| Eartha Pond | |
| Birth Date: | 1983 9, df=y |
| Position: | Defender |
| Youthclubs1: | Arsenal |
| Years1: | 1999–2002 |
| Clubs1: | Chelsea |
| Years2: | 2002 |
| Clubs2: | Arsenal |
| Years3: | 2003-2004 |
| Clubs3: | Charlton Athletic W.F.C. |
| Years4: | 2005–2009 |
| Clubs4: | Arsenal |
| Years5: | 2009–2010 |
| Clubs5: | Chelsea |
| Years6: | 2010 |
| Clubs6: | Buffalo Flash |
| Years7: | 2011 |
| Clubs7: | Barnet |
| Years8: | 2011–2012 |
| Clubs8: | Birmingham City |
| Years9: | 2012 |
| Clubs9: | Everton |
| Years10: | 2013 |
| Clubs10: | Queens Park Rangers |
| Years11: | 2014 |
| Clubs11: | Reading |
| Years12: | 2014–2018 |
| Clubs12: | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Youthyears1: | 1995–1999 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2023 |
| Nationalteam1: | Saint Lucia |
| Nationalcaps1: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
Eartha Pond (born 4 September 1983) is a footballer. Born in England, she plays internationally for Saint Lucia. She 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.
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.[2]
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]
After her professional football career, Pond took positions as a physical education teacher and held administrative educational roles. 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.[18]
In 2021, Pond assumed the inaugural position of Non-Executive Director on The Football Association's Women’s Football Board.
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.
2009