Cardiff City skipper reflects on Adran Premier glory and winning with her ‘best friend’
BRIDGEND, WALES - 12 MARCH 2023: Cardiff City Siobhan Walsh during the 2022/23 Genero Adran Trophy Final between Cardiff Met Women FC & Cardiff City Women FC at the SDM Glass Stadium, Bridgend, Wales, 12th March 2023. (Pic by John Smith/FAW)
A leader – a person who commands a group and inspires passion and motivation in their followers.
We are blessed in the Adran Leagues to have many great leaders, but there aren’t many who have the stature and prowess of Siobhan Walsh.
The Bluebirds captain has been a part of the furniture at the Cardiff City Stadium for over a decade and has seen it all, the highs and the lows.
Ten years after winning the league, Sunday saw the Adran Premier return to City’s trophy cabinet, and while she’s surprised it has taken so long, Walsh was delighted to be reunited with the trophy.
“We didn’t think it would be ten years. We’ve come close a couple of times, but we just missed the mark. But this is the best squad we’ve had for a long time.
“Over the last few years, we’ve been building towards this and it’s shown in our performances throughout the season and we thoroughly deserved to win the league.”
Many different components have come together for the Bluebirds. Training three times a week and commercial opportunities with the likes of WWE has certainly boosted the profile of the team.
On the pitch there’s a vibrant mix of old and new. The young stars of the team, like Phoebie Poole, Lily Billingham and Eliza Collie, have been lauded to the rafters for their performances this season, and rightly so.
However, mixed in with these youthful players are members of the team who’ve been at City when they last won the league in 2013. Danielle Broadhurst, Danielle Green and Hannah Power were all there for their last league triumph, and the whole vibe around the club, regardless of people’s age, has been a big reason as to why the Bluebirds have triumphed this year.
“We’ve all bought into the idea of what we wanted to do. At the beginning of the season we wanted to win the league and that was our end goal. We’ve all worked to get to that goal, we’ve pushed hard in training.
“The league is really competitive, and we knew that we needed to take everything on a game-by-game basis. That’s what we’ve done, and we go into every game thinking we will win.”
There is another player who has been with Siobhan and the gang from their title-winning side from last year, her sister Catherine.
Catherine returned to the squad this season after a lengthy spell on the sideline with injury, and she has no bigger supporter than her sister Siobhan.
“We’re both very competitive, even in training which perhaps isn’t always the best thing. We always play out against each other, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“She’s my best friend and I get to play football with her, what more could I ask for?”
While Catherine normally scores the goals, it’s been the Bluebirds captain who’s been on the goal-scoring run of her life this season.
So far Siobhan has eight goals and double figures for the season is well within her sight, and it has all come as a shock to her this season.
“I’ve obviously scored a lot of headers and we do have some excellent set-piece takers in this team. I just happen to be in the right place at the right time for most of them.
“Catherine is the goal scorer in the family, but she hasn’t been around, so I’ve had to take up the mantle of the Walsh’s.”
With winning the league comes a spot in next season’s Champions League.
There’s the possibility that the Bluebirds could be matched with one of the giants of European football in the first round; Juventus, Roma, Benfica, Anderlecht, and Celtic could all be potential opponents for Iain Darbyshire’s side.
“We want to play competitive games every week and that’s going to be the highest standard of football we’ve played at. We’re all really looking forward to the challenge and we’ll enjoy the experience.”
Without a doubt, the performance of Siobhan Walsh have been nothing short of outstanding this year and she’s been a constant presence in this invincible City side.
Siobhan will, and should be, one of the prime candidates for the player of the year trophy this season.
