Carol Baxtor has been known as many things: teacher, referee and most recently, recipient of the SFA Grassroots Award for ‘Best Volunteer’ in youth football for the North of Scotland region.

After over 26 years volunteering in the 13s to 19s juvenile football leagues in Aberdeen as match secretary, Carol scooped the regional prize in August that ‘aims to recognise and reward people across the country that make a difference to grassroots football in their local community.’ It’s safe to say, she certainly has done that. 

When Carol got the news that she had won the award from Mark Slater of the SFA, she didn’t believe it at first. 

“That was the day of the terrible thunder and lightning in Aberdeen and the school was flooded, so we couldn’t get kids back in. Mark phoned me all joyful, and the first thing I said to him was: ‘Who gave you my phone number, because I don’t give out my mobile phone number!” 

Carol was also shocked to learn that “when our season is up and running properly, I do more fixtures than the whole of the Scottish leagues and the English leagues put together!”

She was brought up in a footballing family, dating back to the 1950s: “We’re going back a lot of years, but my dad won a Scottish Juniors Cup Winners medal with Sunnybank and my uncle John won a Scottish Junior Cup medal when Banks O’ Dee won it – so that was 1954 and 1957 if I recall.”

“I lived in a street where the kids of my age where all boys as well. They used to knock on my door and ask if was coming up the park to play football. There’s always been football in the family. My brother played junior football as well.”

While training to be a teacher, Carol went to Auchterellon Primary School, which was the biggest in the Grampian region at the time. There, she took on one of the younger boys’ football teams, adding: “I decided, everybody thinks they know the rules and the laws of the game, but I decided to go to the referee’s classes. There’s always a shortage of referees. At that time, we were encouraged to referee while you were going through the classes.”

Eventually, she was approached to help on Sundays, too. After some persuasion, she committed to the Saturday games too - only when she wasn’t going to Pittodrie every week as a dedicated Aberdeen season ticket holder.

Being the ‘woman in the middle’ came naturally, and she refereed for over ten seasons – as well as becoming the first woman to run the line at a senior men’s match; an encounter between Cove and Rothes. 

Unfortunately, women referees did not have the same opportunities, so she decided to lend her talents off the pitch as match secretary. As a referee, she faced the usual from the fans – but always responded well with her deep knowledge of the beautiful game. 

“Often the male parents – although sometimes the women were as bad – tried to tell you that you didn’t know what you were doing, you got that wrong, whatever. I used to carry the laws of the game in my bag, and if somebody said something I’d say “I haven’t time to argue with you at the moment, but I’ll see you at the end and I can show you!”

She does admit that by being a female referee at the time, she was in the minority. Still she recalls the “good camaraderie” between the three of four women referees and says: “The referee’s nights out were a bit different – we were there and instead of bringing wives, we took our husbands.”

Despite Carol’s pioneering efforts, she is still sad to see fewer women refereeing: “It’s disappointing that you don’t see them especially with the development of girls and women’s football. It’s disappointing to not see more women refereeing at a higher level in football, even now.”

Fast forward to today and Carol is the match secretary for the Aberdeen District Juvenile Football Association (ADJFA) and doing a stellar job, too. Among other duties, she creates grids for league matches, arranges pitches and organises cup finals.  Of course, they need referees for these games and she works closely with the Aberdeen District Referees Association as well.

Asked how she would describe the job, she joked: “A pest! A nightmare!” before adding, 

“It’s my job to ensure that all the matches and the leagues are played to a conclusion. Last season being a difficult one for everybody.”

As part of a team, Carol said: “It’s not just about me, or even the other members of the executive committee. It’s about all the guys and girls that give up their time to be qualified to actually run teams and give the youth in the area a game of competitive football.”

Humbled and shocked by the award, she added: “When something like this comes along it is a surprise, and you think ‘somebody somewhere appreciates what you’re doing.”

Inverness Caledonian Thistle have found a way to save the club’s academy and continue the running of all seven of its youth teams. 

Caley had previously announced they were struggling to source the funds to continue the scheme free of charge. 

However, with over 90% of the parents agreeing to partake in voluntary funding and donations coming from local businesses – with one businessman offering to donate a five figure sum – the academy will be able to continue.

This means that Caley are able to keep its current seven teams, that run from under-12s level to under 18s, and still be registered for the SFA’s flagship scheme Project Brave.

Prior to the announcement, a few Caley youth players admitted they were worried they may lose their place in the team, with budgets struggling to cover over all ages. 

Under-18 player Andrew Lewthwaite was asked about the possibility of losing his place in the squad. 

“Of course, that’s always the fear,” he said, “yet without fear your’re nothing. I know certainly for me it is the fear which drives me always to do my best”. 

Another under-18 player, Ross Gordon, also spoke about how “the risk is always there of being dropped, but in that moment the risk seemed even higher.”

The suggested scheme suggests players will pay £10-a-week for training and to go to their games. 

Both Ross and Andrew were questioned if, that due to the new fees, players would be drawn to the likes of Ross County or Clachnacuddin. However, both boys emphatically agreed that all the players were committed to the team. 

 “Players would be missing out if they left as Caley has an amazing academy and coaches, if you want the best you’d want to be at Caley,” Andrew said. 

Ross added: “Especially now that we have this opportunity to keep the academy running, the boys will be closer than ever and wanting to do as well as possible for the team.”

The club understand the significant amount of backing they have received from parents and sponsors for the academy to stay afloat. 

Due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, many teams are feeling the full extent of the financial burdens caused by the virus. 

Staff at Hibs’ Tranent academy were relieved of their duties and several other clubs are weighing up their involvement in Project Brave. 

As well as that, other teams have withdrawn academies from Project Brave over the past couple of years such as Falkirk, Livingston and Dunfermline. 

However, Inverness has been a great example of a community coming together in incredibly tough times to support a club which has an ever-present role in its community looking after and providing for others. Let’s hope that some of the boys who are being given the chance today will be the stars of tomorrow.