Caroline Thorpe

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Caroline Thorpe

|image =

|caption=

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1981|08|02}}

|birth_place = Dublin, Ireland

|height =

|position = Midfielder

|currentclub =

|clubnumber =

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 = Redlake

|years1 = 1999–2000

|years2 = 2000–2001

|years3 = 2001

|years4 = 2001–2003

|years5 = 2002

|years6 = 2004

|years7 =

|years8 = 2011–2012

|years9 = 2012–2013

|years10 = 2014

|years11 = 2014–2016

|clubs1 = St. Catherine's

|clubs2 = Arsenal Ladies

|clubs3 = St. Catherine's

|clubs4 = Leeds United Ladies

|clubs5 = Memphis Mercury

|clubs6 = UCD

|clubs7 = St. Catherine's

|clubs8 = Peamount United

|clubs9 = Raheny United

|clubs10 = Peamount United

|clubs11 = UCD Waves

|caps1 =

|goals1 =

|nationalyears1 =

|nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland

|nationalcaps1 = 24

|nationalgoals1 = 6

|pcupdate =

|ntupdate =

}}

Caroline Thorpe (born 2 August 1981) is an Irish former international football midfielder who played for Raheny United, Peamount United and DLR Waves of the Women's National League. She also represented English Premier League clubs Arsenal Ladies and Leeds United Ladies, as well as Memphis Mercury in America.

Club career

Thorpe began her career with Redlake before moving to St. Catherine's

in 1999.{{cite web|url=http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4571&catid=80:archive&Itemid=355|title=Senior Women Player Profiles|publisher=Football Association of Ireland|accessdate=4 October 2010}} After helping the club to promotion,{{cite web|url=http://www.womensoccer.com/refs/uefa/uefa-irelandpoy_27oct00.html|title=Opel's Ireland Player of the Year nominees|publisher=Womens Soccer World|date=27 October 2000|accessdate=3 October 2010|author=Declan Hughes|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202092127/http://womensoccer.com/refs/uefa/uefa-irelandpoy_27oct00.html|archivedate=2 December 2010}} she joined Arsenal Ladies in August 2000 along with compatriots Susan Heapes and Yvonne Tracy.{{cite news|title=Charlton bid to kick off new era in style|work=The Times|date=5 August 2000|author=Jennifer O'Neill}} Thorpe was one of seven Irish players then in the Arsenal squad,{{cite news|url=http://www.tribune.ie/archive/article/2001/apr/08/the-women-behind-the-greening-of-the-gunners/|title=The women behind the greening of the Gunners|author=Pat Nugent|work=The Tribune|date=8 April 2001|accessdate=22 May 2010}}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and with Emma Byrne and Ciara Grant, one of three who were regulars in the first team. On her debut Thorpe scored two goals in a 5–0 win over Tranmere Rovers.{{cite news|title=Belles leave it late for victory|work=The Times|date=21 August 2000|author=Wilf Frith}} She won the domestic treble in her first season, and was an unused substitute as Arsenal beat Fulham in the 2001 FA Women's Cup final at Selhurst Park.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/banks-has-measure-of-fulham-684089.html|title=Banks has measure of Fulham|work=The Independent|accessdate=3 October 2010|date=8 May 2001|author=Eric Beauchamp}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

Despite this success Thorpe returned to St. Catherine's in May 2001.{{cite web|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/waterfordnews/2001/05/23/story7460.asp |title=Ladies Soccer: Dull Opening For Benfica |publisher=Waterford News and Star |accessdate=3 October 2010 |date=23 May 2001 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629131732/http://archives.tcm.ie/waterfordnews/2001/05/23/story7460.asp |archivedate=29 June 2011 }} She was back in the FA Women's Premier League in 2001–02, but with newly promoted Leeds United.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/eng-wom02.html|title=England (Women) 2001/02|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|accessdate=4 October 2010|date=9 September 2002|author=David Shannon}} In summer 2002 Thorpe played in the American W-League with Memphis Mercury,{{cite web|url=http://www.southernsoccerscene.com/states/tennessee_archive.htm#memphisaddspdl |title=Memphis To Add PDL Team |publisher=Southern Soccer Scene |accessdate=4 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716113134/http://www.southernsoccerscene.com/states/tennessee_archive.htm |archivedate=16 July 2011 }} before returning to Leeds for 2002–03.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/eng-wom03.html|title=England (Women) 2002/03|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|accessdate=4 October 2010|date=20 August 2003|author=David Shannon}}

Thorpe and her ex-Arsenal teammate Susan Heapes both played in St. Catherine's 1–0 FAI Women's Cup final defeat to St Francis in July 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100178:st-francis-retain-fai-umbro-womens-fai-senior-cup-title&catid=31:fai-umbro-senior-challenge-cup-womens&Itemid=62|title=St. Francis retain FAI Umbro Women's FAI Senior Cup title|publisher=Football Association of Ireland|accessdate=4 October 2010|date=25 July 2009}} A third Arsenal player from that era, Grainne Kierans, was on the opposing side.

Thorpe signed for Shamrock Rovers for the inaugural 2011–12 Women's National League (WNL) season but only played in one match before transferring to Champions elect Peamount United during the campaign.{{cite web |title=Thorpe named Player of the Month |url=https://wnl.fai.ie/news/225-thorpe-named-player-of-the-month.html |publisher=Women's National League (Ireland) |accessdate=20 November 2020 |date=9 May 2013 |archive-date=20 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170843/https://wnl.fai.ie/news/225-thorpe-named-player-of-the-month.html |url-status=dead }} At the end of the season she joined Raheny United and collected another league winner's medal in 2012–13. She was also named in the 2012–13 WNL Team of the Season. In the 2013 FAI Women's Cup Final at the Aviva Stadium, Thorpe was Player of the Match as Raheny United beat Castlebar Celtic 3–2 after extra time.{{cite news |last1=Carey |first1=Daniel |title=Castlebar Celtic women left heartbroken |url=https://www.mayonews.ie/sports/18848-castlebar-celtic-women-left-heartbroken |accessdate=17 August 2020 |publisher=The Mayo News |date=5 November 2013 |archive-date=20 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170414/https://www.mayonews.ie/sports/18848-castlebar-celtic-women-left-heartbroken |url-status=dead }} She finished the 2013–14 season back at Peamount, then retired after spending two seasons with UCD Waves.{{cite news |last1=Fennessy |first1=Paul |title='I don't know how you're even still alive' - The ex-Ireland international who lived a nightmare |url=https://www.the42.ie/caroline-thorpe-interview-4977939-Feb2020/ |accessdate=20 November 2020 |work=The42.ie |publisher=TheJournal.ie |date=22 February 2020}}

International career

Thorpe's first representative games for Ireland came as a 16-year-old. In September 2000 Thorpe scored against Scotland and Northern Ireland as the Republic won the Celt Cup, a quadrangular tournament also featuring the Isle of Man. That year she was named Under-18 International Player of the Year at the FAI International Football Awards.

She later featured in the qualifying tournaments for the 2003 World Cup{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=191462/index.html |title=Caroline Thorpe |publisher=FIFA |accessdate=4 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101025136/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player%3D191462/index.html |archivedate=1 November 2012 }} and 2005 European Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/eur-women05det.html|title=European Women Championship 2005 – Match Details|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|accessdate=4 October 2010|date=19 June 2005|author=Sébastien Duret and Neil Morrison}} In October 2004 Thorpe scored Ireland's winner in a 2–1 friendly win in the Faroe Islands and then played in a 5–1 loss to the United States at Soldier Field.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/intland-wom04.html|title=International matches (Women) 2004 |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|accessdate=4 October 2010|date=5 April 2005|author=Sébastien Duret}} She completed her international career with six goals from 24 caps.

Personal life

Thorpe battled an eating disorder and depression during her football career. She left Arsenal after one season due to alleged bullying from an unnamed teammate. She later spent approximately six years away from football after taking offence at a comment made by one of her Ireland teammates.

References

External links

[http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4571&catid=80:archive&Itemid=355 Caroline Thorpe] at FAI.ie
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121101025136/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player%3D191462/index.html Caroline Thorpe] at FIFA.com

Category:Republic of Ireland women's association footballers

Category:Arsenal W.F.C. players

Category:Leeds United Women F.C. players

Category:Republic of Ireland women's international footballers

Category:FA Women's National League players

Category:1981 births

Category:Living people

Category:Expatriate women's footballers in England

Category:Expatriate women's soccer players in the United States

Category:Raheny United F.C. players

Category:League of Ireland Women's Premier Division players

Category:Peamount United F.C. players