Footie-mad Nottingham mum goes viral for knitting socks at Carabao Cup match

A footie-mad mum has gone viral after she was caught on live TV knitting a pair of striped SOCKS during a Carabao Cup match.

Laura Cameron left Sky Sports commentators amused after they spied her knitting in the front row while watching Nottingham Forest play Newcastle.

The 46-year-old, from Beeston in Nottingham, says the hobby helps her stay calm in stressful situations.

The mum-of-two suffered a brain injury in 2015 after a severe asthma attack and decided to take up knitting while in rehab.

Laura is a keen Notts County fan but often attends Nottingham Forest matches at the City Ground.

She travels the country fashioning socks, scarves and jumpers while watching football with her youngest son Sam, 15.

Laura, who worked as a SEN teacher before her injury, said: “I knit everywhere I go because I had a brain injury in 2015 from an asthma attack.

"It impacted on my balance and I had a lot of nervous energy. I didn’t know how to use it.

“I can now knit everywhere. On the tram, at the football or at meetings. Anywhere.

"It helps me to calm myself and focus on what I'm doing. I take socks with me to all the football games I go to because they're portable.

"I knit at all the matches that I go to and I follow Notts County up and down the country knitting all the time. I've been at games up in Scotland recently and the knitting always comes with me.

“It was a pair of socks. I take a pair wherever I go. I do jumpers, sometimes baby blankets. If we’ve got people I know having babies, I knit out a quick cardigan.

“It’s really the portable stuff. Needles for socks are a 20cm bit of plastic string with two blunt half sticks.

"Security luckily don’t mind. I’m hardly going to be coming after anyone.

"The knitting's muscle memory. I feel the stitches with my fingers so I'm not looking at the knitting, I just focus on the football.

"The knitting is just a way to keep me physically busy while my mind focuses on the football.”

During the cup tie last Wednesday (28/8) Sky Sports cameras spotted her working away in the crowd.

One social media user said: "Fair play that you can rustle up a hat or scarf while never taking your eyes off the football.”

Another wrote: "I could never do what she does, I couldn't trust myself not to stick the needles in my eyes watching Forest every week!"

Users on Facebook praised the mum-of-two for her skill and suggested that Laura should go on Britain’s Got Talent.

One user commented “some serious skill right there” while another said “that’s so English”.

Another joked: “I wonder if she stopped for the penalties.”

Laura is involved with the Disabled Supporters Association (DSA) at Notts County but says most teams have an active disability group.

Despite being a die-hard Notts County fan she says she regularly finds herself crossing the Trent to support Forest.

On her viral fame Laura said: “It’s been absolutely crazy, if you ask any knitter it’s really not that great of a skill.

"If I can bring awareness and encourage people to try things out, if it can be a positive message for people, that’s good for me.

"It has been crazy but so warm.

"I think it's a really good example of how welcoming and warm the football community can be.”

She added: “I’m in a wheelchair. I was training for triathlons before my accident. It messed up my balance.

"I can stand but I will fall over. The more tired I get, the more I fall over. I had a mini stroke in 2020.

“Disabled people are the biggest minority group in the UK, as much as people say we should stay inside, we’ve got lives.

“A lot of disabled people are contributing to society. The football community has had a bad name from when I was a kid, but it’s actually a warm environment.

“Being able to lose yourself for 90 minutes amongst your tribe and people is absolutely magical. That’s where DSA can help people access that sport.”