Rovers Review interview with Linda Patrick

The following interview was published in the Rovers Review Matchday Programme yesterday v Cove Rangers:

We caught up with Linda Patrick, a key employee at the Rovers who assists in the Laundry through the week and also hosts Boardroom hospitality on matchdays.
Linda is a lifelong Rovers supporter, and has also played football for many years…….

“I started playing football when I was at still at High School – in 1976. I used to train at Townhill two nights every week, with Dunfermline Ladies. I had to get three buses to get to training sessions, as my Mum and Dad didn’t drive at the time and I was lucky enough to get a lift home after sessions from Mary Davenport, the team’s goalie.

At my school, the boys wanted me to play in the school team with them but back then girls weren’t allowed to play football for the school, which was disappointing, so I had to travel to Dunfermline to play with the women’s team.

I’d supported the Rovers since my Dad started bringing me here at the age of three, and I could never understand why I couldn’t play with the boys.
After leaving school I got my first job in a bakery and continued to play football with Dunfermline into my 20s.

Eventually, I was playing with Glenrothes and Central Ladies (we had a really good team winning league and cup medals) when I was aged about 27, and it ultimately led to us forming one of the first Rovers Women’s football teams in the 1990s. Our coach was Eddie Doig, who is still involved at the club today with the Supporters’ Club, running buses to away matches.

After a few years of not playing football, I’m back playing, again in Glenrothes with the Strollers – they’ve a really good setup. They’re all about getting women involved in sport in the community. They focus on Wellness, Mental Health and they’re also really focussed on having an enjoyable time, enjoying the game and having positive experiences through football. Fiona Redpath is the organiser of our sessions and she does a wonderful job.

Overall, football has really helped me in recent years – during covid and lockdown it was a really low time, being isolated from friends and family as people were safeguarding or suffering from Covid – if I’d been able to play football it would have really helped me. I really missed the games, so it was great to get back playing again when lockdown ended.

I also play football once a week on Thursdays on the Astro at Stark’s park with Raith Rovers Community Foundation, and it’s great – mixing with people of all ages and backgrounds at the home of the club I’ve always supported.

I can’t say enough about how football has helped me reconnect with people, and the good that it has done for my Mental Health – shared interests are so important, and it keeps me fit and active!”

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