Scott’s what it takes to show it’s Her Game Too

Darlington FC captain Scott Barrow has joined Her Game Too as a player advocate to help promote women’s football.

The 36-year-old defender, who is closing in on 500 career appearances, joins team-mate Will Hatfield as the National League North outfit’s second ambassador for the organisation which promotes inclusivity and diversity in sports.

Welshman Scott, who joined Darlington from York City permanently in the summer, has moved into coaching in secondary schools to boys and girls through Fast Feet Football Academy and he has an interest in potentially coaching in senior women’s football in the future, using the Her Game Too ethos to create safe and welcoming sessions for players, regardless of background, ability or gender.

Scott said: “I think women’s football can be massive - it’s getting bigger now but in four or five years’ time it’ll have grown even more.

“It doesn't matter if you play football or cricket, rugby, tennis - sport is for both men and women and we want girls and boys to both be equal in whatever sport they play.”

“When I was younger and played football, my sister would always come onto the street and play football alongside me.  

“I’ve always had that supportive background from my family because they’ve been there and done it in sport, so that drives you on to be the best you can be. 

“Moving away from home for football is probably one of the hardest things to do, but I always had the support - especially from my mum who will come to every game she can get to.

“Growing up, she would take me to training, take me to all the playing venues, buy my boots until I was old enough to buy my own and, when I was at Swansea, she used to do all the admin and things like that - which often goes unnoticed, but from my mum I’ve always appreciated it.

“I’m now 36 and still appreciate everything she does; she texts me every Saturday morning at the same time to say ‘good luck today’ - little things like that.

“My mum and dad have both been brilliant for me in my journey, I’ve always had the dream of playing football and they have pushed me to go on and achieve that dream in different ways.”

After progressing through Swansea City’s youth section, Scott’s playing career has included spells with Tamworth, Macclesfield Town, Newport County, Gateshead and York City before he joined Steve Watson at Darlington last season.

After sustaining a serious leg injury as a teenager that almost ended his career before it had got going, Scott plays every game with a smile on his face because he feels privileged to have achieved his ambition of playing football.  

He credits the support of his sports-orientated family with being key to his success, including his dad, who is a former Welsh international swimmer, and his mum and sister, who have both played netball at a high level.

He said: “I'm pretty proud to make 500 games to be honest as I didn't think I'd make that at this level, so I'm looking forward to reaching that little landmark - I’ve had a good career.

“If I can inspire girls to come and train, and keep on training, then I’m doing my job as a Player Advocate.

“When they keep rocking up to training, week after week, that puts a smile on my face and I want to give back because I got that support when I was growing up.”  

Scott heard about Her Game Too through a friend, Charlotte Potts, who plays for Newcastle United Women, and is keen to support the campaign after witnessing the work Her Game Too’s Darlington Ambassador, Joanne Cameron, has been doing at the club.

And while change and equality don’t happen overnight, Scott believes small steps are currently being taken that will eventually bring the women’s and men’s games in line with each other - including access to facilities, pay, resources and exposure.

Scott, who scored and was named man of the match in the midweek draw with Peterborough Sports, said: “There are a lot of girls who are very, very talented but they don’t always get the recognition or opportunities to go on and play at a higher level.

“I feel there’s so much potential in women’s football, especially in grassroots, because that sometimes gets overlooked.

“I sometimes mix the boys and girls together at school and they’re usually as good as each other.

“I’ve seen Newcastle United Women go from being a part-time club, training a couple of times a week, to now being a full-time team - and their recent Women’s Championship match against Sunderland got a crowd of over 15,000.

“I’ve loved football all my life; for me it’s never about winning or losing, it’s about playing the sport I love.  

“So if you can get girls playing football from a young age and they can keep building on that all the way up through the age groups, then eventually they’ll be part of a women’s team.  

“It’s all about development, it’s about learning life skills - team bonding, working as a team to help each other out - so that when they’re older, they will have those qualities to take into the workplace and other areas of their lives.  

“I want to see women’s and girls’ football grow further in every part of the UK because girls can gain so much from being footballers.”  

Darlington, who host Buxton in the FA Trophy second round at Blackwell Meadows tomorrow, are planning to hold their Her Game Too dedicated fixture on March 11, when they host Radcliffe at Blackwell Meadows.  

Joanne Cameron, Her Game Too’s Darlington ambassador, added: “Her Game Too Darlington welcome the addition of our captain Scott Barrow to our team.  

“Scott’s enthusiasm is infectious, as is his passion for inclusion and sport being for all.  

“With our dedicated Her Game Too fixture being on 11 March, as Darlington’s closest home fixture to International Women’s Day, we welcome Scott’s input in making this day successful.” 

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