Eartha Pond
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 4 September 1983 | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Youth career | |||
1995–1999 | Arsenal W.F.C. | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1999–2002 | Chelsea | ||
2002 | Arsenal | ||
2003-2004 | Charlton | ||
2005–2009 | Arsenal W.F.C. | ||
2009–2010 | Chelsea | ||
2010 | Buffalo Flash | ||
2011 | Barnet | ||
2011–2012 | Birmingham City | ||
2012 | Everton | ||
2013 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
2014 | Reading | ||
2014–2018 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Eartha Pond (born 4 September 1983) is an English footballer who plays internationally for Saint Lucia and previously played club football as a defender for Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Charlton Athletic, Leeds, and Tottenham Hotspur. She is currently the Non-Executive Director on the Football Association's Women's Football Board.
Early life and education
Pond was raised in Queen's Park, London.[1] At 11 years old, she was scouted by Arsenal F.C. and began playing for them at age 12 in 1995.[1][2]
Club career
Pond played as a defender for a large variety of football clubs throughout her career.[3] Early in her career she played for Arsenal, Chelsea, and Charlton.[4][5][6] She made the 2003 Women's FA Cup final with Charlton, losing against Fulham.[7]
Pond was part of Arsenal's 2009 FA Cup winning squad, just four years after she left school.[8] Pond moved on to Chelsea the following season, and then left England for the only time in her career to join the Buffalo Flash of the United States based W-League.[9] The Flash would go on to win the W-League championship at the end of the season, making it two trophies in two years for Pond.[10] She would move on to play with Barnet and Birmingham City during 2011.[11][12] Her 2013 season at Queen's Park Rangers saw her play as a stand-in goalkeeper for injured teammate and score in the same match.[13] On 3 April 2014, Pond was announced as a signing by Reading.[14] Later that year she would join Tottenham Hotspur.[15]
Pond won a quadruple with Tottenham Hotspur, the most notable trophy being the overall winner of the FA Women's Premier League, a promotion playoff that saw Spurs reach the second tier of English women's football for the first time.[16]
Post-playing career
After her professional football career, Pond took positions as a physical education teacher and held administrative educational roles.[3] In 2019, she petitioned the Government of the United Kingdom to make physical education a core course, alongside subjects like math and English.[17]
She was elected as a local councillor on the Queen's Park Community Council in London in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018 and 2022. She is chair of the council.
She was instrumental in supporting victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.[3][18]
In 2021, Pond assumed the inaugural position of Non-Executive Director on The Football Association's Women’s Football Board.[3][18]
International career
Pond had youth caps with various England squads, but she did not make her senior international debut until her club career had come to a close. She debuted for Saint Lucia in September 2023, starting games against Cuba and Guadeloupe in Group B of League C of Concacaf Women's Gold Cup Qualifying. In the latter game, she registered two assists, as Saint Lucia won 5-1.[19] She was included in the squad for Saint Lucia's December games against the same two opponents.
Honours
Arsenal
- Women's FA Cup: 2009
Buffalo Flash
- USL W-League Championship: 2010
Tottenham Hotspur
- FA Women's Premier League Championship Playoff: 2016–17
- FA Women's Premier League Southern Division: 2016–17
- Ryman's Women's Cup: 2015–16,[20] 2016–17
- FA Women's Premier League Cup Winners (1): 2015–16,[21] 2016–17
References
- ^ a b Whyatt, Katie (2018-11-17). "Former Spurs Ladies star Eartha Pond on helping Grenfell survivors: 'I live in the area, know people from the tower'". 2023-08-14. Archived from the original on 2023-08-13. Retrieved 2023-08-13 – via The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "Raising the game on and off the pitch at Hendon FC – in pictures". the Guardian. 2022-08-04. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ a b c d Theivam, Kieran (2021-07-30). "Eartha Pond appointed to FA Women's Board as independent non-executive director". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Cocozza, Paula (2004-04-05). "Women's football". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "Eartha Pond profile page on Stamford-Bridge.com". stamford-bridge.com. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "The History Of Chelsea Women". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "Fulham Ladies bag Cup". 2003-05-05. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "Women in Football - From Grease to girls playing football and a whole lot more - we've got it covered in our #AskEartha Q&A". www.womeninfootball.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "Buffalo fields English flair in 2010". USLsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ^ "Buffalo Flash Win USL W-League Championship". International Soccer Network. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "Barnet FC Ladies | The FA Women's National League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ Speck, Ivan (2011-12-21). "Eartha kits! Pond wants to pull on football AND handball shirts at the Olympics". Mail Online. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ FC, QPR. "Official website of Queens Park Rangers for the latest news from Loftus Road". QPR FC. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ FC, Reading. "WOMEN STRENGTHEN SQUAD". Reading FC. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "Spurs Ladies player Eartha Pond shortlisted for Global Teacher Prize". Tottenham Hotspur. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "Spurs Ladies all set for Women's Super League". Tottenham Hotspur. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ Wilson, Jeremy (2019-05-15). "Eartha Pond on swapping Chelsea and Arsenal for sports bra campaign to get girls inspired and into sport". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ a b Ayodele, Mayowa (2021-08-06). "Eartha Pond joins FA Women's Football Board". Operation Black Vote. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ "A fantastic four for Arnicka Louis as Saint Lucia win at Guadeloupe". Concacaf. 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "Ladies lift Ryman Cup". Spurs Ladies. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ^ Menno, Dustin (8 May 2016). "Tottenham Hotspur Ladies win the double after lifting FA WPL Cup". Cartilage Free Captain. Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- English women's footballers
- Chelsea F.C. Women players
- Arsenal W.F.C. players
- Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Women players
- Charlton Athletic W.F.C. players
- Everton F.C. (women) players
- FA Women's National League players
- Women's association football defenders
- 1983 births
- Footballers from the London Borough of Brent
- Living people
- Councillors in Greater London
- Footballers from the City of Westminster
- English women's football biography stubs