Eartha Pond
OfficeChair of the Queen's Park Community Council
Term start2014
PredecessorJohn McArdle
Office 2Member of Queen's Park Community Council
Term start 22014
Predecessor 2Office established
Birth date4 September 1983 (age 42)
Birth nameEartha Sweetie Pond[1]

Eartha Pond
PositionDefender
Youthyears 11995–1999
Youthclubs 1Arsenal
Years 11999–2001
Clubs 1Chelsea
Years 22001–2002
Clubs 2Charlton Athletic
Years 32002
Clubs 3Arsenal
Years 42002–2007
Clubs 4Charlton Athletic
Years 52007–2008
Clubs 5Leeds United
Years 62008–2009
Clubs 6Arsenal
Caps 67
Goals 60
Years 72009–2010
Clubs 7Chelsea
Years 82010
Clubs 8Buffalo Flash
Caps 811
Goals 84
Years 92011
Clubs 9Barnet
Years 102011–2012
Clubs 10Birmingham City
Caps 103
Goals 100
Years 112012
Clubs 11Everton
Caps 111
Goals 110
Years 122013
Clubs 12Queens Park Rangers
Years 132014
Clubs 13Reading
Years 142014–2018
Clubs 14Tottenham Hotspur
Nationalyears 12023
Nationalteam 1Saint Lucia
Nationalcaps 12
Nationalgoals 10
Eartha Sweetie 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.

Early life and education

Pond was raised in Queen's Park, London.[2] At 11 years old, she was scouted by Arsenal F.C. and began playing for them at age 12 in 1995.[2][3]

Club career

Pond played as a defender for a large variety of football clubs throughout her career.[4] Early in her career she played for Arsenal, Chelsea, and Charlton.[5][6][7] She signed for Charlton from Arsenal in summer 2002,[8] and made the 2003 FA Women's Cup final, in which Charlton were beaten 3–0 by Fulham.[9]

After spending 2007–08 with Leeds United, Pond returned to Arsenal for 2008–09. She was seen as a versatile, left-sided defender who had already overcome two serious knee injuries.[10] She started two of her seven FA Women's Premier League appearances for Arsenal.[11]

Pond was part of Arsenal's 2009 FA Cup winning squad.[12] 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.[13] She scored four goals in 11 appearances.[14] 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.[15] She would move on to play with Barnet and Birmingham City during 2011.[16] 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.[17] On 3 April 2014, Pond was announced as a signing by Reading.[18] Later that year she would join Tottenham Hotspur.[19]

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.[20]

Post-playing career

After her professional football career, Pond took positions as a physical education teacher and held administrative educational roles.[4] In 2019, she petitioned the Government of the United Kingdom to make physical education a core course, alongside subjects like maths and English.[21]

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.[22][23][24] She is chair of the council.[25][26]

She was instrumental in supporting victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.[4][27]

In 2021, Pond assumed the inaugural position of Non-Executive Director on The Football Association's Women’s Football Board.[4][27]

International career

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.[28] She was included in the squad for Saint Lucia's December games against the same two opponents.

In March 2004 Pond received a 49-day FA ban after she and Carmaine Walker had engaged in a fight with Carly and Gemma Hunt at a national team conditioning session the previous September.[29]

At the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China, Pond captained the Great Britain Universities team to a ninth place finish.[30] That year she declared her ambition to represent Team GB at both handball and football at the 2012 London Olympics.[31]

Honours

Arsenal

Buffalo Flash

Tottenham Hotspur

References

  1. ^ "Eesti universiaadikoondis mängib kohtadele" (in Estonian). Põlva FC Lootos. 19 August 2011. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  2. ^ Whyatt, Katie (2018-11-17). "Former Spurs Ladies star Eartha Pond on helping Grenfell survivors: 'I live in the area, know people from the tower'". 2023-08-14. Archived 2023-08-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-08-13. – via The Daily Telegraph
  3. ^ "Raising the game on and off the pitch at Hendon FC – in pictures". the Guardian. 2022-08-04. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  4. ^ Theivam, Kieran (2021-07-30). "Eartha Pond appointed to FA Women's Board as independent non-executive director". The Football Association. Archived 2022-10-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  5. ^ Cocozza, Paula (2004-04-05). "Women's football". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  6. ^ "Eartha Pond profile page on Stamford-Bridge.com". stamford-bridge.com. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  7. ^ "The History Of Chelsea Women". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  8. ^ "Eartha Pond". BBC Sport. 26 April 2003. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Fulham Ladies bag Cup". 2003-05-05. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  10. ^ "21. Eartha Pond". Arsenal F.C.. Archived 3 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Statistics 2008-2009". Arsenal F.C.. Archived 2 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Women in Football - From Grease to girls playing football and a whole lot more - we've got it covered in our #AskEartha Q&A". www.womeninfootball.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  13. ^ "Buffalo fields English flair in 2010". USLsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  14. ^ "2010 Statistics". USLsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  15. ^ "Buffalo Flash Win USL W-League Championship". International Soccer Network. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  16. ^ "Barnet FC Ladies | The FA Women's National League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  17. ^ FC, QPR. "Official website of Queens Park Rangers for the latest news from Loftus Road". QPR FC. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  18. ^ FC, Reading. "WOMEN STRENGTHEN SQUAD". Reading FC. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  19. ^ "Spurs Ladies player Eartha Pond shortlisted for Global Teacher Prize". Tottenham Hotspur. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  20. ^ "Spurs Ladies all set for Women's Super League". Tottenham Hotspur. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  21. ^ Wilson, Jeremy (2019-05-15). "Eartha Pond on swapping Chelsea and Arsenal for sports bra campaign to get girls inspired and into sport". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived 2022-01-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  22. ^ "Queen's Park Community Council Election Results". Westminster City Council. 15 May 2014. Archived 3 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  23. ^ "Westminster Council election results". Westminster Extra. 3 May 2018. Archived 24 October 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  24. ^ "Election results 2022". QPCC. 20 April 2023. Archived 15 May 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  25. ^ "Council Members: Eartha Pond". QPCC. Archived 24 October 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  26. ^ "Declaration of Acceptance of Office 2022 -2025". QPCC. Archived 24 October 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  27. ^ Ayodele, Mayowa (2021-08-06). "Eartha Pond joins FA Women's Football Board". Operation Black Vote. Archived 2023-08-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  28. ^ "A fantastic four for Arnicka Louis as Saint Lucia win at Guadeloupe". Concacaf. 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  29. ^ "Quartet suspended". theFA.com. 2004-03-01. Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  30. ^ "Match Report". 2011 Summer Universiade. 17 August 2011. Archived 30 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  31. ^ Wastell, Kenny (23 December 2011). "London 2012: 10 best of the web". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Ladies lift Ryman Cup". Spurs Ladies. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  33. ^ Menno, Dustin (8 May 2016). "Tottenham Hotspur Ladies win the double after lifting FA WPL Cup". Cartilage Free Captain. Archived 9 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 May 2016.