AFC Bournemouth
Amber Treweek hopes her second bite of the Cherries leads to the ultimate goal – a career in professional football.
Treweek has played a starring role in AFC Bournemouth's impressive start to the season, the defender ever-present and having netted three goals in 11 games.
The Cherries put their 100 per cent winning start in the National League on the line when they host Portishead Town at Vitality Stadium on Sunday (2pm kick-off).
Treweek, who is in her second spell with the club, first joined the Cherries when the women’s and girls’ setup was in its infancy, turning out for the under-16s when she was just 13.
Asked how things had changed since she first joined the club as a 13-year-old, Treweek said: “They are polar opposites!
"In the years I’ve been away, it has skyrocketed. The growth has just been exponential. It’s so much better now and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”
She took her first steps in the game with Corfe Mullen United Juniors – as the only girl in a boys’ team.
“I was the only girl on the team!” she chuckles. “As I had played with the team since I was six, they treated me as just another member of the team.
"But you would come up against other boys’ teams and you could hear them say things like ‘look, they’ve got a girl on their team’, until you put in a strong challenge or did something really well, and they were like ‘oh, okay, she’s a decent player’.
“I was always determined to show anyone what I could do, even in the small grassroots games.”
Poole-born Treweek, who was raised and schooled in Canford Heath, combines playing with working for XMiles UK, an independent endurance sports retailer based in Wimborne.
She is also continuing her studies towards a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, something she would like to pursue when her playing career is over.
“My primary career goal is to be a professional footballer and I’d like to think that things are heading in the right direction for that to be possible for me,” she said.
“I did a couple of introductory courses in America to see what I liked and Criminology and Criminal Justice stuck with me.
“It’s quite a broad subject, encompassing lots of aspects such as policing, the law, courts, forensic science, crime scenes and investigative work.
"It’s really intriguing. I have always found that if you enjoy something, it is a lot easier to learn about.”
Treweek returned to the club in January 2023 after spending 18 months in America on a scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Re-joining the Cherries also gave Treweek an opportunity to play alongside her younger sister Jess for the first time.
“I made sure I got her permission before signing for the club!” laughed Amber. “We’re different ages so we’d never been in the same team until here, but it has been really great and the whole family loves it.”
A lifelong Cherries supporter, Treweek achieved one lifetime ambition in April when she debuted on the hallowed turf of Vitality Stadium, lining up in front of a record crowd of 3,067 during an entertaining match with National League rivals Maidenhead United.
Treweek, who was a mascot at a match in 2012 and includes Steve Fletcher, Philip Billing, Marc Pugh and Simon Francis as her all-time favourite players, added: “It has been really great to come in a full circle with this club, from being a little girl sat in the stands to playing at the stadium and proudly wearing the Bournemouth shirt every week.”
Just weeks after playing at Vitality Stadium, it was confirmed the women’s team had been brought under the direction of the football club, having previously been overseen by the Community Sports Trust.
Treweek hopes the rapid progression of the women’s team can help her as she looks to continue her upward trajectory in the game: “I think it’s going to get so much bigger; there’s a lot to learn and a lot to try and it’s an exciting time to be around the club.
"I was really impressed with the setup here when I returned and we had a great second half to last season with a great run of games as well as beating Portsmouth in the cup and winning the Hampshire Senior Cup.
“This group has a great deal of potential, with some vital experienced players and some excellent younger players coming through.
"I’m really excited to see what can be achieved.”
Click here for ticket information for the game at Vitality Stadium against Portishead Town.
This article appeared in MATCHDAY for the visit of West Ham earlier this season.
