Feeling Alive Through Football

Debbie Tippett, England

Debbie Tippett plays with the Crawley Old Girls. The club was founded in April 2015 with the mission to provide an inclusive space for women aged 30-80+ to learn to play football. COGS has won local and national awards for their initiative, including the FA Women's #WeCanPlay Participation Football Award in 2016. The club has grown from 10 women on the first night to over 200 and is now running six sessions a week, which cover all the different levels of ability - from Beginners and Walking Football through to the Advanced session for those players who want to return to the game, recreationally. COGS was also involved in the UEFA Euro Women's 2022 Legacy Programme for host city Brighton & Hove.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football life? 

My name is Debbie Tippett, I am 48 years old, married with two boys, who are 17 and 19. Growing up, football was always on the television, it was just the way of life. My dad was a Sunderland fan and my brother was a Chelsea fan, often going up to Stamford Bridge. My brother used to play so there was always a conversation in the house about football. My husband is a Crystal Palace fan and went to all the games growing up. We would often go and watch them together before we had children. Our boys started playing and before we knew it weekends were about standing on the sideline supporting their teams. 

What has your football journey been like up until now?

I had never played competitive football in my life. At school girls would always play netball. Football was never an option. Football was always about watching my boys play, occasionally kicking the ball if it came to me on the sideline or if they wanted to go to have a kick about on the local field. I became involved in football when my best friend joined the club Crawley Old Girls (COGS) and said how much fun it was. She took me along to my first session in January 2020 and I have not looked back since. The number of sessions just keeps growing. I try to go along to as many as I can. 

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?

I tried to capture what playing football as the older generation and being a COG is actually like. It is a fantastic opportunity to get out there, try new things, do new things and exercise whilst kicking a football. Some of the places I have been and some of the opportunities that I have had, I would have never done if I was not given the opportunity to start playing football when I did.

I showed the first Sussex Women's Walking Football Festival that was organised with Newhaven Women Vets, in Seaford, Sussex.  This was the first time all of the women from both teams had played in a competitive environment. Everything was about having fun and for enjoyment, but it was also competitive. As per any COGS event, it was lots of fun and many laughs were had.

Some photos were taken on August Bank Holiday at a "fun games before beer” between Crawley Old Girls and Canterbury Old Bags at the Crawley Town 3G pitch. Lots of fun had by all. 

The first time we met the Canterbury Old Bags at a Festival, we just clicked and have had a bond between us ever since. Jo (the Bags Founder) and Carol (COGS Founder) organised an Old Girls' "World Cup" in France during the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019, such was the bond that was created between our groups. 

There is one photo that reminds me of the day. I remember not wanting to go. I had a particularly difficult morning and playing football was the last thing on my mind. My friend persuaded me to go. "Come on" she said, "it will be a laugh". I remember standing in deep thought watching and listening to everyone on the pitch, laughing, giggling, lots of banter. It was not about winning, it was about people coming together because they had not been able to play properly for so long. It reminded me of why I joined COGS in the first place.

Other photos were taken at Brighton Pavilion for the Launch of the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Legacy Programme for Host City Brighton & Hove.

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

COGS is now a big part of the local community and the club is involved in meetings and discussions as Ambassadors of Crawley through the local Council. Many women from the local community have joined and football has brought together many women to get active, who may not have done otherwise. For me, COGS could not have come along at a better time. I had hit a low and could not see a way out. Through COVID we had social events online, we organised challenges where we could incorporate our daily walk, there was a real sense of togetherness. Everyone was struggling in their own ways, no one was judged. It was just about getting through it together as a group.

What are the opportunities for women's players to participate in your community?

Although there are many other teams around for the younger generation, COGS is currently the only recreational team for women over 30 in our community. We are involved in local community discussions and help the community to bring women together.  We have also run some Community Women's Days to try and increase the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups to get involved in playing football. 

Whether you have experience or not, COGS ensures you have fun with football and make new friends. 

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

We are an inclusive group, who run our sessions in a female-only, safe, non-judgemental environment, so women feel comfortable to come and join us. Women are empowered, supported and encouraged to just go at their own pace. There is no pressure and no experience is required so everyone is welcome. 

COGS has had a huge impact on me both mentally and physically. I have been in situations where I have been struggling with anxiety and not wanted to go. I have driven around the roundabout three times before I made it into the car park. I have arrived and been unable to get out of the car. With the support of the COGS I have overcome very difficult times, they have helped me realise that it is ok to not be ok, it is ok to talk about how I am feeling.  

Every single COG brings something different to the sessions. Many of us are going through the menopause and it is a safe space to open up and talk to like-minded people. Someone once said that it does not matter what kind of day you have had; you step into a COGS session and you go away feeling alive. I think that sums up what COGS is about, we really are one big COG family.  

What ambitions do you have for the future?

My ambition is to continue playing football for as long as I possibly can. There are COGS who are still playing at 70 years young - to achieve this would be amazing. As a group, our ambition is to have our own facilities where we can continue to provide a safe non-judgmental environment for the missed generation of football to play within the community. 

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

I have only been a part of COGS for a short space of time but I have seen the impact that it has made on women and football within the community. We look at the future and wish that we had our own facility to deliver more sessions for the community. COGS is continuing to grow, from one session to six sessions per week, friendly tournaments and festivals with other teams in neighbouring counties.

The future looks bright for all types of women's football, including recreational football, which is what we play but we do need more facilities offering slots at reasonable times. There is so much inspirational work going on and so many more women playing for the first time. The future looks very encouraging.