Alice Partridge

Alice has played football since she was 7 - despite her parents best tries to stop her! She would get lifts to matches with friends parents as hers wouldn’t take her. She played all the way up to university when she stopped when she became a chef - 15 hour days and weekends wouldn’t allow her the time to play. I met Alice 6 years ago - she still wasn’t playing but encouraged me to take my daughter to try playing for a newly developing team. My daughter thrived and Alice began on Sundays she was free reffing games. She took on coaching the girls team when we moved to Horsham Sparrows. Seeing her pass on her love for football was inspiring - however I could tell she still wasn’t entirely fulfilled. I encouraged her to try out for the women’s side. Alice in the 10 years she hadn’t played was a little nervous - in that time she had totally lost sight in one eye due to a fluke medical condition. She had already left the kitchen because of it, but she began playing again and I have never seen her so happy - I can possibly get a little put out that she picks football over me - but in the year she has been back playing she won coach’s player the first season and now in second to captain the team when she can. She is honestly a natural who has loved the women’s game since she was young and her natural talent and flair doesn’t go unnoticed.

Not only does she love the game for herself she gives up so much time to encourage the next generation to love it like she does. I feel that for all the times she was told no as a child to be seen in this light would mean so much to her.