’s a huge, huge shift in the game.
Just in terms of media attention and attendances over the last few years, the momentum seems to be there for the women’s game…
Oh god yeah, you only have to look at the recent events to know that the media is actually interested in women’s football now. Hopefully they can stay interested in a positive light moving forward. We’ve had successive campaigns with England where we’ve reached the semi-finals, coming home with a bronze from the World Cup and people want to buy into successful teams – so if we can keep doing that with England it filters down. Attendances are increasing, the amount of girls taking up the game is increasing and commercial activity around the game is improving. So it’s all a world away from where it was when I first started.
A lot of positives but there’s still so much more capacity to increase the profile – what do you think needs to happen next?
There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, out in local communities to continue raising attendances. I definitely think the commercial aspect needs to keep improving; companies are missing out on a niche in the market by not using more female players. As a governing body, the FA are pushing it but more work can be done there. But as players we have a responsibility and I think that’s where the key lies – making sure the advert we put out on the pitch is good enough that people want to come back and keep watching.
Off-the-pitch matters have overshadowed the football in the past few months. What has been the impact of all the controversy surrounding England, the FA and Mark Sampson?
It’s had a huge impact on the women’s game. I’ve never seen so much press interest and of course it’s going to have had a negative impact. But now the media attention is there, let’s keep them interested and turn it back to the games – talking about results and performances. It’s been highlighted that the processes surrounding the grievances weren’t good enough, the FA are addressing that and now as an England team we just want to move forward. We’re going to have a new manager in January, an exciting chance to qualify for a World Cup and hopefully the opportunity to go from number three in the world to number one. That’s what all the players want to focus on.
What was the view in the dressing room: were you pleased that all this stuff was being brought out into the open and there was a chance for a clean slate?
I think it’s clearly shown that the procedures were wrong and the support network around the team was wrong. But at the same time players want to play football and they don’t want any distractions, so it was a really tough time in that environment. We weren’t always getting the right information, we didn’t know what to say, how to act, what to do. And obviously we had a teammate in Eniola who was going through something on her own and having to highlight that the procedures weren’t right. As a team now it’s really important that we make sure this never happens again and if there is someone who’s having a problem that it’s dealt with in the proper manner.
The PFA were right behind Eniola Aluko through all this, how important is it for players to know that support is there from the union?
I think it’s huge. I genuinely believe the PFA have the capability of changing women’s football. They’re that important to us. The women’s game is so new to everything and it’s gone professional so quickly, we didn’t know what contracts were, we didn’t know what we were signing – we had no education around that side of the game. So to have the PFA’s support for the central contract negotiations was huge to us. And they supported Eni obviously but they also supported other players through the process with all the media that was happening – when you’ve got top sports journalists who want to get something out of you, you need to be really careful. When you look at the bigger picture, the PFA raises the questions – and has the power to raise the questions – that players can’t always ask.
You’ve always been held up as a role model in the women’s game. With your work as a member of the PFA Management Committee, is that side of the game something you want to develop?
Yeah, definitely. I’ve got so many ideas, it’s just difficult time-wise while you’re still playing to try and implement them. The transition process from playing to employment is going to be a major thing in the women’s game. We don’t earn a lot of money and when you retire you need to go into a new job. So having the support with the education and transition programmes from the PFA is vital. It’s about educating young players that it comes to us all – trying to talk to a 22 year old about what happens when they’re 34, they’re not interested. It’s making sure those conversations are happening and the players are thinking about it. I’m 35 and probably selfishly I’m going ‘we need to do something about this’ because it’s really prevalent now for me. But I’m also a big believer in leaving the shirt in a better place than when I took it – and that’s not just when you’re playing, that’s off the field too. Whether it’s education or injury or wellbeing, it’s making sure the players know what is available through the PFA and that they access it.
At 35, you must be thinking seriously about what comes next?
Absolutely, and I’ve got a family so it’s even more important. We’re pretty much reliant on my wage and overnight I could lose my salary – which is a terrifying prospect! It’s making sure I put things in process and I’ve been very fortunate that the PFA have put me on an A License. I love coaching, I want to stay in the game and Steve Greaves and Jim Hicks in the PFA Coaching department have been a real close support network for me. But not everybody likes coaching so it’s about finding what avenue the players like, what they’re interested in and going ‘right, how can we support you?’ I think I have a key role to play in that and I need to take more initiative to do that kind of stuff with the young players. As a senior player we have a responsibility to help younger players as much as we can and leave the game in a better place.
A big supporter of the Rainbow Laces campaign against homophobia in sport, Casey Stoney has been a leading voice for the LGBT community since publicly acknowledging she was gay in 2014…
Do you feel a responsibility to be an LGBT role model?
It’s just trying to normalise it. If you see people going about their daily lives, having a family, just getting on with it really then I think that’s the best thing you can do. I do take that really seriously because, if I’m not proud of myself how can my kids be proud of me? And if I’m not comfortable in myself how can I tell other people to be comfortable with themselves? If I’m a role model in women’s football and in the LGBT community then that’s great but ultimately I’m a role model to my kids.
It seems to be so open and accepted in women’s football but the men’s game is still the total opposite – why do you think that is?
I think men are taught from a young age to be very different to women. It’s that masculinity, that stereotype of what it is to be gay compared to what it is to be a manly man! It creates a conflict that I don’t agree with – you should be allowed to be yourself and be comfortable with whatever you are. At the end of the day you’re just loving another human being, it shouldn’t affect anything you do as a footballer. But our game is very different. We have a very different fanbase on the terraces and no one really cares what you do in your private life, it’s what you do on the pitch that counts.
Was coming out a big mental hurdle for you or was it always just a matter of time?
It was a big mental hurdle when I came out publicly. My family and the people that really mattered knew from when I was 17/18. But it was the people that didn’t really matter, who I didn’t know, that I was most worried about. Because they didn’t know me I thought they were going to judge me and it was that fear of negative reactions. And I’ve got to be honest, I was ashamed for probably 32 years of my life. I was uncomfortable, I didn’t really know how to feel about it and so I hid it from people. My family knew, my teammates knew, it wasn’t a secret, but I was ashamed and I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin because of it. It wasn’t until I met Megan [Harris, Casey’s partner and former Lincoln teammate] and my life changed and I got my children that I felt ‘you know what, I’m okay, I’m not a bad person and I don’t need to be ashamed’. I’m so proud of my life now. I’ve got an amazing partner, two beautiful children – with another one due any minute! – and life couldn’t be any better.
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