June 21, 2026 • 23 mins
From leading Canada’s women to Olympic glory in Tokyo to navigating a dramatic career setback and making a triumphant return to guide the Wellington Phoenix women to the A-League final, Bev’s story is one of ultimate highs and intense resilience.
Tune in to hear a raw and inspiring look at her life, her passions, and how she channels hunger and desire into a whole new chapter of leadership on and off the field.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News talk S ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio,
Real Conversation, Real Connection. It's Real Life with John Cowen
on News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good a.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Welcome to Real Life. I'm John Cowen and my guest
tonight is the coach who has led the Wellington Phoenix
women to their first A League final. Welcome Bev Priestman.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Thanks John, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Oh, it's a privilege. The A League is Australasia's top
tier in women's football and the Wellington Phoenix are New
Zealand's only professional team and the only New Zealand team
in that league. And in their first two seasons in
the A League they got the Wooden Spoon. But now
they're making very credible runs for top pace place and
it must be very very gratifying seeing the growth and
(01:07):
development in this team.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
I think a big part of you know, taking on
the project was to try and create that moment that
we did create, and I think it's it's taken a
whole lot of people across the country with us, right,
and I think that's been really really special. I know
this club of put a lot into the women's program
for a long time, and I think to reward that
has been awesome, Right, Well.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
You're very generous sharing the credit with all these other people,
but it's not gone unnoticed that this big surgeon the
performance has come along as you've taken over the reins
as a top coach, So you don't have to be
all that modest on this program. Will you? So well
done on that? But can I ask what makes a
(01:52):
good team? Because I'm sure they're all great players. I'm
sure that they've all got a lot of experience. What
is it that makes the difference between a bunch of
good players and a great team.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
I think clarity in what they're going after, right, I
think to get everyone facing in the same direction is
the number one thing that you know from I think
about my gold medal with Canada and you think about
the Welton Phoenix season that the commonality is a greater purpose,
a bigger vision, you know, And I think with Canada
it's about changing the color of the Olympic medal from bronze.
(02:25):
That was our sort of vision and mantra, and for
this team, it was we're going to do something that's
never been done before.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
We're going to make this city stop. And I think
whether you're.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
From America, Nepal, England, you know this league does bring
in players who have no affiliation to Welington. The number
one thing was to get them to understand what it
meant to put on that yellow jersey and have like
where we're going, why we're doing it, because I think there's.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Very along the way.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
There's bumps in any journey, and I think when you
have pumps in the road, it's really important to go
back to why you're doing what you're doing. And I
think my job as a coach is to sort of
point that out in critical moments in the season. And
I think that to get otherness, big vision and good people.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Does ego get in the way of being a good team.
I mean that they've all come from probably being the
top players and their own teams and being the bit
of a star. To go from being sort of an
individual great player to being a part of a team,
is this something you have to really sell them?
Speaker 5 (03:31):
Yeah, I think you know what it's In winning teams,
you need ego, you need you need people who are
willing to win. And I think that's actually something we've
actively recruited for right, good, good human beings.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
But I'm okay with ego.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
I actually think the best people in the world have
an ego. I think it's how you keep that ego
in check. And I would say that probably four or
five new recruits this year all have have an ego.
But I think a greater purpose a team vision and
allowing people to be themselves and bring the personality and
(04:06):
don't shy you away from having an eg go but
as long as it's not a cost of the team.
And I think that's probably a little bit of the
key ingredient.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Actually, I've seen in at least two interviews with you,
and I'm sure you've said it a lot more times
than this, you've talked about carriage, carriage as being a
key thing, and I know what carriage means, but what
are you talking about when you're talking about carriage on
the sports field.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
I think it's not being afraid to fail, right, you
talk about I use the word bravery a lot, and
for me, that's you know, you can be faithful, you
can be scared or whatever it might be, and you
might fail, but it's acting in spite of that.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
And I think on a football field.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
What that looks like is instead of playing backwards, playing
sideways with your pass and finding that really difficult pass,
knowing that you might give the ball away, but you're
brave enough to do it, and when you've done it,
you go and get the ball again and you don't hide.
So I think it's certainly, you know, standing up and
being counted and taking risks, but I'm okay with that.
(05:09):
I want an environment where people take risks and express themselves,
just like I want them to bring their personality off
the field.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
So you'd rather see a player out there, even if
they're making mistakes and paying the penalty for it, but
being bold because yeah, yes.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, I don't want sort of boring football.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
I want that excitement that gets the fans off their seats.
And I think it's them special moments that you remember
where someone did to take that shot right, the did
to beat someone one b one knowing full well that
the defender could take the ball off them and the
easy thing to do would be to play backwards or sideways.
But I think the freedom to express themselves, but I
(05:50):
think there's some parameters around bravery of we'll take risks.
I don't mind you giving the ball away, but we're
going to be the hardest working team to go and
win it back if I do give it away. And
I think that what that's what allows people to take
the risks.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Now, you come from from Britain and obviously football has
a much higher prof file there. Did you come from
a football made family?
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Do you know? Not necessarily a football mad family, but
a football mad town Right the northeast of England You've
got Sunderland, Newcastle middles where it's like a bit of
a some of the best players who've played for England
and Alan Shearer, Paul Gasco and they come from that
part of the world. It's a rich history in football,
a bit like a Liverpool where you've got Liverpool Everton.
(06:35):
You know, it's just in your blood and I think
I wouldn't say I overly came from a football mad family,
but from a very very young age I was, you know,
the only girl in the team who was out putting
jumpers down the street till late at night and it
was just a big part of where I came from.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Really, So you were obviously a player at an early stage.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Yes, yeah, I played.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
Again, only girl in the team at the primary school
had a very good headmaster who you know, really made
sure that I go and play with the boys, and
Foster did that. And then you know, I played county level,
which would be like provincial federation level, but I never
played on national league.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
But I never played for England.
Speaker 5 (07:18):
And I think the minute I knew that I wasn't
going to play for England and that dream was sort
of not there, I think I've got it in me
to want to be the best at whatever I do.
And if I knew I couldn't make it for England
as a as a player, I was going to be
the best coach I could be.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
And that was my very young and so you thought coaching,
coaching from an early stage, this is going to be
it for me.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Teaching.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
So I always had a passion to be a teacher.
Had an unbelievable first experience with the primary school teacher,
missus Jakes was her name, and I just loved learning
and I want to be a teacher very young. But
I think you put teaching, you put you know, football together,
you put them together. That's coaching really and I think, yeah,
straight away, as soon as I did, I loved it.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
And was that the first thing you did in your
working life. Where did you go straight into coaching or
did you have another career as well that you from straight.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Into coaching, you know, even to the point where you know,
I'm running football birthday parties at the age of sixteen
and things.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
So yeah, very much so. And then my degree.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
I did a sports science degree in football at Liverpool
John Moore's University, the only place you could do it
at the time. So if I didn't make it in football,
I was actually I don't know what I was going
to do because my degree was in football as well.
So yeah, went right down that sort of very specific path.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Very very young.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Okay, So you pursued it like like a profession trained, graduated,
got a degree, you've got the diplomas, you've gone on
and got extra what is it, the UIVA Pro Coaching, yeahice,
And so you've pursued that and you've had an amazing career.
(09:05):
I mean you've coached four fief A Woman World Cups,
three Olympic Games, three Fee for World Cups, Youth World Cups.
You've twice been shortlisted for the Best FIFA Women's Coach Award,
and you took Canada to a cold metal level. So
you're definitely probably the most credentialed coach in this part
(09:26):
of the world. And so Phoenix, I know, we're crowing
that they got you. And we're coming up to the
end of the first half and if you've just joined us,
my guest tonight is Phoenix coach Bev Priestman, and we'll
be talking more about She talked about coaching people through
hard times. I'm going to ask her how she's coached
(09:48):
herself through some very hard times. This is real life
on Newstalks EDB. I'm John Cowen talking with Bev Priestman.
Back with you in just a minute.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Intelligent interviews with interesting people. It's real life on news
Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
You.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
Yes, this.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Welcome back to real life. I'm John Cowan and I'm
talking with b Of Priestman, who is the coach of
the Phoenix women's football team. And Uh, you're listening to
a special song. I know that you've lived in New
Zealand before and that period of New Zealand gave you
an opportunity to hear the song in a special circumstance.
What are we listening to?
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Yeah, we'll listening to my wedding song.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
Actually we got married in Canada, but I met my
wife Emma here.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
In New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
She previously played for New Zealand actually, but yeah, that
that was our wedding song.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Sort.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
It's a special song in my in my world, which
which is nice.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Right right, And so it must be interesting beause her
world is totally absorbed into football as well.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
Yeah, football family. My little boy loves football too, So yeah,
we're both live in the rat race life of high
performance football.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Yeah, okay, So we were talking before about your path
and to into coaching and about the success you had
in Britain with youth teams and things, and then Canada
called and it's not usually considered a top football country
for men's football, but it's certainly been doing spectacularly well
over many years in the women's football.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Yeah, top top ten team. You know.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
When I was there the first time before I took
over as the head coach, you know, I got to
do the bronze medal with them in the Rio Olympics.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
They've gone back to back bronze medals.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
And then I took over after a spell of I
would say a disappointment era for them of maybe a
couple of years, you know, six months to go before
the Olympics in a COVID world, and really started to
sort of push towards what would.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Be a gold medal.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
But I think at the time in that country and
maybe even within the team, there was a lack of
belief in that group, and I think really very quickly
when I went in it was about setting a big
ball vision and get everybody on that bus ready to
go and tackle in Olympic Games, which we managed to
do and you got gold.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
It was fantastic and Olympic success. Then heading into the
next Olympics and can't really avoid such a huge part
of your story. It was a real blast of trouble
with a misstep involving the use of a drone to
observe another team's close practice, and it left you have
had a job and suspended from football for a year.
(12:56):
That must have just been absolutely gutting. That must have
been such a hard time for you.
Speaker 5 (13:02):
Hope, Yeah, I think I didn't in reality, right, I
can sit here and say, oh, yeah, you know, I'm
built of this strong stuff. But I think at the
end of the day, my world very very quickly turned
upside down, right, you prepared to try and go back
to back gold and in a matter of probably twenty
four hours, things very quickly, you know, change, and then
(13:23):
you're on a plane back to a very hostile country
at that time, as you can imagine, right, the team
will cost six six points and you know, on the
plane on the way home, in transit with police officers,
I'm getting learning online that I'm banned and they dock
six points and so yeah, I think when I get home,
it's very much in hiding. It's stay away from my
(13:45):
house for probably three or four nights with my little
boy and my wife, you know, fearful for probably you
know that that's what it felt like at the time.
It was very intense and a global sort of scandal
really and then you don't leave your house really for
a month, and very quickly realized we had to get out,
and you know, the one place the irony is we
(14:06):
come to New Zealand. But think in that spell that
was very difficult. But even the probably two or three
months have been on the other side of the world
where the time zones are very different. Right, So three
am in the middle of the night, you feel your
phone go and your heart rates pounding right because made
your stories or an investigation that you know, to be
(14:27):
fair to me, I wanted to take part in and
I wanted to, you know, help whatever the future might
look like. And so yeah, I think it was very,
very difficult, and probably realized in the January. And we
did move up to Wellington. We were living with m
and my wife's parents down in Rangyora when we moved
up here, and my body just really like shut down.
(14:48):
And I think that probably is a sign of maybe
that I didn't cope. But I tried to write, I
tried to put structure in my day, in my life
when I moved over here. You know, Jim, I refused
to watch Netflix, sat on a sofa because to me,
that felt like I'd failed a little bit, right, I'd
gone from the highest of high and the roller coaster
(15:09):
of high performance sport to a very isolated, no circle
really other than your family. And I think that's probably,
you know, maybe way my priorities have shifted a little
because you live through that either with and you realize
who's there for you when it matters.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Yeah, and there were people that were on side with you.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Oh yeah, I think you know, probably not those that
you don't expect. But I think the disappointment thing for
me is that you know what unfolded there is. You know,
it's not all of a sudden out of the blue,
and you know, I can't speak to the details, but
people are aware of these sorts of things. But I
think when things hit, you know, hit the media and
(15:50):
the storm, everybody goes very very quiet. You have a
big circle when you've got to gold medal around your neck,
but that circle very quickly disappears. But I think what
I did learn is there's some incredible people who were
there no matter what, right, no matter whether you've got
to gold medal or whether you haven't and you're at
rock bottom. There's a g people and some in the
football world who were there for me every day, checking in,
(16:13):
And I think that that they're the people that you
realize that your true circle.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Well that's great.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Now.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
I know you've got trophies and gold medals, but I
think your greatest award will be the way that you're
coming back from that dark place. And so the opportunity
to coach the phoenix, that must have been a freely
gratifying door to see open for you.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:37):
Absolutely, and I think, you know, at the time, I
remember having a couple of conversations in the football world
and but for me it just you know, people would say, oh, like,
I think you can do better, And at the end
of the day it felt really right for me on
many levels. I think in some ways I wanted to
pay New Zealand back right. I wanted to come back
(16:59):
to a place that had helped me in my career.
I think the club very quickly. I could see it
was ambitious and they were doing things properly. And you know,
my wife's from Wellington, right, she's origin original Wealentonian as well,
and it just felt right. So I started here in
two thousand and eight and from the minute I had
the conversation with the club, it just felt right. And
(17:22):
even now, right the back end of a you know,
a reasonably successful season, I just feel very very grateful, happy,
loved my time and can't wait to go again.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Right now, we are a long way from the sort
of the capitals I guess of football, but I hope
it's still ticking enough boxes for you then you're having
enough fun and enjoying and enjoying being involved. Even on
the back side of the planet down here in Australasia.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Yeah, I am.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
And at the end of the day, my job is
to win football matches. So I'm still in that sort
of growth, you know. I'm trying to get better every game.
I'm with people who are like minded, who want to
be successful, and I think, you know, for me, it's
it is getting the best out of me, which is great. Now.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I hope this doesn't sound too trite, but you've worked
with teams that were knocked back and had a few
setbacks and perhaps crashed out in competitions, and you've been
able to coach them back to lift their attitude. I'm
just wondering whether you coached yourself through this tough time.
You said it hit your hard, but as you're coming
back up to you know, hitting your stride again, I'm
(18:26):
wondering if you've coached yourself, if there's mantras, phrases, things
that you've said to yourself to get you back into it.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
I think I've learned a lot right in a lot
of different ways. I think my dad always as a kid.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Always used to say to me, and you know, it's.
Speaker 5 (18:44):
Quite a hard work and working class guy. You always
used to say to me look after yourself because no
one else will.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
And I was never that person.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Right I get a Nike deal, I'm giving all my
stuff and that you know, that's me. It's just not
in me. But I think little things like what happened
to me. You realize my family and me are the
most important thing.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
You know. I can be married to a job. I can, but.
Speaker 5 (19:07):
At the end of the day, it is in me
to be the best version of me. And I am
going to be married to my job. But at the
end of the day, I think you realize that you're
on that mountain trying to climb, but when the storm hits,
you're on your own. And I think that that's definitely
one thing that I reflect on.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
I think good people good people.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Over no matter what people can do on a laptop,
on a football, pitch, whatever. It's very easy to go
for just the big shiny find the best person at
this But I think again, along this journey, I've realized
that you can't.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Be good people.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
I'd rather a hungry, less capable person maybe who has
a good heart and has a good human being than
any sort of shiny you know. I think there's a
few things along the way that I realize and just
don't sweat the small stuff. Life is two shorts. You
never know when it's gone from you. And I think
I had it taken away from me for twelve months,
(20:04):
and I think now I have that real appreciation for
what I do every day.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
I just feel super lucky, happy, grateful.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Yeah, well, I certainly wouldn't wish something like that on anyone,
but the fact that you've been able to redeem something
from that something which has made you richer, wiser, older
and older in the sense of being more mature and approaching.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
So you're probably right.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Yeah, you haven't let it beat you. It's like the phoenix,
you're rising from the ashes. So very very appropriate, and
I wish you all the best and everything that's coming
up for both you and the team and your family.
And we're going out on another bit of music that
will be very very familiar to you. What are we
listening to?
Speaker 5 (20:53):
Well, listening to the exponents and this song plays every
home game por Park as the players are coming out
before a game. And to be honest, I loved it
when I was here in New Zealand before and now
it's got a really big special place in behalf from
that historic semi final game.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
A real park.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Unfortunately, football has been in a bit in the shadow
behind rugby and New Zealand women's sport a little bit
in the shade behind men's sport. But I suspect my
guest tonight, Bev Priestman's going to be changing that if
she can, and so look forward to seeing lots and
lots of good news coming out of what she's doing. Bev,
thank you so much for taking time to share with
us tonight. This is real life on news Talk, said B.
(21:35):
I'm John Cown, looking forward to being back with you
again next Sunday night.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Friends, are of you, myself thinking someone else? I don't
know that I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, I
(22:13):
don't know what I don't know. I don't know. I
(22:35):
don't know what up. I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
For more from Used Talks at B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on I Radio
You're listening to a podcast from News talk S ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio,
Real Conversation, Real Connection. It's Real Life with John Cowen
on News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good a.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Welcome to Real Life. I'm John Cowen and my guest
tonight is the coach who has led the Wellington Phoenix
women to their first A League final. Welcome Bev Priestman.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Thanks John, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Oh, it's a privilege. The A League is Australasia's top
tier in women's football and the Wellington Phoenix are New
Zealand's only professional team and the only New Zealand team
in that league. And in their first two seasons in
the A League they got the Wooden Spoon. But now
they're making very credible runs for top pace place and
it must be very very gratifying seeing the growth and
(01:07):
development in this team.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
I think a big part of you know, taking on
the project was to try and create that moment that
we did create, and I think it's it's taken a
whole lot of people across the country with us, right,
and I think that's been really really special. I know
this club of put a lot into the women's program
for a long time, and I think to reward that
has been awesome, Right, Well.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
You're very generous sharing the credit with all these other people,
but it's not gone unnoticed that this big surgeon the
performance has come along as you've taken over the reins
as a top coach, So you don't have to be
all that modest on this program. Will you? So well
done on that? But can I ask what makes a
(01:52):
good team? Because I'm sure they're all great players. I'm
sure that they've all got a lot of experience. What
is it that makes the difference between a bunch of
good players and a great team.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
I think clarity in what they're going after, right, I
think to get everyone facing in the same direction is
the number one thing that you know from I think
about my gold medal with Canada and you think about
the Welton Phoenix season that the commonality is a greater purpose,
a bigger vision, you know, And I think with Canada
it's about changing the color of the Olympic medal from bronze.
(02:25):
That was our sort of vision and mantra, and for
this team, it was we're going to do something that's
never been done before.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
We're going to make this city stop. And I think
whether you're.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
From America, Nepal, England, you know this league does bring
in players who have no affiliation to Welington. The number
one thing was to get them to understand what it
meant to put on that yellow jersey and have like
where we're going, why we're doing it, because I think there's.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Very along the way.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
There's bumps in any journey, and I think when you
have pumps in the road, it's really important to go
back to why you're doing what you're doing. And I
think my job as a coach is to sort of
point that out in critical moments in the season. And
I think that to get otherness, big vision and good people.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Does ego get in the way of being a good team.
I mean that they've all come from probably being the
top players and their own teams and being the bit
of a star. To go from being sort of an
individual great player to being a part of a team,
is this something you have to really sell them?
Speaker 5 (03:31):
Yeah, I think you know what it's In winning teams,
you need ego, you need you need people who are
willing to win. And I think that's actually something we've
actively recruited for right, good, good human beings.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
But I'm okay with ego.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
I actually think the best people in the world have
an ego. I think it's how you keep that ego
in check. And I would say that probably four or
five new recruits this year all have have an ego.
But I think a greater purpose a team vision and
allowing people to be themselves and bring the personality and
(04:06):
don't shy you away from having an eg go but
as long as it's not a cost of the team.
And I think that's probably a little bit of the
key ingredient.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Actually, I've seen in at least two interviews with you,
and I'm sure you've said it a lot more times
than this, you've talked about carriage, carriage as being a
key thing, and I know what carriage means, but what
are you talking about when you're talking about carriage on
the sports field.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
I think it's not being afraid to fail, right, you
talk about I use the word bravery a lot, and
for me, that's you know, you can be faithful, you
can be scared or whatever it might be, and you
might fail, but it's acting in spite of that.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
And I think on a football field.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
What that looks like is instead of playing backwards, playing
sideways with your pass and finding that really difficult pass,
knowing that you might give the ball away, but you're
brave enough to do it, and when you've done it,
you go and get the ball again and you don't hide.
So I think it's certainly, you know, standing up and
being counted and taking risks, but I'm okay with that.
(05:09):
I want an environment where people take risks and express themselves,
just like I want them to bring their personality off
the field.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
So you'd rather see a player out there, even if
they're making mistakes and paying the penalty for it, but
being bold because yeah, yes.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, I don't want sort of boring football.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
I want that excitement that gets the fans off their seats.
And I think it's them special moments that you remember
where someone did to take that shot right, the did
to beat someone one b one knowing full well that
the defender could take the ball off them and the
easy thing to do would be to play backwards or sideways.
But I think the freedom to express themselves, but I
(05:50):
think there's some parameters around bravery of we'll take risks.
I don't mind you giving the ball away, but we're
going to be the hardest working team to go and
win it back if I do give it away. And
I think that what that's what allows people to take
the risks.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Now, you come from from Britain and obviously football has
a much higher prof file there. Did you come from
a football made family?
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Do you know? Not necessarily a football mad family, but
a football mad town Right the northeast of England You've
got Sunderland, Newcastle middles where it's like a bit of
a some of the best players who've played for England
and Alan Shearer, Paul Gasco and they come from that
part of the world. It's a rich history in football,
a bit like a Liverpool where you've got Liverpool Everton.
(06:35):
You know, it's just in your blood and I think
I wouldn't say I overly came from a football mad family,
but from a very very young age I was, you know,
the only girl in the team who was out putting
jumpers down the street till late at night and it
was just a big part of where I came from.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Really, So you were obviously a player at an early stage.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Yes, yeah, I played.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
Again, only girl in the team at the primary school
had a very good headmaster who you know, really made
sure that I go and play with the boys, and
Foster did that. And then you know, I played county level,
which would be like provincial federation level, but I never
played on national league.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
But I never played for England.
Speaker 5 (07:18):
And I think the minute I knew that I wasn't
going to play for England and that dream was sort
of not there, I think I've got it in me
to want to be the best at whatever I do.
And if I knew I couldn't make it for England
as a as a player, I was going to be
the best coach I could be.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
And that was my very young and so you thought coaching,
coaching from an early stage, this is going to be
it for me.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Teaching.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
So I always had a passion to be a teacher.
Had an unbelievable first experience with the primary school teacher,
missus Jakes was her name, and I just loved learning
and I want to be a teacher very young. But
I think you put teaching, you put you know, football together,
you put them together. That's coaching really and I think, yeah,
straight away, as soon as I did, I loved it.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
And was that the first thing you did in your
working life. Where did you go straight into coaching or
did you have another career as well that you from straight.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Into coaching, you know, even to the point where you know,
I'm running football birthday parties at the age of sixteen
and things.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
So yeah, very much so. And then my degree.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
I did a sports science degree in football at Liverpool
John Moore's University, the only place you could do it
at the time. So if I didn't make it in football,
I was actually I don't know what I was going
to do because my degree was in football as well.
So yeah, went right down that sort of very specific path.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Very very young.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Okay, So you pursued it like like a profession trained, graduated,
got a degree, you've got the diplomas, you've gone on
and got extra what is it, the UIVA Pro Coaching, yeahice,
And so you've pursued that and you've had an amazing career.
(09:05):
I mean you've coached four fief A Woman World Cups,
three Olympic Games, three Fee for World Cups, Youth World Cups.
You've twice been shortlisted for the Best FIFA Women's Coach Award,
and you took Canada to a cold metal level. So
you're definitely probably the most credentialed coach in this part
(09:26):
of the world. And so Phoenix, I know, we're crowing
that they got you. And we're coming up to the
end of the first half and if you've just joined us,
my guest tonight is Phoenix coach Bev Priestman, and we'll
be talking more about She talked about coaching people through
hard times. I'm going to ask her how she's coached
(09:48):
herself through some very hard times. This is real life
on Newstalks EDB. I'm John Cowen talking with Bev Priestman.
Back with you in just a minute.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Intelligent interviews with interesting people. It's real life on news
Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
You.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
Yes, this.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Welcome back to real life. I'm John Cowan and I'm
talking with b Of Priestman, who is the coach of
the Phoenix women's football team. And Uh, you're listening to
a special song. I know that you've lived in New
Zealand before and that period of New Zealand gave you
an opportunity to hear the song in a special circumstance.
What are we listening to?
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Yeah, we'll listening to my wedding song.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
Actually we got married in Canada, but I met my
wife Emma here.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
In New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
She previously played for New Zealand actually, but yeah, that
that was our wedding song.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Sort.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
It's a special song in my in my world, which
which is nice.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Right right, And so it must be interesting beause her
world is totally absorbed into football as well.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
Yeah, football family. My little boy loves football too, So yeah,
we're both live in the rat race life of high
performance football.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Yeah, okay, So we were talking before about your path
and to into coaching and about the success you had
in Britain with youth teams and things, and then Canada
called and it's not usually considered a top football country
for men's football, but it's certainly been doing spectacularly well
over many years in the women's football.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Yeah, top top ten team. You know.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
When I was there the first time before I took
over as the head coach, you know, I got to
do the bronze medal with them in the Rio Olympics.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
They've gone back to back bronze medals.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
And then I took over after a spell of I
would say a disappointment era for them of maybe a
couple of years, you know, six months to go before
the Olympics in a COVID world, and really started to
sort of push towards what would.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Be a gold medal.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
But I think at the time in that country and
maybe even within the team, there was a lack of
belief in that group, and I think really very quickly
when I went in it was about setting a big
ball vision and get everybody on that bus ready to
go and tackle in Olympic Games, which we managed to
do and you got gold.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
It was fantastic and Olympic success. Then heading into the
next Olympics and can't really avoid such a huge part
of your story. It was a real blast of trouble
with a misstep involving the use of a drone to
observe another team's close practice, and it left you have
had a job and suspended from football for a year.
(12:56):
That must have just been absolutely gutting. That must have
been such a hard time for you.
Speaker 5 (13:02):
Hope, Yeah, I think I didn't in reality, right, I
can sit here and say, oh, yeah, you know, I'm
built of this strong stuff. But I think at the
end of the day, my world very very quickly turned
upside down, right, you prepared to try and go back
to back gold and in a matter of probably twenty
four hours, things very quickly, you know, change, and then
(13:23):
you're on a plane back to a very hostile country
at that time, as you can imagine, right, the team
will cost six six points and you know, on the
plane on the way home, in transit with police officers,
I'm getting learning online that I'm banned and they dock
six points and so yeah, I think when I get home,
it's very much in hiding. It's stay away from my
(13:45):
house for probably three or four nights with my little
boy and my wife, you know, fearful for probably you
know that that's what it felt like at the time.
It was very intense and a global sort of scandal
really and then you don't leave your house really for
a month, and very quickly realized we had to get out,
and you know, the one place the irony is we
(14:06):
come to New Zealand. But think in that spell that
was very difficult. But even the probably two or three
months have been on the other side of the world
where the time zones are very different. Right, So three
am in the middle of the night, you feel your
phone go and your heart rates pounding right because made
your stories or an investigation that you know, to be
(14:27):
fair to me, I wanted to take part in and
I wanted to, you know, help whatever the future might
look like. And so yeah, I think it was very,
very difficult, and probably realized in the January. And we
did move up to Wellington. We were living with m
and my wife's parents down in Rangyora when we moved
up here, and my body just really like shut down.
(14:48):
And I think that probably is a sign of maybe
that I didn't cope. But I tried to write, I
tried to put structure in my day, in my life
when I moved over here. You know, Jim, I refused
to watch Netflix, sat on a sofa because to me,
that felt like I'd failed a little bit, right, I'd
gone from the highest of high and the roller coaster
(15:09):
of high performance sport to a very isolated, no circle
really other than your family. And I think that's probably,
you know, maybe way my priorities have shifted a little
because you live through that either with and you realize
who's there for you when it matters.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Yeah, and there were people that were on side with you.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Oh yeah, I think you know, probably not those that
you don't expect. But I think the disappointment thing for
me is that you know what unfolded there is. You know,
it's not all of a sudden out of the blue,
and you know, I can't speak to the details, but
people are aware of these sorts of things. But I
think when things hit, you know, hit the media and
(15:50):
the storm, everybody goes very very quiet. You have a
big circle when you've got to gold medal around your neck,
but that circle very quickly disappears. But I think what
I did learn is there's some incredible people who were
there no matter what, right, no matter whether you've got
to gold medal or whether you haven't and you're at
rock bottom. There's a g people and some in the
football world who were there for me every day, checking in,
(16:13):
And I think that that they're the people that you
realize that your true circle.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Well that's great.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Now.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
I know you've got trophies and gold medals, but I
think your greatest award will be the way that you're
coming back from that dark place. And so the opportunity
to coach the phoenix, that must have been a freely
gratifying door to see open for you.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:37):
Absolutely, and I think, you know, at the time, I
remember having a couple of conversations in the football world
and but for me it just you know, people would say, oh, like,
I think you can do better, And at the end
of the day it felt really right for me on
many levels. I think in some ways I wanted to
pay New Zealand back right. I wanted to come back
(16:59):
to a place that had helped me in my career.
I think the club very quickly. I could see it
was ambitious and they were doing things properly. And you know,
my wife's from Wellington, right, she's origin original Wealentonian as well,
and it just felt right. So I started here in
two thousand and eight and from the minute I had
the conversation with the club, it just felt right. And
(17:22):
even now, right the back end of a you know,
a reasonably successful season, I just feel very very grateful, happy,
loved my time and can't wait to go again.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Right now, we are a long way from the sort
of the capitals I guess of football, but I hope
it's still ticking enough boxes for you then you're having
enough fun and enjoying and enjoying being involved. Even on
the back side of the planet down here in Australasia.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Yeah, I am.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
And at the end of the day, my job is
to win football matches. So I'm still in that sort
of growth, you know. I'm trying to get better every game.
I'm with people who are like minded, who want to
be successful, and I think, you know, for me, it's
it is getting the best out of me, which is great. Now.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I hope this doesn't sound too trite, but you've worked
with teams that were knocked back and had a few
setbacks and perhaps crashed out in competitions, and you've been
able to coach them back to lift their attitude. I'm
just wondering whether you coached yourself through this tough time.
You said it hit your hard, but as you're coming
back up to you know, hitting your stride again, I'm
(18:26):
wondering if you've coached yourself, if there's mantras, phrases, things
that you've said to yourself to get you back into it.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
I think I've learned a lot right in a lot
of different ways. I think my dad always as a kid.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Always used to say to me, and you know, it's.
Speaker 5 (18:44):
Quite a hard work and working class guy. You always
used to say to me look after yourself because no
one else will.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
And I was never that person.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Right I get a Nike deal, I'm giving all my
stuff and that you know, that's me. It's just not
in me. But I think little things like what happened
to me. You realize my family and me are the
most important thing.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
You know. I can be married to a job. I can, but.
Speaker 5 (19:07):
At the end of the day, it is in me
to be the best version of me. And I am
going to be married to my job. But at the
end of the day, I think you realize that you're
on that mountain trying to climb, but when the storm hits,
you're on your own. And I think that that's definitely
one thing that I reflect on.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
I think good people good people.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Over no matter what people can do on a laptop,
on a football, pitch, whatever. It's very easy to go
for just the big shiny find the best person at
this But I think again, along this journey, I've realized
that you can't.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Be good people.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
I'd rather a hungry, less capable person maybe who has
a good heart and has a good human being than
any sort of shiny you know. I think there's a
few things along the way that I realize and just
don't sweat the small stuff. Life is two shorts. You
never know when it's gone from you. And I think
I had it taken away from me for twelve months,
(20:04):
and I think now I have that real appreciation for
what I do every day.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
I just feel super lucky, happy, grateful.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Yeah, well, I certainly wouldn't wish something like that on anyone,
but the fact that you've been able to redeem something
from that something which has made you richer, wiser, older
and older in the sense of being more mature and approaching.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
So you're probably right.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Yeah, you haven't let it beat you. It's like the phoenix,
you're rising from the ashes. So very very appropriate, and
I wish you all the best and everything that's coming
up for both you and the team and your family.
And we're going out on another bit of music that
will be very very familiar to you. What are we
listening to?
Speaker 5 (20:53):
Well, listening to the exponents and this song plays every
home game por Park as the players are coming out
before a game. And to be honest, I loved it
when I was here in New Zealand before and now
it's got a really big special place in behalf from
that historic semi final game.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
A real park.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Unfortunately, football has been in a bit in the shadow
behind rugby and New Zealand women's sport a little bit
in the shade behind men's sport. But I suspect my
guest tonight, Bev Priestman's going to be changing that if
she can, and so look forward to seeing lots and
lots of good news coming out of what she's doing. Bev,
thank you so much for taking time to share with
us tonight. This is real life on news Talk, said B.
(21:35):
I'm John Cown, looking forward to being back with you
again next Sunday night.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Friends, are of you, myself thinking someone else? I don't
know that I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, I
(22:13):
don't know what I don't know. I don't know. I
(22:35):
don't know what up. I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
For more from Used Talks at B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on I Radio
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.