Tuesday Topic, with Christine Rutter

WITH a heart the colour of claret and blue, Helen Wood was thankful of her chance to demonstrate her devotion for the lads at Turf Moor.

"It was a dream come true. I felt really privileged to be there and get a behind-the-scenes look at the club," said soccer-mad Helen who is still reeling from the shock of meeting her idols - Burnley FC.

The 23-year-old linguist used her position at Sky Sports to give the Clarets a rare chance of being featured on the worldwide TV network.

"I haven't stopped talking about Burnley since I started working for Sky. I bored everybody stupid and they thought they had better feature them in a programme!" joked Burnley-born Helen, who still tries to attend some matches despite being based now in London.

The programme made by Transworld International was screened earlier this month and captured the "friendly" atmosphere of the town and incorporated vintage football excerpts plus interviews with fans, players and managers.

Helen, who grew up in Higham, said: "My boss is from Norwich and the cameraman from Australia and they both could not believe how friendly Burnley people were. We wanted to show through the programme how Burnley lost the coal and cotton industries and had to find a new life, yet the great tradition of the football club has stood the test of time. The programme went out to 70 different countries " Helen is no stranger to football herself, having played for Salford University where she gained a degree in modern languages, and recently formed part of Brentford Women's team in London.

Yet the former head girl of Westholme School, Blackburn, still got some "funny looks" from Burnley blokes shocked that a woman was working on the football programme, Futbol Mundial.

Helen, formerly of Moore Drive, said: "I went in Burnley Miners Club carrying a microphone and I got some strange looks. They expect to see men working for a football programme."

She added: "I like to think I am breaking the ground for women. My main aim is to be a producer and not just an assistant on the set. I want to prove that women know about football and are no different from men in that respect."

Having a flair for languages, the job is ideal for Helen. Working on a worldwide programme her language ability is invaluable.

Helen is a typical Clarets fan. She talks of being a supporter since she was born, describes everything the club does as "amazing", "great", "unbelievable", bemoans the lack of Premier League status and expresses her conviction that Burnley will one day be back up there with the best.

"I was brought up wearing claret and blue. I have a picture of me wearing the strip when I was just four. I probably started going regularly about 11. At Salford University, I travelled home to watch matches."

Helen studied in Paris for a year as part of her degree course and even flew back to Britain to watch Burnley play at Wembley in the promotion play-off final against Stockport County in 1994. She added: "In the last few years, more and more women are coming to games. Men now realise that women do know about football.

"I really enjoy playing football. It's good fun. I play in an all-male team at work. I can't be bad because they don't complain about me and they don't hold back just because I'm a girl. And I've scored a few goals!

"But football is a male-orientated sport. Women's football is growing and getting more recognition but they should let us play on the pitch before big games so that people who come on the stands early can see us play.

"That way we will become more acceptable although I don't think we will ever play alongside men. There is too much tradition."

She added: "I hate the stereotype of women footballer - big and butch. Many are very feminine and beautiful."

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