One-on-One
One-on-one: Charlotte Thurston
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on October 26, 2009
This week we chatted with Gills Ladies midfielder Charlotte Thurston, who told us about her footballing career so far, shared her plans for the future and lifted the lid on some serious training-ground cheating!
What position do you play?
I play centre midfield. I tend to play more of a holding/defensive role, but when I get the opportunity to bomb forward I’ll grab it with open arms!
Tell us about your footballing career so far
There’s quite a few, I’ve played football since the age of about eight or nine years old. Swale Magpies was the first ever local club I played for then they merged with Sheerness East when we hit the ladies league level. I played there until the age of 16, but whilst there I played for Gillingham Centre of Excellence for a year, and also Charlton Centre of Excellence! Whilst also playing for these teams I played for Kent SFA as well.
Then I decided I wanted a bit more from my football and went across to Crystal Palace and then a couple of years ago I came to Gills, and had to leave due to work commitments after just one season. I didn’t play for about 18 months but I missed football massively and decided that becoming a blue again was a great move!
You’ve been involved with the first team and the reserves this season. What’s it like playing for the two different sides?
I enjoy playing for both teams exactly the same! The banter in the ressies and firsts is unbelievable, and you’re accepted no matter what team you get selected for, whether I get chosen to represent the first team or the reserves I’ll give everything I’ve got. Obviously like every girl playing for Gillingham Ladies, aspires to play for the 1st team, and I’m exactly the same, but until I have the opportunity to represent the first team again, I’ll keep giving 110% every game for the reserves!
Women’s football struggles to get funding and exposure, what are your thoughts about that?
I think it is a total disgrace. It’s always been an issue whilst representing every club I’ve played for and I don’t think its fair in the slightest!
My parents have had to fork out so much money for me to play football in the past, and my dad still pays for me to play now! I don’t think it’s fair at all, if you have a talent you should be able to showcase it and make a living out of it just like blokes do.
We happily pay to play football as it has always been that way, but having the financial backing and facilities the same as the men do would bring ladies football even higher up the spectrum of successful sports that England can showcase. It’s not fair that there is SO much money in mens football, I mean, is any player really worth £65million? Think of the money that they could put into Ladies Football. Think of what a ladies club could even do with £10,000! We can’t even get sponsorship for tracksuits this year as things are so tight in the economic climate.
It makes me so angry thinking about the cars, clothes and houses these men can afford to buy when ladies are working full time jobs, training full time and putting in even more effort than them to juggle both to make a name for themselves!
Who do you support and why?
I support Liverpool! Its a hard job supporting those Red Men!.. I support them because my dad does, its that simple!
As well as being teammates, it looks like you’re quite a good group of friends as well. Do you guys often socialise together away from football?
Yeah, whenever we can we get everyone together! Its always eventful! Obviously theres been alot of new signings this year, and I’m one of them!.. so us “newbies” as we were named had to take part in a very embarrassing initiation ceremony! Whether its a night out in Maidstone, BBQ’s or even just chilling round each other’s houses with a healthy take away and X-Factor it’s always hilarious!
Do you have a nickname?
I’ve got a couple! The boring one is Charz! Kirstie Goodall is going to love me trying to explain this one! “Jenny” or “Shec” or “Schecter” are the general names I hear screamed at me whilst on the pitch, because apparently I look like a character out of the series The L Word! If you type her name into Google, you’ll clearly see I do not look like her at all! But apparently its not just her looks, I act like her too! She plays a complete psycho in the programme, so according to the Gills girls I’m a bit of a psycho! Oh, and Leanne Stevens calls me “Benny”, because I did have long hair at one point, but then I got it cut short so I’m Jenny with a bob, therefore I’m Benny! Weird bunch of girls aren’t they?!
Spill the beans on two of your teammates and tell us what they’re like.
Hmmm…I can only think of one I want to expose…Terri! She’s a complete and utter cheat! Do not believe a word that comes out of her mouth at training on a Tuesday! Basically, we play six- or seven-a-side and somehow, no matter what team Terri is in, they always manage to get nine points, which allows them to qualify for the final! Even if they lose two or three games, she magically counts up more points than everyone else! But we’ve worked her out now, so she won’t ever get away with it again!
What do you do for a living, and what would your dream job be?
I’ve got a pretty boring job! I work in a shoe shop, but I’m a typical girl – I love my shoes! I have around 200 pairs and that’s not over exaggerating! Next year, fingers crossed, I’ll be living the dream. Hopefully I’m going to America to complete a football scholarship while training to be a teacher. I’ve always wanted to be a PE teacher, but never really got round to pursuing it, but “time’s a ticking” and I’m not getting any younger!
Tell us a bit about what you do outside of football – weekends, hobbies, interests etc.
Is there such thing as a life outside of football?! I love spending time with my friends. Got a love for clothes and shoes, that’s why I have no money! You’ll either find me at the cinema, shopping in Bluewater/Canterbury, spending time with my God-daughter, or dancing the night away on a Friday night! I love spending time with my little brother Ben too. He’ll hate me saying this as he’s 12 years old, but he’ll always be my little baby!