OTB Football
The COYGIG Pod Ep. 167 | "Always a dream for me to play in England" | KELLY BRADY
20 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What inspired Kelly Brady's move to Crystal Palace F.C. Women?
Right, we are here at Dublin Airport, about to set off because Arsenal are playing Brentford tonight in the Premier League. I'm joined by Mark Fagan, Arsenal superfan, who only had to go and get a tattoo to get himself on this trip. Yeah, that was all.
I spent all my rent money on it as well, so I'll give you a look at it if you ask. Yeah, let's have a look at this. Whatever the weather went. Whatever the weather, the anthem, yeah. I spent all my rent money, but didn't tell the missus that, so it's alright.
When did you get that?
Two years ago, I would say, yeah. I'll add more to it. There's loads of room there to add more.
Well, that's it. Given the way things are going this season, there might be plenty of opportunities. Yeah, I hope so.
A treble winning thing there, hopefully, yeah. If we can get that. No chance of getting tickets. Apart from winning the lotto, this is obviously the next best thing. It's unreal. Even when I got the text, I was in work. I was in the staff room. I wouldn't even eat my lunch. I couldn't eat my lunch. I was just, yeah, I love to do it. You're sick, you're sick. I was like, no, I can't believe it.
I honestly couldn't believe I won it.
Two flight values, the top one, yeah, 108. Mark, is this a familiar walk?
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Chapter 2: How did Kelly Brady perform during her season with Athlone FC?
Yeah, a familiar walk, yeah. It's a familiar smell. It's a familiar smell, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, it is like a real assault on the senses, especially when you're here early and you can just see all the food vendors just getting ready for the assault of people coming over the next couple of hours.
Yeah, all the flags and scarves and pins and badges and stuff around here on the left as well, yeah. It's half past three. 7.30 kick-off, so we're four hours early for kick-off. I don't suppose you've ever been this early for the Emirates before. Not here, no.
If I go to my local club, I'm always this early, but not over here, no. Not this early. When was the first time you came to the Emirates? Oh, God. Emirates-wise, probably 15 years ago or so. Firebury, obviously, before that, but yeah, maybe 15 years or so ago, but the Emirates, yeah.
Do you think it's changed a lot around here, like in terms of the energy around the club, the atmosphere in the stadium?
Yeah, that was what I was going to say, the atmosphere 100% definitely has. I think since Arteta came in, I think it definitely has. I think they said that, there was a quote, someone, I don't know who said it, that Wenger built the Emirates and Arteta turned the lights on or something like that.
That's it, I think it was James McNicholas, I think.
Yeah, so it's a good quote when you think about it, that he made the atmosphere and stuff like that. So yeah, no, it definitely has 100%, yeah.
Do you remember the first game you came to at the Emirates?
I can't remember who it was against, to be honest. I don't want to jinx myself here, so we can put this out after the game, but I haven't seen Arsenal lose here. Have you not? No, actually, and they've all been wins, so I shouldn't have said that, to be honest with you, but I haven't seen them lose, or even draw, as I said, at the Emirates.
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Chapter 3: What challenges did Kelly face transitioning to a new league?
So when you go in you'll see some sort of new artwork and new imagery. And some Christmas trees because it's that time of year. Thank you. Good carp, innit? Not bad. Good carp.
Not bad, yeah. Unreal. David, as somebody who knows exactly what it's like to come over here as an Irishman and experience things on the pitch of Highbury, as it was, I'm almost saying it's almost a habitual thing to talk about this turf, given now that it feels that Arsenal have developed and cultivated a real relationship with the stadium and with the fans at this stage.
Do you feel Highbury vibes at this stage?
Look, Highbury will be always, you know, Highbury and it's just there, you know? Yeah. Because of success, we outgrew Highbury in that way. The capacity and just to generate income as well, you had to move to a bigger and better place. It does take a while to settle into the stadium, any new grounds, but it is a great ground and they're even talking about
You know, there's plans, the club are getting a lot of people to advise them because they want to make it better for the fans, maybe make it even bigger, more capacity and that. So we're always trying to improve in that way the stadium.
For sure. I think the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the one common compliment that Arsenal people give to their North London and the only compliment that... And their training ground.
Yeah, and their training ground. So it's also just as impressive. They've got a chief executive now, Vin Oye, who is a lovely man as well. So that's the three compliments.
Yeah, that's it. We were chatting earlier on, Mark, about our experience of coming over, and I think both of our experience as Arsenal fans actually comes from, I think we're both born in London, and they're both born in England, and from Irish fathers who would have started supporting Arsenal because of Irish players like yourselves playing for Arsenal.
We go back down the road here, Stoke Newington. My parents were over, working here, and And I was born here in Stoke Nearington. And I went back after about a month.
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Chapter 4: What does Kelly Brady say about the atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium?
My dad got a job back home and moved back. So I ended up back there. I come back over here. Last May, the 2nd of May, I was 67. I came on my 15th birthday here and I'm still dodging around here after 52 years. Somebody just said to me, I've been hanging around that long. It's just quite amazing. I don't know where the years have gone. It's been a brilliant club.
I played the first game and they said to me, are you okay? to play Wednesday night, I think it was Sheffield United. Yeah, I feel all right, played that. I kept asking that and I played the first 40 games. And it was just roll on for me. It was just amazing. We played Burnley a couple of weeks back. It's a lovely club to go to. Nothing seems to change.
And I go there and I look and think, this is where it started. And I remember coming into the dressing room afterwards and the dressing rooms haven't even been changed. I remember Bertie and me bringing my dad in from Ireland, which I didn't know he'd been brought over for my debut. And it was just, you know, fantastic to see him. And I appreciate making my debut at 17, you know.
No pictures, please. That's the dodgy Arsenal fella. Over the years, he's taken that many dodgy pictures of me. That way stuff. No, a great lad. Did the Irishness of the club help you? What attracted me more than anything else was I'd gone to United on Manchester United.
Chapter 5: How has the energy around Arsenal changed under Arteta?
He asked me to sign, what's that? When I came here, I felt that there was players from the academy in the team. And he gave that impression. He wanted to get the players through. And I thought, if anywhere I'd had a chance, yes, it was that, you know? Yeah. And I just...
It's like if you go and buy a house, if you buy an apartment or go somewhere on holiday after day, you get a feeling this is, and I just felt, I felt right. It was the right place for me. Yes. And with a bit of luck, you might someday play and hang around here for a year or two.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Stop at 52 years. Nigel, come on mate, just... Support him. If my dad was here, he'd be calling him. Yeah, same, yeah. This is one of the best left backs. He covered me for many years. He didn't be. Nice one, Harry, getting on. Owen, nice to meet you. Hello there. Come on from Ireland. I was a supporter for a long time. Good, yeah, good, yeah. Want to get a picture of him in there? Yeah, sure.
Was Dave telling you how good he was then?
Well, you said you were talking about a few holes as well and stuff.
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Chapter 6: What memories does Kelly have from her first visit to the Emirates?
They have me out plenty of times. Probably every game. Alright, I might see you. See you later. Alright, take care, Nigel.
Nice to meet you, Nigel. Thanks for doing that.
I can't believe, even Stuart there, like a photographer, just meeting a photographer, like it's just, it's unreal, like it's just, especially with his speech and all that, before the Tottenham game, like just even be him, never mind any players or anything like that, it's, yeah, it's unreal.
Can't believe, and Nigel Winterbourne then coming up as well, like I send this picture now to my dad, he will cry, like 100% he will cry when he sees this, so. Is it better than winning the lotto then? Yeah, I know I said before, the lotto, but you can't buy this experience. You win the lotto, I can't do this with lotto money. It's unreal. I don't know what to say to answer this.
Next level, it's quality. So good. Game next? Win next? Win next, yeah. Two as well on Saturday. Ready?
Right then, it's finished up here at the Emirates Stadium. 2-0 to the Arsenal. I guess back to their solid best after not keeping clean sheets in the last couple of games. The only threat that Brentford actually poses from set pieces. So that must be the most satisfying thing. Before we get to you, David, first word to you, Mark. Your whole experience tonight.
Yeah, unbelievable. Best day I've ever had and I'll never have a day like it again.
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Chapter 7: How does Kelly feel about the support for women's football in England?
Really?
Yeah, unbelievable. Even me standing here looking at these lads so close to me. It's just, I'll never top it.
I've got a lot of sway here but he's asked me could I get him in Yeah, just give me a ball, I'll just go, I don't care. I don't know whether I can get him on the pitch or not.
This is commonplace enough, David, all the players who didn't play the full 90 or just played all the games.
Exactly so, but you've really put me on the spot to try and get in a game now.
Give us your thoughts on tonight.
Tonight was pretty good. Tonight is about how you really win the league really. You're not going to play great. It's about, you know, even if you're not at your best, win. Sack of gold came later than you'd have liked really.
We said that could have came 10 minutes earlier.
In that way, yeah. It was a worthy three points. It was a workman-like three points, I would say. But that's how you win the league really.
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Chapter 8: What are Kelly Brady's future aspirations in her football career?
But, no, as I say, it's great you've come over. It's great that you've enjoyed it. And the main thing is we've got three pints as well.
Yeah, and I predicted 2-0 before.
Because if you ever, you know, if they ever decide to bring you over again, we'll let you in because of that.
David, a pleasure. Thanks very much for your company all evening.
No trouble. Nice to have the dubs over. Definitely. In that way. It's a pleasure. And as I say, lovely. Thanks. Thanks, David. No trouble at all.
Unbelievable.
What a lifetime experience that we're getting. Thanks so much.
Oh, what I wouldn't be, what I wouldn't give to be topped off here, no. So, like, it was literally, we kept meeting the same few people at the games and stuff. We were like, jeez, we'll set up an WhatsApp group and stuff and I just get it going from there. So, we had, like, our first, like, meet up at the Champions League final in Lisbon, which was...
It was a pretty good place to have your first meet. A great place, and it was obviously the best day ever. I was so nervous for that game, I couldn't imagine. Oh, it was like, I don't think anyone had... It got to like 70 minutes, and I was like, okay, I'll watch the final 20. And the nerves, and then the sun was beating in, so we were all getting sunstroke, and it was like, oh, jeez.
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