Kirsty Pealling Explained

Kirsty Pealling
Fullname:Kirsty Pealling
Birth Date:1975 4, df=yes
Birth Place:Hackney, England
Position:Right-back
Years1:1987 - 2006
Clubs1:Arsenal Ladies
Nationalyears1:1993–2004
Nationalteam1:England
Nationalcaps1:15
Nationalgoals1:0
Ntupdate:12 October 2010

Kirsty Pealling (born 14 April 1975) is a former footballer who spent her entire club career with Arsenal Ladies. She also represented England at full international level.

Club career

Pealling attended Haggerston School and was spotted by Arsenal Ladies manager Vic Akers during a five-a-side tournament when she was 13.[1] At the time of her retirement in 2006,[2] Pealling was the club's longest serving player, the record appearance holder and had won the most trophies.[3] She won domestic trebles with Arsenal in 1993[3] and 2001.[4]

Pealling worked as a sports development officer for Camden Council and since 2004 has coached at Hampstead FC.[5]

When Jayne Ludlow retired in July 2013, the legendary Welsh midfielder paid tribute to "unsung hero" Pealling in an interview with the Arsenal website: "I should really thank Kirsty because when I was scoring 30 goals a season, it was mostly because of her crosses from the right wing."[6]

Pealling is featured in the "Remember Who You Are" artwork added to the Emirates in 2023.[7]

International career

Eighteen-year-old Pealling made her England debut in a 3–0 Euro 1995 qualifying win in Belgium in November 1993.[3] She also featured in the eventual semi-final defeat to Germany. However, Pealling and Joanne Broadhurst were controversially dropped from the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup squad, with manager Ted Copeland saying "They are not international footballers at this level."[8]

After a long spell out of international football, Pealling returned as a substitute against Denmark in August 2001.[4] In May 2004 she played the first half of a 1–0 friendly win over Iceland at London Road, Peterborough.[9]

She was allotted 99 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.[10] [11]

Honours

Arsenal[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hackney Marshes to Highbury. Nick Oliver . N16online. https://web.archive.org/web/20100411071621/http://www.n16mag.com/issue20/p25i20.htm. 2010-04-11. 2010-05-26. December 2003.
  2. Web site: Review of the 2005/06 Season . Arsenal Holdings Plc. . 2010-10-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111024222211/http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files/documents/jul_08/gun__1215525802_accounts20052006.pdf . 24 October 2011 .
  3. Web site: Sporting Heroes. Sarah Garrett . G3 Magazine. 2010-10-12. August 2008.
  4. Web site: England women Fixtures and Results, 2004/05 . Cresswell Wanderers FC . 2010-10-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121024012842/http://www.freewebs.com/macacresswell4eva/englandwomen.htm . 24 October 2012 .
  5. Web site: Kirsty Pealling. Hampstead FC. 2010-10-12.
  6. News: 'I've enjoyed every single minute'. Arsenal F.C.. Arsenal.com. Nik. Brumsack. 11 July 2013. 15 July 2014.
  7. Web site: 22 May 2023 . Take a closer look at our eight stadium artworks . https://web.archive.org/web/20230601213637/https://www.arsenal.com/news/take-closer-look-our-new-emirates-artworks . 1 June 2023 . 12 December 2023 . Arsenal.
  8. Web site: Women boldly go where no men have been of late . Mike Rowbottom. The Independent. 2010-05-26. 1995-06-06.
  9. Web site: International Matches (Women) 2004 . RSSSF. 2010-05-26.
  10. Web site: England squad named for World Cup . 2023-06-19 . The Football Association . en.
  11. Web site: Lacey-Hatton . Jack . 2022-11-18 . Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present . 2023-06-19 . mirror . en.
  12. Web site: Women's Honours . https://web.archive.org/web/20231211062827/https://www.arsenal.com/women/honours . 11 December 2023 . 12 December 2023 . Arsenal.