Saturday’s game against Weymouth saw Dartford FC Women’s Charlie Torry feature in our matchday programme. For those who missed it, here is the full article:
Dartford FC Women Defender, Charlie Torry, is a joyful person to speak to. She comes across as being a positive and friendly character in our conversations, which is a vital attribute to bring into a football team.
Clearly in a good mood upon asking how she is, she responds, “I’m well. Life is good. I’ve had lots of fun during the off-season, but it’s great to be back!”
The reason she had so much fun during the summer was because Charlie and her partner (teammate Amy Green) travelled to Vietnam together. “…We spent three weeks exploring the country, from the north to the south. It’s an absolutely beautiful country.”
That sounds absolutely amazing but, as we now prepare to head into the colder and wetter weather of good old England, let’s turn our attention to the present because the football season is entering arguably its busiest period. But where did it all begin for Charlie?
“I started at a boys club because there were no girls teams around when I was getting into it.” Sadly, that’s a statement which is becoming more familiar to me the more I speak with the Dartford FC Women’s squad. But it certainly hasn’t held any of them back, and this thirty-year-old defender is no different… “I went through the age groups at the Charlton Academy, before ending up at Crystal Palace’s Academy while I was at college.”
Charlie’s journey then took her across the pond to the USA, where she went to University as well as played football for Wyoming for a couple of years. Unfortunately, circumstances dictated that she give up the sport for eight years, before the bug bit again, “…I decided to play again after lockdown and joined Dartford. I haven’t looked back since!”
As we rewind the clock further, Charlie fondly speaks about her Dad and how he ignited her love of our beautiful game. And, it’s clear that he is the main inspiration in her life, “…he’s the hardest working person I know. He’s my inspiration.” She continues, “Dad got me into football . I will never forget the first game he took me to at Highbury. From thar moment on, I’ve always wanted to play football.”
Charlie really started getting into the sport when she was around 8-years old and she, “…realised how far it could get you when I saw friends of mine getting scholarships and having their degrees paid through playing. It’s incredible how far it’s come on since then too!”
The women’s game certainly has improved in many ways since then, but it still has a long way to go in order for the players to earn a living from it. Obviously, like so many of her peers, Charlie works outside of the sport too… “I’m actually a qualified electrician, but I decided to take a different career path. I work in an office. However, I work with my best friend, so it doesn’t always feel like work most of the time! It’s a great job.”
Outside of her job and football duties, Charlie is a season ticket holder at Premier League side Brighton, “…I spend most of my weekends down the Amex… I love football and I love to travel.”
However, “During the week I don’t do much at all because the early starts ruin my life! But, if there’s no football on the tele in the evenings, I’ll usually watch a crime documentary or some David Attenborough show!”
Charlie’s love of football is clear for all to see, does she have a favourite moment from her career so far? “We had a good season last term and deserved some silverware at the end of it. To win the league cup at the end was brilliant… my favourite moment with Dartford (so far)!”
And, like her teammates, she’s determined to build on that success, “My plans are to try and keep improving and to help the team do as well as we can this year. We’ve got a good bit of momentum at the moment, and the vibe feels good in the camp. But, we are just taking each game as they come.” She continues, “My hope for this year is that we win the league… we were so close last term and had a great season. I’m the wrong side of 30 now, I’m not sure how many more years my legs have got in them to achieve that!”
Let’s hope that success continues to build for Charlie and her teammates because, their efforts deserve it as do the Dartford supporters and club as a whole. And on that note, I’ll let Charlie finish with the final words…
“Thank you for all the support. It means so much to us as a team to have the fans behind us. It goes such a long way on the pitch when we have you all there!”
By Chris Palmer