Helen Wagstaff can be pretty persistent when it comes to football – as her background indicates.
Workington Reds Ladies central midfield player has had a long and successful career in the game – but she had to dig her heels in to get it off the ground!
That started with Howden Clough junior club near Leeds in Yorkshire where she started alongside boys – before rule changes briefly stopped her.
Determined to play she kicked a ball around in the changing rooms while the boys trained until the club agreed to start its first girls’ team.
Howden Clough was her club for the next 10 years and one of only a handful of girls teams in the area at that time. Her highlights included reaching a county cup final against Leeds United at the County FA HQ, Woodlesford.
She played for District and county representative sides and while at Huddersfield New College, played against Steph Houghton and Jill Scott amongst other rising stars. Waggy (as she is affectionately known to team-mates) was called up for England’s U19s aged 16.
After trials at Leeds and briefly training at Huddersfield Town she took a scholarship and moved to Texas and spent the next eight years playing alongside and against some of the world’s best under an A licence coach.
She went on to captain the university side to the national tournament and later coached them to a final four appearance (the best in their history).
Alongside earning her masters degree in psychology Waggy coached at the elite university level, recruiting players like Paige Hayward (Paige now plays in the Australian A-League for the Central Coast Mariners who are coached by Emily Husband, one of Waggy’s university teammates and closest friends).
Waggy secured her own professional contract playing for the Houston Aces before returning to the UK for good in 2016. She briefly captained Leeds United, notably to a win at Elland Road, playing alongside the likes of Veatriki Sarri (now at Brighton, WSL) in her time there before deciding to step away to start her family in 2018.
After moving to Cumbria in 2020, Waggi put pen to paper signing for Reds. After 30-plus years of football she is still committed to lacing up every week and hopes to pass on whatever experience she can before deciding what comes next.
Paul McKenzie, the Reds Ladies manager, said: “It’s more than fair to say that Waggy brings a wealth of experience to our squad, both on and off the field. She can often be found deep in discussions with players and coaching staff, debating football-related matters. She has a burning desire to positively influence the growth of the game in every way she can.”
On her career Helen says: “Safe to say I’ve learned a lot over the years! Some of those lessons have been tough ones but I made the best decisions I knew how to at the time. I would be kinder to myself and learn to quiet the inner critic sooner if I could do it all again.
“It’s incredible to bear witness to the change in opportunities for girls coming into the game now. Simply put there wasn’t a route to football when I started. I was still hearing ‘girls don’t play football’ etc.
“Twenty-five years later games and analysis are televised regularly and real development pathways exist. Girls can now plan and achieve a career in football.
“When I was young if you wanted to play you went to the US. Now we have one of the strongest leagues in the world in the WSL. Now if you want to play you come to England. The Lionesses’ achievements and the USWNT poaching our best English football manager speaks to the quality we have.
“That said success and improvement can take time to trickle down to grassroots football especially in a place like Cumbria with the unique challenges we face here (the geography for example).
“Despite all our success and my positive experience playing for Workington, I know this is not the experience many women are having. I believe we still have work to do around fully supporting women in the challenges they face if we want to create truly inclusive environments.
“Some professional programmes are now looking at childcare as a part of contracts and built in to facilities etc, which is brilliant. I’ve become a mum fairly late in my footballing career but women shouldn’t have to choose sport or a family. Women with the right support in place are able to do it all (Serena Williams aka superwoman I’m looking at you).
“Overall though I’m excited about the growth plans and the forward momentum in our club and the direction that we are taking.
“The future looks bright in that we are making great plans as a ladies football club, that will serve to benefit those that follow us.
“The amount of talented young footballers playing locally is really impressive and if we can combine the clubs aims and this influx of talent I see success for many years to come.
“I’d encourage any player to keep believing in themselves, to gain as much experience as they can and to keep striving for the most competitive levels they want to reach.
“I see no reason why Cumbria shouldn’t have a WSL side one day.”
