'Mayo girl' Karen Carney: 'Sky don’t see this as women’s football, they see it as football'
Karen Carney Sky Sports lead pundit for WSL. Sky Sports will show at least 35 WSL games exclusively live this season as well as lengthy build-ups, post-match analysis and daily news.
Who knows the extent of Karen Carney’s influence at Sky, but there’s certainly no televised WSL game next Saturday evening to clash with the All-Ireland final.
“I’m a Mayo girl. I was on something the other week and my dad was like ‘I’m not watching you, I’m watching the Gaelic’.”
Another one that got away. England’s third most capped international with 144 appearances begins her role as Sky Sports lead pundit for the Women's Super League tonight when Manchester United entertain Reading.
She has ‘fingers crossed’ for next week’s football final, but has ‘goosebumps’ just thinking about tonight and what long-term advocates of women’s football believe might just be the English game’s most crucial breakthrough yet. Sky will show at least 35 live games this season, with 22 more on BBC.
“Sky have been brilliant. They’ve said they’re going to give it the full deal. Now we have the resources and the technology to do it.
“They don’t see this as women’s football, they see it as football. They are going to give it the full package, the full look and feel. Whether it’s analysis or promotion.
“You walk anywhere in the Sky building there’s a buzz, there’s an atmosphere, there’s an excitement around the WSL. You walk into the building, you’ve got the men’s Premier League champions on the left and the WSL champions on the right. They are taking it seriously. They are not messing around, Everything about it will be done properly.”
Which makes her a little bit nervous too. At this stage, Carney is an experienced broadcaster with several outlets, but she’s rarely had scope before to go full Carra and Neville. So the training touchscreen has been installed at her home.
“I’ve been practising on the equipment at home. I’ll be very nervous doing it.
“I had been frustrated we haven’t always been able to do the analysis I’ve wanted to do. I was very persistent on that. I know I’m putting myself under massive pressure here, but this is what we’ve all dreamed about.
“As a player, I always put myself under unnecessary pressure. When I retired I promised myself never to do that again so today is an amazing day, I’m going to enjoy it and whether it’s touchscreen or not, I’m going to have a great time.
“It’s been a long time coming to this point today. I’m just excited now. I’ve got goosebumps just speaking about it. It’s been such a long process to get to this point to have such a fantastic company backing it.”
The one you’ve all been waiting for…
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) September 3, 2021
Welcome to The Arsenal, @TobinHeath ❤️
As we speak, news is breaking of USA great Tobin Heath’s move to Arsenal, another sprinkle of stardust for the league.
But Carney has been working on a package for tonight’s coverage of a player already with the Gunners, Ireland captain Katie McCabe. This weekend’s live Sky Sunday game sees Arsenal host current champions Chelsea at the Emirates.
“Katie McCabe is brilliant. Her stats are through the roof, we’re going to do a panel tonight on her stats to show why she’s so creative and show why that player is so key.”
Earlier, she’d highlighted McCabe to UK journalists as the player most likely to benefit from the increased exposure, to emerge from under the radar. Might Sky do for McCabe’s profile what it did for namesake Taylor?
“What Katie McCabe’s got to do, she’s got to keep doing what she’s doing. Her performances don’t lie, her stats don’t lie. I was thinking about this yesterday, I actually think she’s the best left back in the league. I’m trying to think who is better and I was really struggling.
“And even moreso, when she plays for Ireland, she plays left wing. Her qualities, her deliveries, I think she’s fantastic, I really do. As long as she keeps doing what she’s doing, the audience will recognise that in a heartbeat. And especially as Arsenal seem to be really going for it. I think there’s a big push by them this season.
“Everyone talks about Vivianne Miedema. But someone has to deliver to her and Katie McCabe is very much up there. A really really good player and I enjoy watching her do her thing.”
She noticed McCabe's part in breaking news this week of the equal pay agreement for Ireland's national team players. And while that landmark had already been achieved in England, she believes all these signposts are worth acknowledging.
“I think you have to credit people like Emma Byrne — who was really instrumental. Other players as well. I played with Byrney and Ciara Grant and Niamh Fahey at Arsenal and they are top people.
“You have to give credit to those past players. And it’s good that the national governing body are recognising and supporting that and giving the resources.
“You have to stop the vicious cycle and turn it into a virtuous one and if this is step one to making that happen, to making the Irish team the best they can be, then that’s brilliant.”
Carney won three Premier League titles and a Champions League with Arsenal, as well as the FA Cup with Chelsea. But accepts those two clubs will produce a very different product on Sunday to the one she was initially part of.
“When I first started playing, women’s football was in a vicious cycle. We only trained once a week, which meant we couldn’t be the best we could be. And if the product is not good because you can’t be the best, nobody really wants to watch it, and if no one wants to watch it no one is going to sponsor it. You’re constantly in this vicious cycle.
“What’s happened now is it’s turning into a virtuous cycle. And everyone jumping on board has been unbelievable in making it the product it is now. Teams are pretty much fully professional. Once the product’s better, we’ve got sponsors, media, broadcasting deals. The look and feel is brilliant. Hopefully it will continue and the growth will keep propelling.”
Added exposure brings more scrutiny and often hassle, as Carney knows well due to her punditry work on men's football.
“It will be a transition for them. I actually did an interview with Emma Hayes a few days ago for Sky. I asked her are you preparing the players for this exposure. She said, ‘absolutely’. It’s something that managers, teams, general managers will have to help the players adjust to in this period.
“They have gone under the radar. Yes, they are role models and they’ve always been that. But there is going to be this greater exposure, there’s going to be more eyes on them.
“They’ve probably got to protect themselves a little bit and understand that. I think there will be a transition, but clubs have got very good support systems to enable players to understand and go through that process.”
Some of that added scrutiny will come from the pundits at the touchscreen with more time to fill.
“Even for myself, we’re going to have to do our jobs and have to play catchphrase and say what we see. They have to be prepared for that. Equally, I do as a pundit.”
And if Pat Spillane needs a new sparring partner next Saturday…
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