14/04/2026
Billericay Player Spotlight - Tanya Meade
I can’t remember exactly when I first started playing football but I will never forget the moment I was told I had to stop.
Growing up on an estate, being the only girl playing football felt completely normal. At primary school, I was supported by my teachers and friends, and in my final year I was proud to win Player of the Year. That moment meant everything to me. It made me excited for the future and what football might look like at secondary school. But that excitement didn’t last long.
When I arrived at senior school, I was told that girls couldn’t play football. I still found the courage to trial for the team, but instead of being given a chance, I was laughed at and made to feel like I didn’t belong. That moment stayed with me. It didn’t just take football away, it knocked my confidence too. So I turned my focus elsewhere.
I threw myself into other sports; hockey, basketball, badminton, anything that would give me that same sense of belonging. But deep down, football was always the one I truly loved.
It wasn’t until my mid-30s that football found its way back into my life. I came across an advert in the Thurrock Gazette for a 12-week Women’s Football Fitness course, and I decided to give it a go. It was tough, physically demanding in ways I wasn’t used to but it changed everything. I started to lose weight, build friendships, and, most importantly, my mental health improved massively. I felt like myself again.
When the course ended, we didn’t want it to stop. With the help of a dedicated coach who volunteered their time, we kept going. More women joined, our numbers grew, and what started as a short course became something much bigger. We trained in parks during the summer, played futsal through the winter, and began organizing matches and entering tournaments.
Football was no longer something I had lost it had become something I had rebuilt.
Then came one of the proudest moments of my life. My daughter said to me, “Mum, I want to play football just like you.”
Without hesitation, I found her a local team, and she signed for U10 Lakeside Girls. Now, as she goes into her seventh season, I couldn’t be prouder of the player and person she is becoming. Knowing that I inspired her is something I will always treasure.
I may have missed out on playing football in my teenage years, but when I play now, I feel young again. Football is my happy place. Whether I’m on the pitch, supporting my daughter from the sidelines, or watching my favorite women’s team, it fills me with joy.
I didn’t just find football again, I found myself again.
