Page 12 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.16 2021-22

Rachel wins prestigious NI award

Northern Ireland midfielder Rachel Furness has been named as the 2021 BBC Northern Ireland
Sports Personality of the Year.
The 33-year-old played a starring role as the Northern Ireland senior women’s team defied
the odds and qualified for next summer’s Women’s European Championship finals.
In November, the Liverpool Ladies midfielder made history by becoming Northern Ireland’s
all-time top goalscorer, netting twice against North Macedonia to take her overall career tally to 38
senior international goals.
Furness was presented with the BBC award by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp at the
Merseyside club’s training ground. He congratulated her and the Northern Ireland team on their
achievements this year and wished them success for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 in England.
Rachel follows the likes of Rory McIlroy, Carl Frampton, David Healy and Jonathan Rea in
collecting the annual honour.
Speaking about winning BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year, Rachel
pointed out: “It is a fantastic moment for me to be only the second woman to ever win this award,
but it isn’t just about me, it is about my team.
“I want to dedicate this award to my team-mates in the Northern Ireland squad. Over the past
12 months we have achieved so much and hopefully this is just the start of something really special.”
The judging panel, led by Lady Mary Peters, selected Furness as the overall winner. Special
mention was made of the achievements of Paralympic gold medallists Bethany Firth and Jason
Smyth as well as the Tyrone senior football team’s GAA All-Ireland Football Championship success.
Patrick Nelson, the Irish FA’s chief executive officer, said: “Our vision is for every boy and
girl in Northern Ireland to dream of wearing the green jersey with pride. Rachel embodies this. She
is a beacon who will help lead us into a massive 2022 and this recognition is fully deserved.”
Neil Brittain, Executive Editor of BBC Sport NI, said: “In a year packed full of sporting
achievement, the remarkable success of the Northern Ireland women’s international team really
stood out for the panel.
“Rachel has been a truly inspirational sports star, leading by example in a team that has gone
from strength to strength. She may have been injured for the play-off decider (against Ukraine
Women in Belfast) but one of the most memorable images of 2021 is her cheering her team-mates
on from the sidelines with her crutches in the air.
“She battled back from that setback to break the record for international goals, and I have no
doubt that in doing so she has inspired a generation of young girls and boys to take up the game.”
The judging panel featured Olympic gold medallist Lady Mary Peters, Kenny Archer (Irish
News), Neil Brittain (BBC Sport NI), Darren Fullerton (Daily Mirror), Jim Gracey (Belfast Telegraph
Sports Editor) and chair Thomas Kane (BBC Sport NI).
(irishfa.com)
Cornwall League honoured
The Cornwall FA were delighted to visit the Earthbound Electrical Cornwall Womens Football
League to present them with their Grassroots League of the Year Award as part of the FA and
McDonald’s Grassroots Awards 2021.
The Grassroots League of the Year Award recognises dedicated volunteers that clearly
demonstrate, both on and off the pitch, they are proud to create a safe, fun and inclusive
environment for all.
The Earthbound Electrical Cornwall Womens League provides opportunities for numerous
female teams to play football across the county. The league has been recognised for its hard work
developing football opportunities for the female game in Cornwall. Mandy Kimmins (League Chair)
said: “The league has faced many different challenges like other leagues across the county and with
support from the clubs and County FA we are delighted to now be in a really good position, with
numbers building across teams and the league.”
Mandy and League Secretary and Treasurer Denzil Lobb also expressed that “winning this
award is recognition of the hard work all the clubs and volunteers have put into developing the league
and is a testament to the exciting growth of the female game in Cornwall.”
(www.cornwallfa.com)
Issue no. 16 - 16 December 2021 womenssoccerscene@mail.com