When the Prime Minister praises your work, you know you must be doing something right.
Sheila Rollinson, founder and now club secretary of Derby County Ladies, received the Points of Light award, which recognises people who are making a difference in their community, in July 2015.
And at the time, then-PM David Cameron said: “The very existence of Derby County Ladies is testament to Sheila’s incredible passion and commitment.
“Sheila is a leading light in grassroots football and for almost four decades she has given generations of women and girls the chance to play football in the Midlands.”
From humble beginnings as ‘Beacon Wanderers’, the Ewe Rams are now thriving.
Derby County Ladies, as they became known in 1990, today boast three senior teams and eight youth teams, with their first team lying sixth in The FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division.
And they owe much of their progress to Rollinson’s relentless drive.
“I think I’ve probably done every job for the club,” she said. “I started out as a player and now I’m club secretary.
“I’ve worked with the younger players in our academy, I help out with the match programmes, I’m a physio for the U16 team and I even make the teas on matchday.
“There are a lot of jobs to be done at a football club!”
Derby will take on Brighouse Town in the third round of the SSE Women’s FA Cup on Sunday, following last week’s postponement.
The winners will travel to FA WSL 1 side, and 2009 Finalists, Sunderland in round four.
Rollinson, who was named on the shortlist for the FA Community Awards for ‘Outstanding Contribution To Football’ in 2014, cannot wait to see her beloved Rams pit themselves against one of the top clubs in the country.
She said: “This is our one chance to meet teams from outside of the Women’s Premier League and that’s always a good experience.
“Now we know that a trip to Sunderland is the prize, this weekend takes on even more meaning. We’d love the chance to see how we measure up against a team from the top level of women’s football.
“But we can’t look too far ahead because Brighouse are doing very well in the division below us.”
While Rollinson is tempering any thoughts of making it all the way to Wembley in May, she revealed her pride at the evolution of the women’s game and the fact its showpiece match is now being staged at the national stadium.
Rollinson explained: “I was part of the era of players that had to fight to get any sort of recognition or funding.
“The first club I ever played for, we got changed in the garage of a pub car park. We were looked on as very strange people who wanted to play football.
“The difference today is that it is now totally acceptable for women and girls to play football. They’ve got strong role models at the top of the game and that’s fantastic.
“Another big change has been the introduction of girls’ youth teams and academies. You no longer see a 14-year-old playing against adults. Instead they will be playing with and against girls of their own age which will only help with their development.”
She added: “The fact that the Cup Final is now played at Wembley is absolutely fantastic. I never thought I’d see the day.”
And what of the tribute from David Cameron?
“It’s something I’m extremely proud of,” said Rollinson, rather bashfully. “I suppose it’s not every day you get a personal message from the Prime Minister.
“When I went to London to collect the award I even got to watch a game of football on the TV in the Commons bar, which was nice.”
Tickets for this season's Final are on sale now, priced at just £15 for adults while kids go FREE.
