Hearts and Boroughmuir SWF award winners look back on 'fantastic night'

Both Hearts goalkeeper Charlotte Parker-Smith and Boroughmuir boss Andy Enwood discuss ‘fantastic’ night after the duo came out with SWF awards last month. 

Parker-Smith came away with the Kat Lindner Award for Outstanding Athletic and Academic Achievement. Meanwhile, Enwood won the RJM Championship & League One Coach of the Year for his work at Edinburgh City earlier this year. Both awards come after an incredible year for the duo. 

The Kat Linder Award is given out to people who have excelled off and on the pitch throughout the year. Parker-Smith came out on top after successfully balancing her career as a solicitor and a footballer throughout the year. However, despite this success, Parker-Smith was still surprised when she was announced as one of the people shortlisted. 

“I was told when the shortlist came out that I was on it for the Kat Linder Award,” she told the Edinburgh Evening News. “The night itself was good. It was nice to be in a room with lots of people celebrating the achievements in women’s football. It was a nice night and it was nice to see all of the other award winners.”

The goalkeeper started the year off as a full-time solicitor working in corporate and commercial law. However, in the summer this changed as she became a full-time player at Hearts. As a result, she now works 12 hours a week as a solicitor specialising in data protection law in the mornings before going to train with the Jam Tarts in the afternoon. 

“It takes a bit of time to adjust to a new practice area,” she explained. “The nature of data protection law means that it is changing all of the time. It is nice to have the two completely different things to balance off. Some days, if it has been stressful in the morning, I can go to training and take my mind off it. Equally, if we have a midweek game, I quite like having something to do in the morning so I don’t feel like I am waiting around all day for a game. It is nice to go into the office in the morning and just take my mind off football by getting myself stuck in whatever work I have that day.”

Parker-Smith was one of two people to come out with an award from Hearts. The Under 16s side also won ​​SHAAP Youth Team of the Year after a treble-winning season. First-team manager Eva Olid was also nominated for the SWPL1 Coach of the Year Award but didn’t come out on top. 

“It was really good for the younger girls, they had a brilliant season last year winning the treble,” Parker-Smith added. “It was well deserved that they won the Youth Team of the Year. Eva [Olid] has been really good since she came in and getting recognised for that was well deserved.”

Boroughmuir manager Enwood was also victorious in his category. At Edinburgh City last season, Enwood guided his former club to a League and Cup double while finishing unbeaten in League One. Now, with the manager attempting to guide his new side Boroughmuir to the top flight, he was pleased to see his former side’s achievements last season recognised. 

Andy Enwood (Boroughmuir Thistle, formerly of Edinburgh City) won the RJM Sports Ltd Championship & League One Coach of the Year award, presented by SWF CEO Aileen Campbell. Credit: (Photo by Alex Todd/Sportpix/Sipa USA)

“It was nice to be nominated in the first place,” Enwood stated. “It was really nice of the committee to select me as the winner. I am not being overly humble but I am just the guy that picks the trophy up. I had a lot of good coaches who were on the journey with me and a lot of good football players, not only in their skill level but their attitude and application. It showed me, it was regardless of the league that we were in at the time, it was about standards, consistency, doing the right thing and always striving to improve. 

“The girls won two titles that season and Deborah McLeod picked up the Player of the League award as well. That was just extra evidence of how the team did. I wish Edinburgh City all of the best. I see that they are in semi-finals of the cup this year I’ve still got players there that I have coached and worked with. I hope they do well but my full focus is now on Boroughmuir and what we are trying to achieve.”