Harriet Meers was the very first player that Impetus sponsored back in 2020/21. Now, three seasons later, we still sponsor the defender, and she spoke to Ben Gilby about the season just finished at tier six side East Bergholt United (22/6/23).
Above: Harriet Meers has had a successful first season back at East Bergholt United – both on a personal and team level. Photo: Paul Wilding.
Harriet Meers returned to senior football this season after spending some time away from the game. Back at her first club, East Bergholt United in Suffolk, the defender has seen her confidence grow as she fell back in love with the game.
Meers revealed how her return to the club, based in the heart of Constable country happened. “I went to the 21/22 Suffolk County Cup final with a friend who I used to play with at Bergholt before I went to university and she suggested I came back but I wasn’t sure.
“Next thing I knew I was at pre-season and by the start of the season I had fallen back in love with the game and my confidence had returned. As everyone knows, confidence has always been the main problem for me, but I am so glad I didn’t stop. Putting that little bit of pressure on myself has been so beneficial to remembering why I started playing in the first place.”
Having been away from the Suffolk side for a couple of seasons, Meers noticed a couple of differences in returning.
“Things have changed quite significantly since I left, other than a small core group of about six or seven players that were still there. The year I left Bergholt was the year we had just won the county cup and league, taking home the double for the second season in a row. It was time for the club to take promotion into the Eastern Region Women’s League (ERWFL), thus, I was unable to commit to the travel whilst away.
“Since then the club have played in the ERWFL and had a managerial change. I think the great part about returning to the club was the fact the core group of players were still there. A big part of this being Bergholt’s best league result since joining the ERWFL was due to the new players brought in from other clubs and the addition of some younger players from the Ipswich Town Foundation setup.”
Whilst East Bergholt’s season was arguably the best since they made the step up to tier-six football, the defender believes it could have been even better. “In my opinion, the season was one of a mixed bag. We started off with an early FA Cup exit with a 1-0 loss at home in a game where we started slow and didn’t turn up, I think that was tough.
“However, the league started really well and we were bringing home three points most weeks. Unfortunately, I think our season took a turn in the opposite direction after we played Billericay Town Development away in the final game before Christmas. Then with the Christmas break, multiple postponements, and the loss of a key player to other commitments, we started to struggle.
“We struggled for several weeks to get a point on the board, but we made it through. We struggled with venues for training over winter and it definitely had a huge impact on the intensity and frequency of training. This made it hard to keep morale high, but we made it to the end of the season, and it’s something we aim to change going into next season.
“Regardless of this, we still finished the season having got to the semi-final of the county cup (only losing to the winners Needham Market) and we exited the Eastern Region League Cup to Bowers and Pitsea from the league above. Most importantly, we finished with the highest number of points since entering the ERWFL.”
It was a campaign that Meers believes saw her take significant strides forward in her game. “When I started playing for East Bergholt I had played football for only three years, so I had entered women’s football extremely shy, was someone who didn’t speak on the pitch, and had zero confidence.
“Since then, I have played for the University of East Anglia team in BUCS (British University sports league) where I was captain, had a UEA scholarship, and played for Wroxham in tier five.
“I would say my high point of the season was coming back and a few of the ‘core girls’ who I played with before commenting on how much of a difference they could see in me, both as a person and a player. I have a lot more confidence, I am now a voice on the pitch, and in a different position to when I left. People said they could see a change.
“Additionally, midway through the season our captain had important commitments and had to take a step back. I was extremely surprised to be asked to take on the role of captain by the management team Jordan and Darren. From the shy, timid person I was when I left the club, to returning and being given the armband just felt like a complete circle ‘don’t believe it’ moment.
“I think I realised the biggest doubter in me is myself. This season I have tried to work on not getting in my head, I think I’ve proved that I can do it. No matter what game I’m playing, even if I’m having a shocker of a game, I know that it’s a team game and my job is to keep my head up and encourage everyone else.
“I’d like to think on the pitch I’m a really positive person and never put another player down. I think it’s all too easy to moan or say someone should’ve done something differently, but we all know when we’ve made a mistake. No one is harder on you than yourself and I think that’s something I really want the team to realise next season – to start to improve how positive we are on the pitch and increase our support of each other.
“I had started the summer thinking that I was going to focus on my postgrad degree and leave football behind me. Fast forward to November, I had been given the opportunity to lead the team and was playing in a positive environment and loving every minute of being on the pitch.”
In terms of the team’s best moments during the campaign, the defender highlighted two. “There was our 2-0 win over Haverhill Rovers in the county cup. The game was eventful, full of cards, but as a team, we put in a huge battle and to take the win at the end felt amazing. I’d say our other ‘high’ moment was when we played against Woodson Park away. We started behind, a position we often struggle to come back from, but with some brilliant goals and a hell of a strike at 5-5 from our striker Jade, we won the game 6-5.”
Whilst Meers’ growth as a footballer has been going on this season, she is six months into postgraduate studies back at the University of East Anglia. It’s been a pleasant surprise how easy it has for the two to fit together.
“Since starting the postgraduate studies in January I’ve managed to commute to Norwich daily, train twice a week, and play every Sunday (apart from when I was on holiday). Once I started the course, I expected to not be able to maintain playing football and I would just do it as and when. However, I have managed to balance playing football, even when on hospital placement in Bury St. Edmunds.
“Luckily, following the medical school structure, my placement is not shift work which has been brilliant. Playing football is brilliant both mentally and physically whilst on a demanding course. Even though I often came straight to football, changed at the venue or in my car, and was often tired, I can say I always felt better after the session. At the end of the day, football is the only time I don’t feel guilty that I should have my head in a book, so I am grateful for being able to currently manage both!”
Whilst the 2022/23 season finished relatively recently, Meers is already looking forward to the new campaign with East Bergholt United.
“I can’t wait to get started again, with new teams entering the league it will be good to play new sides and to redeem ourselves in the FA Cup! There is a great group of girls at this club who commit every single week and I love being around them. We’ve started a ‘pre-preseason’ group on Strava to start the season as fit as we can, with the aim to start properly training from July onwards.
“Sadly Darren Hogg, one of the managers who had been at the club for 10 years, has had to step down due to commitments. I think as a squad we will feel that loss, but I’m sure he’ll be around at some point!
“I think it’s within our capability to sit in one of the top four league positions. In a post-season friendly we played; we added a few new players who would make an incredible difference for us at the club. We also have a couple of girls back from maternity who are influential players in the team. If we can get those players to sign, potentially bring in a few more, have a good training facility we are onto something special. For me personally, I just want to keep improving, work on my touch and maybe even manage a goal or two if I can train that head of mine.”
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