Leeds United Women's flooded ground nightmare and a reminder of what it means to be Leeds

The pictures of flooding at our home ground at Tadcaster Albion are a complete nightmare, with the water level halfway up cars again.
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Momentum has been hard to come by this season with postponements and the ground has already flooded once before this season.

Although the pitch gets waterlogged quite easily, it’s such a nice ground, a great set-up and there are so many volunteers who give up their time for Tadcaster so it’s heartbreaking for them. They go out of their way to help a non-league club and then this happens again.

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It must be so frustrating for Tadcaster Albion’s side too, they have a lot of followers who will look forward to the weekend to go and watch their games. It’s such a shame how easily this keeps happening.

Once it starts raining you just think ‘Oh God’. Luckily we’ve only got a handful of home games left, the rest are away, so that’s one positive.

When it happened last time, it drained away quite quickly so, while I know it won’t be ready for Thursday and we won’t be able to play, hopefully it clears soon so we can get back to action.

During these down times with no games we try to bond as a team as often as we can, but it’s not easy. We don’t all live close to each other - I’m just out of the centre of Leeds but we have players living in Liverpool, Hull and near Middlesbrough. On Sunday, I managed to get a ticket to the Manchester United game and then met up with some team-mates afterwards. It does help, especially when you can’t play, if you try and see your team-mates outside of a football setting.

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We went for food the other day and then a bunch of us were in the press box at Elland Road for the Under-23s game against Liverpool too.

FLOODED AGAIN - Tadcaster Albion's ground has flooded numerous times and will impact on Leeds United Women's fixture list.FLOODED AGAIN - Tadcaster Albion's ground has flooded numerous times and will impact on Leeds United Women's fixture list.
FLOODED AGAIN - Tadcaster Albion's ground has flooded numerous times and will impact on Leeds United Women's fixture list.

We really get on as a team, everyone is friends with everyone, it’s nice that we’re all so close. Being back at Elland Road to watch the first team on Sunday was special.

My dad and my brother have season tickets and my dad was looking forward to this game for ages.

He always comes to watch me and we were supposed to have a game on Sunday but he said ‘Sorry Catherine, I’ll be watching the Manchester United game’.

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I get it, I understand. It’s been so many years since we played them at Elland Road in front of fans.

The atmosphere was brilliant, especially when the second goal went in. I’ve been to a few games this season and usually you can sit down but we stood up the whole time in the Family Stand. That game meant a lot.

I’ve played for Leeds since I was 13 and, maybe because the women’s game hasn’t been as popular as the men’s, it hasn’t always felt like I play for Leeds United and represent the club but, when I tell people I do, I realise how much of a big deal that is. I play for Leeds. Recently, on a holiday camp with my work for the Leeds United Foundation, a little girl stopped me to ask if I play for Leeds and she comes home and away, which I still find crazy.

Playing for your home town is great. It’s a big deal to play for Leeds. Hopefully, I can get to do it again soon.