For many of us, captaining a soccer staff to a 3rd promotion in 3 seasons would rank as certainly one of existence’s most vital achievements. For the Stourbridge captain, Amber Lawrence, it is just a part of her tale.
The attacking midfielder combines mentioning her one-year-old daughter, Isabelle, with a full-time process and by some means squeezes in 3 midweek coaching classes plus a fit each weekend. For someone complaining about existence being too busy, Lawrence’s packed time table could be a reason why to rethink.
A 2–0 win towards Northampton in mid-April formally showed Stourbridge as champions of the FA Women’s National League Division 1 Midlands, even supposing as Lawrence tells the Guardian, second-placed Doncaster Rovers Belles “would’ve had to have won all their games 15-0 to catch us”.
After a remarkable hat-trick of consecutive promotions, semi-professional Stourbridge will compete in the third tier of the women’s football pyramid next season, alongside opponents such as West Brom, Derby and Stoke.
This season may yet get better for the Glassgirls with a county cup final booked against third-tier Wolves at Molineux on 9 May. For Lawrence – a “massive Villa supporter” – victory in Wolverhampton would bring particular satisfaction.
Lawrence’s accomplished playing career has included spells at Stoke, Wolves, Aston Villa, Burton and Doncaster. At Burton, back-to-back promotions were achieved, now trumped by back-to-back-to-back promotions with Stourbridge.
“I’ve been here for all of them,” she says. “I came into the club at tier six, so to see it grow to what it is today is incredible. For us to be competing in the third tier [next season] as a non-league, part-time outfit is great for the community, it’s great for Stourbridge as a whole because it’s been a lot of hard work. It’s been a slog, four or five years in the making. It’s a massive achievement.”
Lawrence’s full-time job is a demanding role as sales manager, but she believes a full diary suits her best. “It’s hard to juggle, but I think if I wasn’t busy then I would probably lose my mind a little bit,” she says.
“When I was on maternity leave I struggled because all I had to do was one thing. It’s hard, but it’s definitely rewarding, and I just feel proud of myself. With my partner working in cricket, during the summer it gets quite difficult … childcare-wise it can be very difficult. Luckily our parents are very supportive.
Life in the third tier – the Women’s National League Northern Premier Division is Stourbridge’s destination next season – will be more competitive than anything the group have experienced before, although they are not wholly unaccustomed to that level.
“We’ve faced Wolves a number of times in the FA Cup and county cup, and West Brom,” says Lawrence. “We played Derby when we were in tier five and beat them 2–1 in the FA Cup. So we know what that league is about – it’s obviously going to be a very tough one.”
Stourbridge’s gamers are unpaid excluding bills – “that goes a long way” – and Lawrence concedes existence could be more effective as full-time pros. “It has been difficult trying to fit everything around football and being a new mum,” she says, talking as a part of the FA Women’s National League’s Behind the Ball marketing campaign. “If football was my full-time job it would be easier … [and playing] will only become more of a commitment as we go up the leagues.”
Lawrence, who has scored eight goals in the current campaign, gives a somewhat surprising answer when asked to name her football favourite. “My favorite men’s player was Martin Laursen from Villa, many years ago,” she says. “I just loved his leadership on the pitch.
“In women’s football, I know Beth England from our days at Doncaster and I think she’s a fantastic player. I’ll often tune in when she’s playing. [Tottenham full-back] Ash Neville as well. I know Ash from when she played in the National League. She has two kids and is married and juggles that extremely well.”
Football aside, Lawrence comes from an all-round sports-mad family. “I enjoy watching football, but the other love of my life is cricket,” she says. “My spouse works for Lord’s, and cricket is repeatedly on at our area. I most likely watch much more cricket than I do soccer if it is not Villa. We each play, we will be able to play in combination on a Sunday when the soccer season’s completed, and I’m going and watch my dad play.”
The cricketing summer may yet be ushered in by a Stourbridge league and cup double. “Fingers crossed,” she says. “It’s not the most neutral ground in the world [for a final] is it? Wolves at Molineux. But we’ll take it. It’s a Premier League ground … There was hearsay the final was going to be at Villa Park, and I joked I would retire if it was. If we can go and win at Molineux, even better.”
With a hat-trick of promotions completed, be expecting Stourbridge’s upward trajectory to proceed.