“The group is a dream to coach because everyone’s so enthusiastic and really enjoys playing, which is infectious.”

In Issue 5 of the magazine, we featured a story on a new inclusive football team for women and non-binary people, written by Jessica Kettle, one of the players.

By Jessica Kettle | Photos by Alexander Hoyles

Cathkin Blazes are an inclusive and beginner-friendly football group pulling women and non-binary people onto the pitch. Formed in 2021 in Glasgow’s southside, the Blazes look to create opportunities for fun, fitness and friendship – the need for which has only grown as a result of the pandemic.

Conversations in the Glasgow G42 Mutual Aid group led founders Yas and Beth notice a need in the community for opportunities to meet new people, have fun and connect again after the loss and isolation of the pandemic. Football – a sport that is easy to play with little money and equipment – was suggested, and after keen support from friends, the group was started.

The first week, only four of us turned up at Cathkin Park to play, but after a short match of two vs. two, we were all hooked. Word quickly got around and within a month the group had more than tripled in size. Many of us had little or no prior experience of football, but this didn’t matter, the focus was on enjoyment. After an hour or so of running around outside, laughing, apologising and applauding one another, everyone seemed to leave the park on a high that was addictive.

Emma, the group’s coach, recounts her experience of getting involved with the group:

“We met for the first time with a few other people at Cathkin Park, all having a laugh and kicking the ball around. It was a good time, so naturally we returned. As we kept coming back week after week, so did more folk, that brought more folk and now we have more than enough players for several football teams!

“The group is a dream to coach because everyone’s so enthusiastic and really enjoys playing, which is infectious. Despite the fact that the group has grown, what I love the most is that at its core, it still feels like that first time”

Maintaining a non-judgmental, welcoming and inclusive atmosphere has been central to the Cathkin Blazes ethos. For many, football spaces have felt inaccessible in the past, be that through lack of opportunities, off-putting experiences, cultural assertions that football is ‘for boys’ or simply the fear of not belonging or being good enough. It was therefore important that the group was made as accessible as possible so no one felt excluded.

It is free to play and beginner-friendly, with each new member eagerly welcomed – whatever their ability and experience. The group quickly developed a warm atmosphere where many new friendships have been formed.

“I cherish the opportunity to get excited about playing football with a group of such friendly and inclusive people,” one member said, “I felt very welcome from the first session and have made lots of friends as the weeks have gone by. Playing football has also given me the motivation to keep exercising through the week – Something I haven’t done in a long time!”

Another added: “It makes a difference to my mental health to play sports with other people in this group in a non judgmental and fun way, that is free to attend, flexible and genuinely welcoming to all. It helps me to feel more relaxed around people and more confident in something I never thought I would.”

Many people’s mental and physical health has been negatively affected by the pandemic. Through football, lots of us have discovered a new relationship to health and exercise, discovering a feeling of pure joy that comes from moving our bodies and playing around outside as part of a team. For those who moved to Glasgow during the pandemic, the opportunities for connection and social interaction the group has provided, have been especially valuable.

After a group vote, the team was christened Cathkin Blazes. Cathkin, after Cathkin Park, where we would meet to play each Wednesday evening, Blazes, after Dixon Blazes, the nickname of the historic Govan Ironworks and a nod to the local heritage.

The choice to play at Cathkin Park originally came out of the need for free flat land, that would still give us some privacy, however as we uncovered the historical significance of the old Hampden Park site – the previous home to football clubs Queens Park (1884-1903) and Third Lanark (1903-1967) – playing football there felt even more special.

With the dark winter nights, unlit Cathkin Park is not a safe space to play in. Fortunately, we have managed to secure funding for pitches at Goals in Queens Park, allowing us to keep playing safely for free through the damp, dark months.

We are still keen to return to our original home at Cathkin Park in the summer. However, this may no longer be possible, with talk of the council handing the park over to a private company. This would risk the iconic park no longer being free and accessible to the local community and would be an enormous loss for Cathkin Blazes.There is hope, in the form of community group ‘Friends of Cathkin Park’, who are fighting to keep the park in public hands, but discussions are still underway and it is uncertain how things will turn out.

Although opportunities for spaces are more limited in the winter due to pitch size, new members are still very warmly welcomed. For more information or to request being added to the whatsapp group, please email us at cathkinblazes@gmail.com