Why we play TO WIN!
THE FOOTBALLER
‘I always come off the pitch feeling good’
NIKKI COCKAYNE, 60, was a football mum, but now plays herself. She lives in Warwickshire with her husband, Richard, 61. They have three grown-up children.
Football has always featured heavily in my life. Growing up, I supported Manchester United, as my parents were both born there, and I enjoyed watching FA Cup games on television. Then, when I was 12, I had the thrill of travelling up to Old Trafford and watching my first live game. I loved it.
Our youngest child, Abby, now 28, was the only girl in her primary school football team. Age 10 she went to a local football course and was spotted by the then manager of Aston Villa Ladies U12s.
She progressed to being Captain through her teens, and when she went to Loughborough University, she became Captain of the Ladies First Team. Sadly, at the age of
