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Beauties of the beautiful game

29/ 1/2003

BEING surrounded by beautiful, athletic women may be every man's dream job, but for one man it has started to take over his life.

Phil Pearson coaches Hopwood Ladies' Football Club and is manager and coach of Rochdale Ladies' FC. He says although women footballers get nowhere near the same amount of publicity as their male counterparts, they are still in a class of their own.

"Women are far more willing to listen to what you are telling them and take it on board," said Phil, of Hareshill Road, Heywood. "Some male footballers seem to think they know it all."

While some men may see the job of taking care of 18 footballers between the ages of 14 and 20 as a passport to eye up young women, the only sweat Phil gets to wipe off his brow is from stress and exercise. In a typical week he can spend 15 hours organising the team.

"My female players do not really create a problem. There are a couple of small things, such as they need to be nearer the showers and I have to get a woman to check everyone is dressed before I go into the changing rooms. I would never dream of just walking in, it is more than my life is worth."

A former player, Phil, aged 45, has never managed a men's team. He fell into the clutches of the female team by accident, after his daughter Claire had become involved. "My 17-year-old daughter is a keen footballer and has just had trials for England," he said. Even Phil's wife, Jane, is dedicated to the beautiful game and acts as the club secretary.

But Phil's dedication is more than matched by that of the girls. "I don't know of one smoker on the team," he says.

"A couple of the girls travel to play from as far as Liverpool and Derbyshire. They are all very committed."

Phil says the girls are well behaved and take their roles very seriously. "You never hear a swear word, and there is none of the back-biting that people expect. They are professionals. They go on Football Association courses and the lot."

Phil believes this year will see the team achieve a hat-trick of trophies. And he hopes women's football will start to receive the recognition it deserves.

"Ladies soccer in the United States is absolutely massive. It is televised and players can earn a fortune. We already have more support than most amateur male clubs. For a match with Manchester United Ladies we had more than 200 people cheering us on."