In the early afternoon sun on a mid August afternoon, Sunderland’s Katy Watson strides towards us. We’re in the colossal sports hall at St George’s Park and media have gathered to speak to the stars of the WSL 2.
Watson has just got off a coach she’d been travelling on for four hours in roasting heat, all the way from Wearside to Burton-on-Trent. Sitting down, her first instinct is to thank us for speaking with her as she settles in for an interview.
Watson is used to media duties by now, and her upwards trajectory in the football world suggests that is necessary. The Halfway Line caught up with the Sunderland star ahead of the new season.
Watson’s ‘determination to score’ is ‘a lot stronger’ now
Sunderland head coach Mel Reay hailed the Watson as ‘lethal’ after she scored a hat-trick against Rangers to start pre-season off with a bang. The Sunderland forward will hope that the 4-0 victory is a sign of things to come for her this season, she ,
“Going into the game, I was quite nervous because it was one of the first friendly days of pre season. We’d had a big build up of running, pretty much just run every training session. So it was just finally nice to get a game, [to] start.”
“I just went for goal” Watson admits with a smile, “I needed it definitely, it’s just nice to finally get on the pitch, have a ball at your feet and just do what I do.”
As far as making goal scoring a habit is concerned Watson is clear on her expectations of herself now she has a few seasons under her belt,
“It’s definitely more important, like, I feel like the need to score is a lot stronger. I’ve been with first team, I think four seasons now as I’m getting older, I think, like, the determination is a lot stronger.”
Growth of women’s football ‘a dream come true’
Even in the comparatively short career of Watson, women’s football has grown exponentially. With Newcastle’s promotion to the WSL 2 last season, another North East derby took centre stage in the WSL 2. The Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ park in March was played in front of an incredible 38,502 spectators.
“Four years ago, when I was just breaking through into the first team, I would have never expected to have more than 10,000 fans at game” Watson tells me.
“So to play in front of 38,000 fans at St James’s Park in a local derby, It was just like, it was unreal. Like I couldn’t believe it” she reported passionately, concluding,
“Honestly, [it’s] like a dream come true.”
Team bonding at ‘an inflatables water park’
Often the image of a team bonding activity can conjure dread: the thought of a two truths and a lie, or even a trust fall with a colleague strikes angst into the hearts of many. However that’s not Watson’s experience, when asked about team bonding Watson said with a knowing smile, “So we’ve got a trip planned.”
Looking up at the assembled media, Watson knows she’s about to say something none of us could have guessed, “and we’re going to go to an inflatables water park, which usually ends in a lot of fights” she laughed.
With the assembled media in the palm of her hand, Watson continued gesturing, “[you know] people pushing each other, yeah, I just think, like, it’s really needed. It creates friendships. And I genuinely think that helps so much with teams, like you want to work for your teammates, we go out for meals quite a lot. Just doing stuff as a team, I think really helps bring everyone together.”
‘Till the end’ the Sunderland ethos
One particular highlight of last season came when the Black Cats travelled away to Bristol City. A goal down with 10 minutes to go, Sunderland turned it around. That day, Watson got the winner for her side in dramatic late fashion.
“So we have a saying” Watson reveals, continuing with purpose in her voice, “till the end.”
She continues, “all the coaches say, till the end, till the end, till the end. I came on the pitch. And Ellen Jones obviously scored. And I was like, right? Like, I want toscore this, this is my chance. I want it.”
Continuing to describe the late drama, Watson recalled, “and then Marissa [Sheva] won the ball in the middle and played it in. And I just seen the opening. I was like, I’m going to shoot. I want to do it. And luckily it went in! Everyone was absolutely shattered. So we couldn’t properly celebrate. But it was a great moment.”
Even if the players were too tired the fans and coaches did a lot of celebrating Watson assures us.
‘I’ve always looked up to Jill Scott’ Watson states
“[it was] One of the best experiences of my life” Watson explains describing her was selection for England’s Under 19s European Championship in Lithuania in the summer of 2024. “It was like a dream come true, like, when I was a little girl, I was dreaming about stuff like that. Like, you’re away with your best friends, playing for your country, playing against different countries in a competition against some of the best players in the world at our age.”
Watson did not just play, but against hosts, she found the scoresheet, It was just like.” Watson paused as she searched for the words to describe that moment, “I had goosebumps when I scored. It’s just something you dream of and you never expect that it’s gonna happen to you. But [it was] just like a feeling of relief as well, like all the hard work’s finally paid off.”
Some of the greatest Lionesses have come up through the ranks at Sunderland. Watson told us about one in particular that she looks up to.
“I’ve always looked up to Jill Scott, I just think, because she’s from right near where I’m from. I used to go to her football camps when I was younger, like, I used to want to be like her, I used to be obsessed with her.”
Watson concluded, “And I’m finally following in her footsteps. Hopefully, I will, if I keep doing as well as I’m doing.”
