THE captain of one of Britain's most successful soccer teams spoke to Socialist Challenge this week.
The team is currentlv second in the league; it has won through to the Cup Final, and it played at Wembley year. But team's captain is not happy with the recognition given to side's success.
Sue Anderson plays in mid. field and Coblallis Spatans, a leading soccer team.
She's a community worker, and plays alongside clerk, a postal worker, a teacher and other women in a branch of soccer professionalism ISN L allowed enlike European contries.
In Italy. 'crowds 6-7,000 women's soccer games, but in Britain get little discriminated Guvelaro and against by *OoTAASSOCCUOn 'When we wanted to play a Tund-raising match at Ayresome Park, gutd lotol Ted Croker saying we culdn't play on a professional pileu.
Several professional are more helpful, including Mark Proctor, Middlesbrough's land under-21 international, who coaches the Spartans at training sessIons.
'I used to play against Mark at school, 'Sue points out, 'so he knows what we can do and he takes us seriously.
the her Cleveland women's a bank other explains, watch press the mon come out of a pub to watch from FA us for a laugh -shut up when they see the level of skill in the women's game.
players There are some 300 oren's teams in Britain.
Eng- plays the league bocause of competition in the North-east.
Sue conciders that this lack of interest is partly 'Andy Capp' attitude women in the area: a womans Sometimes place is in the kitchen, not in the Sue Anderson, captain of the Cleveland Spartans, with her cup-winning team penalty box but they quickly Sue: more Cleveland Sparserting up an Notte tem the lack of TECa . •e 4.
due to the ing towards tine. Sue ball the What effect has being an ac- The complished soccer player had on 'At work, the lads take mı •ECESE l've shown I'm as good as them. I'm they under-16 team for the kids in the community cen5-a-side She reckons that the main in- men). terest in womens soccer is comwill youth clubs, new teams are forming all the ch a session •n oOr recent Cleveland women's festival.
Sartans played at Wembley •Pool year as a reward for winning the outdoor British 5-a-side competition. But only there the entertainment during the interval in the Daily Express national championship (for Hopefully, women's football eventually be allowed to play at Wembley in its own right and on every other ground in cap.
I have stood up for my rights and followed union dictates, for example during the 9-week strike. Because I do not fit the fire brigade image, I am now ol wK Ou waal secills to be a most frivolous Charec li is unthinkable that management should able to get ria ot anvone on trumped up Charge which in my case was prejudged betore the hearing, while witnesses were discounted I would like to know other fire brigade personnel have OCCI sacked for saluting officers who did wear caps or indeed did wear them.
It is unbelievable the lengths to which the senior officers will go in pursuit of their vendettas against firefighters they do not like.
Recently an FBU memoer wno was a oraltil found himself in the middle of one ot thest campaigns. He was accused O1 Hancidus calls and suffered many the OTOsCCulIO would be wrong to holo the police responsible for malicious and unreliable witnesses (three of whom were senior officers) and La man who is biased alsu and bearing a grudge.
The case against me is. not one of not saluting but purely and simply that •I loe management wanting to be rid of me. Step The sequel to the even is that visiting office: made this statement those on my watch: 'W'e seem to have got rid of the in the woodpile. isil 'Now he has been charged and found guilt!
t leaves the door open fo anything. and you will a navc to wallh youi SLC.
I ask readers to peti tion Lancashire count. Council, which upheld m sacking and Labour-controlled, for = into my case 1 chicalll The FBU has frequen:
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I was sacked for not Blackpool Central FBU riage of justice has been carried out.
1 WAS sacked by Lancashire County Fire Brigade on 6 April and | believe that a miscar- I was not sacked for gross misconduct or for failing to do my job properly, but for fail- ing to salute an officer who wasn't wearing a Arasecuioni said: s.