Booking.com is the Official Accommodation Booking Partner of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022™ and commissioned research, ahead of the tournament, to better understand the opinions of football fans in parts of Europe and determine how international football events shape passions around travel. We caught up with Karen Carney, Booking.com UEFA Women’s EURO 2022™ ambassador and former England player to find out her thoughts on the findings and her observations about women's sport as a whole.
Karen Carney
Please tell us about partnering with Booking.com
“Booking.com are the official accommodation booking partner of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022™ and I’m a massive fan of travel. I’ve travelled throughout my career in football and I wouldn’t have travelled if I didn’t have the sport. There’s going to a be load of people coming to the European Championships this summer, so it’s good to be partnered with Booking.com and I see a lot of synergies and it matches with what I love, which is travel and sport.”
Why do you think that so many people were encouraged to experience different things after travelling to a football match for the first time?
“After the pandemic, everyone has missed travel and realised what a big part of their lives it is. To have that different culture, and have that escape is important. I’ve travelled far and abroad both as a player and a fan, to follow my teams, and it’s just the best experience. Going to new cities, new cultures, meeting fans, meeting communities and then having that sporting event and that brings everyone together, and I just love it.”
Are you content with the current state of women's sport or do you feel improvements could be made?
“With anything there’s always room for improvements, with people’s mindsets. We’re in a cycle at a the moment where things are moving really well, but I still think that cycle could be quicker, could be better, but that’s like anything in life, you always want things to improve. It’s a really big summer for women’s sport. I think we’re in a really good moment, but of course in anything you ever want to do you want it bigger, and better. So, we’re on a bit of a shift, but there’s so much more that can be done, and I think sport can have synergies in other areas that an impact women as well.”
Which female sportsperson do you most admire and why?
I’m a big fan of Serena [Williams]. We got to train in the same complex as her at the last world cup. I was coming back from training and there was a kid’s toy on the floor and I picked it up and she was carrying her daughter, so I gave her the toy. She was exhausted and the heat was boiling and she was trying to train and navigate family time. Everything about her, she’s just a boss and I really like that about her. Also, Jessica Ennis-Hill, I think we all fell in love with her at [London] 2012 she just oozes pure class. She’s so nice and she has morals and standards and beliefs and she sticks by them. Rachel Yankey is also my best person as well. I’m very inspired by those three amazing women.
Why do you think there has been a shift in women's perceptions of football being a realistic career ambition?
“I think it’s major sponsors, broadcasters, media outlets getting it in front of people’s eyes, vision and hearing, and understanding that there are opportunities out there. It’s that saying, ‘you only know what you know, if you can’t see it you can’t be it’, so how do you know if it’s not being put out there? I have to commend everyone that’s pushed women’s football in particular, to show and amplify that, so then people can say, wow we could have a career in it, as a player, or in the media, or behind the cameras, or whatever it is in women’s football. I’ve got a 15-year-old niece so I take her to as many of my events as possible to show her career routes. To see that she can see many careers in women’s football in particular, is awesome.”
Please tell us about the women in your own life who helped you achieve your success.
My mum is the one that pushes me a and makes me see there are no barriers if I want to do something, as long as I work hard and really want it, I can achieve it. I have two older sisters, one couldn’t play football because she never had any opportunities, so she went into refereeing and coached a grass roots team for 15 years. I’m full of really strong empowered women but equally, I’m a massive fan of male allies and my dad is incredible as well. I’d say I’m surrounded. Emma Hayes has been a really big advocate for me and Hope Powell and Mo Marley, there are loads people in terms of females, but equally I have to champion my male allies who are great.”
What are your top tips for fans if they are watching the Women's Euros for the first time?
“I don’t think there’s any advice. It’s like the first time you travel, sometimes I think when someone tells you what to expect, it kind of ruins that experience. When I went to Thailand, everyone said it’s amazing, but that vision and memory for me is more important than someone telling me. So if it’s going to be your first time, just be open minded, sit back and enjoy it. I think that’s the best way to be.”
Why do you think football helps to shape people's passion for travel?
“Football is so iconic we follow teams, players and individuals and you’ll go anywhere and move heaven and earth for your team. When I travelled to the men’s Euros in France I’d never travelled [as a fan] before, because I was always a player. I went to France and meeting people from other nations, learning about their culture, having that camaraderie, the sunshine, the restaurants, everything about it, you just cannot beat it. I think sport in general gives you that and takes you to places that you’d never necessarily go.
“My mum and dad followed me because I went to the China World Cup. They’re from Birmingham and there’s no way they would have said 10-15 years ago, we’re going to go to China, because they weren’t very well travelled and it wasn’t our thing, until sport enabled that. They go everywhere now, even after I retired, because it gave them that buzz and confidence.”
How does football compare to when you were captain?
I think the thing that’s changed is perceptions. Sponsors, branding the look and feel, broadcasting, I think that’s been the biggest shift for me. The skill and everything else has always been there, but now it’s just being consistently put into people’s mindsets and changing those - perhaps when I first played – negative thoughts about females playing football, and now it’s changed to a positive and now we’re seeing inclusive role models and it’s awesome.”
What is next for you?
“I never have a plan. Things just always just crop up. Finishing my MBA in [in business administration] is something I really need to do. I’ve signed with some new broadcasters and I’m excited just to continue working and to grow the game. When I played there was never any plan, I just always followed my heart, my passions and what I enjoyed, and I’ll just aim to do that now I’ve retired in this new career. I don’t know where it will lead me or how long it will last, but I just want to try and be a good person and see where it takes me.
Booking.com is the Official Accommodation Booking Partner of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022™