England Lionesses Archives - The Stray Ferret

Harrogate footballer Rachel Daly receives MBEFootball pitch in Killinghall named after local Lioness Rachel Daly

Harrogate Lioness Rachel Daly has had a grass pitch at her former football club in Killinghall named in her honour.

Daly trained with Killinghall Nomads at the start of her footballing career as a young girl. She has gone to be one of the best female footballers in the world, winning this year’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year.

The Rachel Daly Pitch at Killinghall Moor Community Park is home of Killinghall Nomads Junior Football Club and has become one of 23 Football Foundation-funded pitches named after each of the Lionesses.

The facility has been significantly improved after a £79,000 investment from the foundation, enabling more matches to be played year round.

With her former coach and current players at Killinghall this week.

Daly said:

“It’s so important for girls to have a good first experience of football if they’re going to form a lifelong love for the game, like I did during my time at Killinghall.

“That can’t happen without a quality pitch that you can play on throughout the year.”

The Killinghall pitch is the second local sports facility to be named after Daly this week. The England footballer also unveiled a 3G sports pitch bearing her name at Rossett school where she was a pupil.

The Lioness legacy grass pitch in Killinghall forms part of the foundation’s Here to Play campaign, which aims to provide equal access to women and girls playing football across the country.

Robert Sullivan, chief executive of the foundation, said:

“Grass pitches are the lifeblood of grassroots football so it’s extremely fitting that Rachel’s legacy for the local community in Harrogate should be honoured through this fantastic playing surface.

“Thanks to investment from the Premier League, The FA and Government, the Football Foundation is on a mission to transform the quality of grass pitches across the country and ensure every woman and girl has access to a quality place to play.”

Rachel Daly on the pitch named after her.

Chris Dixon, coach at Killinghall Nomads said:

“We are so proud of what Rachel’s achieved and it’s great to see the girls and boys looking to Rachel and taking inspiration from her. The lionesses have really inspired children both boys and girls here!”

Sports minister Stuart Andrew said the government wants to provide facilities to encourage future talent. He added:

“Last summer’s Women’s Euros was a major success for English sport, and it is only right that we dedicate 23 high-quality pitches like this one to the trophy-winning Lionesses.

“We want to make sure that people of all ages here in Harrogate have the chance to play football for decades to come, which is why we are investing over £300 million in grassroots sports facilities to inspire the next Rachel Daly.”

With the Killinghall Nomads’ under-eights girl’s team koala mascot.

GALLERY: Rachel Daly returns to Harrogate’s Rossett School

England footballer Rachel Daly returned to Rossett School in Harrogate today to rename a 3G sports pitch in her honour.

Rossett’s most famous former student brought the place to a standstill as pupils and teachers turned out to cheer her.

Headteacher Tim Milburn greeted the Aston Villa striker at 10am before she was whisked away to meet staff and tour the building.

When she re-emerged about half an hour later, pupils formed a guard of honour as she walked from the school buildings, accompanied by her dog Dexy, to the pitch.

When they got there, Rachel — wearing white trainers and clothes by her street fashion brand sponsor Hera — joked about how much Dexy loved the attention and thought it was for her.

Dexy was certainly a hit but Rachel, who was accompanied by her family, was the undoubted star on a rare return to the school she left in 2010.

After a short speech from Mr Milburn, Rachel removed a black blanket to reveal a sign for the newly named Rachel Daly 3G Pitch. Behind her, a group of girls played football on the pitch. She said:

“It’s an honour for me to be here and have this named after me.

“It’s great seeing the young girls out here today and having them on a pitch that’s named after me. It’s a feeling I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.”

Rachel, the current PFA Players’ Player of the Year, spoke about coming home with sand burns after playing on the old astroturf pitch and how Rossett and Harrogate held a “special place in my heart”.

Mr Milburn described Rachel, who started out at Killinghall Nomads Junior Football Club, as an inspiration not only for Rossett pupils but also for anyone who uses the sports facilities. He added:

“She’s not just a Rossett hero, or a Killinghall hero, she’s a town hero. Why wouldn’t we want to honour her?”

Although the school has been quick to honour Rachel, North Yorkshire Council has yet to indicate whether it will support a call from Killinghall Nomads, supported by the Stray Ferret, for Rachel to receive civic recognition.

The Conservative-controlled council said two months ago it was urgently considering a policy on how to recognise achievements by local people.

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Simon Myers, whose portfolio oversees such matters, what progress had been made since then but has not received a response.

Here are some images from Rachel’s return to Rossett today.

Headteacher Tim Milburn welcomes Rachel Daly to the school.

Pupils form a guard of honour.

Dexy the dog was never far from Rachel’s side.

Rachel Daly, alongside the Rachel Daly 3G Pitch.

The Rossett Lioness and the sign she unveiled.

Current Rossett footballers look on as Rachel talks to her family.

With current footballers on the 3G pitch.

Dexy takes centre stage again.

Tears and pride for Killinghall Nomads at big screen showing

It wasn’t the result they wanted but the sense of pride in Rachel Daly remained undimmed at Killinghall Nomads’ big screen showing of the Women’s World Cup final today.

Hundreds of people involved with the club were at the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel in Harrogate to watch the match.

So were several national news crews, including ITV, which requested the coverage be switched from BBC in case former Nomads player Daly scored and the national channel cut to the joyful scenes.

The Stray Ferret, which is supporting the club’s petition for North Yorkshire Council to recognise Daly, was also there to sample the carnival atmosphere.

A young fan shows mad love for Rachel Daly.

Spain’s first half goal subdued the crowd and when Daly was taken off at half-time the mood fell flat.

Her substitution appeared to be for tactical reasons but it denied England the country’s leading goal scorer in a half in which they needed a goal.

The afternoon’s biggest cheer came when England goalkeeper Mary Earps saved a penalty.

The atmosphere went flat when Daly was taken off.

Huge excitement greeted every England attack, but this wasn’t to be the Lionesses’ day and the many young fans in the room experienced the sinking feeling familiar with older followers of England football teams over the last 50 years.

Despite it all, the club’s bond and love with Daly remained unshakeable. Everyone spoke of her with pride.

European Championships winner, Golden Boot winner, World Cup finalist… it’s a spectacular resume. She is also on the shortlist of six for PFA Player of the Year award.

Mary Beggs-Reid, the club’s media manager, organised the event.

People shook their heads in disbelief when asked what they thought of the fact she hadn’t received even the slightest recognition by Harrogate Borough Council or its successor North Yorkshire Council and said unprintable things.

One asked why there wasn’t a big screen on the Stray. Another said:

“It’s hardly surprising people lose faith with councils when they fail to do something so bleeding obvious.”

The club’s campaign continues. You can sign the petition here.

Harrogate hails returning hero Rachel Daly

It’s difficult to think of a bigger star from Harrogate right now than England footballer Rachel Daly.

Daly was part of the England Lionesses team that won Euro 2020 last year and is this season’s Women’s Super League leading scorer.

She also has 328,000 followers on Instagram so it was little surprise hundreds of football fans gathered at Killinghall Moor this afternoon to greet her homecoming.

Daly was back where it all started — Killinghall Nomads Junior Football Club — to open the Nomads Daly Brew cafe named in her honour.

She arrived with friends and family, not to mention dog Dexy, shortly after midday to a chorus of ‘She’s Coming Home’ and after a few quick speeches and media interviews signed autographs non-stop for more than hour.

Alongside her mural

Many fans turned up wearing shirts bearing Daly’s name.

Sitting in the cafe bearing her name and mural, people queued with balls, shirts, boots and bits of paper for her to sign. Many wore England or Aston Villa Women shirts bearing the name ‘Daly’.

She obliged them all and flashed her megawatt smile for selfies until everyone had got a memento. Mum Louise, who still lives in Harrogate, looked like she would burst with pride.

Some fans queued for over an hour to meet Daly.

Posing with current Killinghall Nomads players

Daly played for Killinghall Nomads from under-eight to under-15 level before moving on. Her brother and father also represented the club. Dad Martyn, who died two years ago, set up the under-15 girls team.

This was her first trip to Harrogate since Christmas and the event provided a chance to catch-up with some old friends as well as fans.

She was impressed by the building’s transition to a cafe and humbled by the decision to name it in her honour. She said:

“I spent every waking second of the day on these pitches, hitting a ball against this wall so to be here today is a great honour.

“It’s always important to remember your roots. When I was last here it was a meeting room with just a kettle!”

Simon Walker, vice-chair of the club, told the crowd that Daly continued to inspire others, which was evident by the number of girls and boys who turned out.

David Terzza, women and girls’ football lead at the club, said it now had about 150 females on its books.

He emphasised how much Daly had contributed to its growth by sponsoring kit, arranging for some of the junior players to watch the Lionesses train at the St George’s Park national football centre and taking part in a zoom question and answer with girls during covid.

She said:

“Nomads will always have a special place in my heart. If it wasn’t for this place, where I played on every blade of grass and broke every piece of fence, I wouldn’t be here today. It’s such an honour.”

Her classy display on the day ensured Daly will also have a special place in Harrogate’s heart too. Time for a statue?

Here are some more photos from today’s event.

Rachel Daly Killinghall Nomads

Harrogate’s Rachel Daly among winners at Pride of Britain awards

Harrogate’s Rachel Daly was among the winners at this week’s Pride of Britain awards.

Daly was part of the England women’s football team that beat Germany 2-1 in the final of Euro 2022 this year.

At a ceremony hosted by Ashley Banjo and Carol Vorderman, the team received a special award for inspiring girls to play football.

Pic: Rachel Daly Instagram

The ceremony was held at London’s Grosvenor House on Monday and broadcast on ITV last night.

The Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain recognise extraordinary achievements by ordinary people.

It was the latest success of a remarkable year for Aston Villa striker Daly, who was named Women’s Super League player of month in September.

Harrogate’s Rachel Daly scores twice on dream return to England

Rachel Daly’s remarkable year continued today when she scored twice on her Aston Villa debut in the Women’s Super League.

Daly was a key player in England Lionesses’ success at Euro 22 in the summer.

The Harrogate-born player subsequently signed a three-year contract with Villa to return to England after a six-year stint in the National Women’s Soccer League in America with Houston Dash.

In today’s opening WSL fixture, Daly’s curled strike gave Villa a 2-0 lead in the home fixture against Manchester City. After City fought back to lead, Daly pounced to score the winner and be named player of the match.

The exciting match was broadcast live on BBC Two and watched live by 7,000 fans at Villa Park in Birmingham.

Daly played at left back for England at Euro 2022 but has reverted to her forward role with Villa, who finished ninth of 12 in the WSL last season. City were third, so today’s thrilling win was an ideal start to Daly’s new adventure.

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