Eartha Sweetie Pond (born 4 September 1983) is a footballer. Born in England, she plays internationally for Saint Lucia. She previously played club football as a defender for Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Charlton Athletic, Leeds, and Tottenham Hotspur. She is currently the Non-Executive Director on the Football Association's Women's Football Board.
Pond played as a defender for a large variety of football clubs throughout her career.[4] Early in her career she played for Arsenal, Chelsea, and Charlton.[5][6][7] She signed for Charlton from Arsenal in summer 2002,[8] and made the 2003 FA Women's Cup final, in which Charlton were beaten 3–0 by Fulham.[9]
After spending 2007–08 with Leeds United, Pond returned to Arsenal for 2008–09. She was seen as a versatile, left-sided defender who had already overcome two serious knee injuries.[10] She started two of her seven FA Women's Premier League appearances for Arsenal.[11]
Pond was part of Arsenal's 2009 FA Cup winning squad.[12] Pond moved on to Chelsea the following season, and then left England for the only time in her career to join the Buffalo Flash of the United States based W-League.[13] She scored four goals in 11 appearances.[14] The Flash would go on to win the W-League championship at the end of the season, making it two trophies in two years for Pond.[15] She would move on to play with Barnet and Birmingham City during 2011.[16][17] Her 2013 season at Queen's Park Rangers saw her play as a stand-in goalkeeper for injured teammate and score in the same match.[18] On 3 April 2014, Pond was announced as a signing by Reading.[19] Later that year she would join Tottenham Hotspur.[20]
Pond won a quadruple with Tottenham Hotspur, the most notable trophy being the overall winner of the FA Women's Premier League, a promotion playoff that saw Spurs reach the second tier of English women's football for the first time.[21]
Post-playing career
After her professional football career, Pond took positions as a physical education teacher and held administrative educational roles.[4] In 2019, she petitioned the Government of the United Kingdom to make physical education a core course, alongside subjects like math and English.[22]
She was elected as a local councillor on the Queen's Park Community Council in London in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018 and 2022. She is chair of the council.
In 2021, Pond assumed the inaugural position of Non-Executive Director on The Football Association's Women’s Football Board.[4][23]
International career
Pond had youth caps with various England squads, but she did not make her senior international debut until her club career had come to a close. She debuted for Saint Lucia in September 2023, starting games against Cuba and Guadeloupe in Group B of League C of CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup Qualifying. In the latter game, she registered two assists, as Saint Lucia won 5-1.[24] She was included in the squad for Saint Lucia's December games against the same two opponents.
In March 2004 Pond received a 49-day FA ban after she and Carmaine Walker had engaged in a fight with Carly and Gemma Hunt at a national team conditioning session the previous September.[25]
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