Is a ditty you can sometimes hear at Champion Hill. Who? Hamlet Pitchero chat to the Club physiotherapist Laura McPherson

So what's a nice girl like you doing in a Football club like this?

"Ha,ha. Well, I was brought up watching football & my dad was always watching it on the telly. I've always love the game, & sport generally; so it's great to work in the game."

Where were you brought up, with your 'funny voice'?

" I grew up in Middlesbrough."

Is that town as bad as it's reputation?

"Oh it hasn't got a bad reputation. I love Middlesbrough. I think you have to be from there to appreciate it."

Tell how it works...a player gets injured and comes back, hopefully, in a few weeks. What do you do? Talk us through it.

"First of all I'd do an initial assessment, then we'd work on basic flexibility & strengthening exercises. as the injury heals we'd go to more rehabilitation in order to be ready to play again, as well as more fitness work. But each & every injury is different, so that's just a general picture."

Do you intend to make sport injuries your career, and what did you want to do as a little girl?

" Sport injuries is my career! It has been for five years. I work at the University of Kent.(Interviewers note: I had heard Laura was at at the University, so assumed she was a student, learning her trade. Apologies!) I always loved sport as a child, and it was a natural progression to work in it. I'm a sports therapist at the University of Kent, & Corinna Kehaya, who was assisting me at the start of the season, was one of my students. I studied myself at the University of Bedfordshire, in Luton. I don't really recal lwhat I wanted to be as a child, but, sport wise, I dreamed of being a professional runner, & competing in the Olympics."

In the 'old days' clubs had a trainer, with a bucket and sponge, often a retired player. Physios came in to improve the welfare of players who took knocks, and there are now more women doing the job. I don't follow professional football, but has this crept in at the top too?

"There are a lot more women involved, including Eva Carneiro, who is on the medical staff at Chelsea, though she's not a phsiotherapist, but a doctor. There are certainly a lot more women involved on the medical side than previously. But I think it will be quite a while before all of the managers and clubs in the game change their opinions, and we are more involved in the mens side of the game, & not just the womens' teams."

With some of the serious injuries you must see how hard is it to be 'professional' when a player is hurt, bearing in mind you can get quite close to them like mates?

"If it's serious on the pitch I kind of go into 'automatic pilot' and the 'care factor' priority to make sure they are ok, kicks in. If you have to dash on & help the other team you foeget about the person completely and automatically go into assessment mode to see they are ok."

You're obviously one of the staff, well inside the workings of the changing room. So come on, who's the top boy with the banter, and who's the pain in the arse?

(Smiles...)
"I love my boys equally, they're all good with the banter and all a pain in the arse. Is that a good political answer?"

You've a bit of a cult following behind the goal among the younger fans, & some of the older ones, who should know better. So do you love them too, or are they a bit of a pain as well?

"It's lovely to have the support of the fans, albeit a little embarrassing at times. But nice to know you're appreciated, both individually & the work that I do for the Club."

It's 'Blind Date' time, Cilla Black style. I'm not going to embarrass you by asking to pick one of our players, but which three would you like to have the pick of?

....A long silence....
"How do I answer this? Ok...It would be a little incestuous,as I see them all as my brothers; and besides, I don't like to call anoyone favourites."

Are you a sporty person yourself, I guess you are, from some of your earlier answers?

"Very! I always been an athlete, up until I ran a marathon in 2011. At the moment I'm involved in a new sporting venture for me, which I'm not realy at liberty to say what it is, as it's early days. I want to see how far I can go before I decide to stick to it. At school I was the athletics captain, and the cross country captain. I also enjoyed netball, but wasn't really involved in the team, but that was more down to time restrictions."

A little lighthearted question, to finish. On matchdays you're sometimes spotted handing out a tub of sweets to the players during the game. Are you sure? Hardly 'Lucozade Sport' is it?

" The tub is kindly provided by Auntie Pauline(Pauline Powell, kit manager), and yes, I do happen to take it onto the bench after half time, I like a good sweet myself, you can't beat a tub of Haribos! but seriously, it's a lot better than you think. it's good sugar fuel, so it does have a similar effect to sport drinks."