Isobel "Issy" Pollard (born 2 December 1975) is an English former footballer who played for the England women's national football team. She played for several clubs at FA Women's Premier League level and for Betsele IF in Sweden.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Isobel Pollard | ||
| Date of birth | 2 December 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Halifax, England | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Bradford City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Bradford City | |||
| 1991–1993 | Bronte | ||
| 1993–1994 | Millwall Lionesses | ||
| 1994 | Betsele IF | ||
| 1994–1995 | Bronte | ||
| 1995–1997 | Doncaster Belles | ||
| 1997–2003 | Leeds United | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 1991–1996 | England | ||
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13:37, 4 December 2021 (UTC) | |||
Club career
editPollard played football at Old Town Primary School in Hebden Bridge.[1] She was also an accomplished field hockey player, representing West Yorkshire Schools and Calderdale under-18s. After contacting the Women's Football Association (WFA) for a club, Pollard was put in touch with Yorkshire and Humberside League Bradford City, who she joined at youth level.[1]
When the WFA formed a National League in 1991–92, Pollard wanted to play at the higher standard. She joined Bradford City's cross-town rivals Bronte, who had been admitted to the new Northern Division. Pollard's first goal for her new club was a 35-yard strike against Ipswich Town. Bronte narrowly beat Sheffield Wednesday to the title and took their place in an enlarged 10-team National Division for 1992–93.
Bronte's stalwart defender Clare Taylor left for Knowsley United in the close season and without her the team performed poorly in the top division. A violent altercation on the Bronte team bus saw Chantel Woodhead being throttled and Samantha Britton punching the assailant. The club were relegated and Pollard signed for Millwall Lionesses in the subsequent player exodus.[2]
After brief spells in Sweden with Betsele IF and back at Bronte, Pollard was signed by Doncaster Belles in 1995. The transfer was agreed by outgoing manager Paul Edmunds prior to his departure, after Pollard attended a Doncaster Belles match as a guest of her former Bronte team-mate Chantel Woodhead.[3] Pollard was the captain of the Leeds United team who reached the Women's FA Cup semi-final in 2000 and won promotion to the FA Women's Premier League National Division for the first time in 2001.[1]
International career
editPollard was called into the senior England women's national football team at 16 years old, on the recommendation of her Bronte team-mate Clare Taylor.[1] She remained in the squad for UEFA Women's Euro 1995 qualifying when The Football Association had taken over the women's team, and was capped at senior level by Ted Copeland.[1] After an "accomplished season" with Doncaster Belles she was recalled by England for their UEFA Women's Euro 1997 qualifying play-off defeat by Spain in September 1996.[1]
She was allotted 96 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.[4][5]
Personal life
editPollard later started a dog walking business in Hebden Bridge called "Rocket Dogz". In April 2021 she opened a raw dog food outlet.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Pollard among the legends at Wembley for Lionesses' clash with Germany". Halifax Courier. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ Davies 1997, p. 117
- ^ Davies 1997, p. 304
- ^ "England squad named for World Cup". The Football Association. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Lacey-Hatton, Jack (18 November 2022). "Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present". mirror. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Kellett, Abigail (21 April 2021). "New Calder Valley venture set to get tails wagging". Halifax Courier. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- General references
- Davies, Pete (1997). I Lost my Heart to the Belles. London, England: Random House. ISBN 0-7493-2085-0.