Women’s football club says support from the community is vital

Top flight Farmington insist public backing key to achieving goals

Angus communities have been urged to rally behind the area’s leading women’s football side in a milestone year for the outfit.

Forfar Farmington’s preparations for a defining season in the top flight of the national women’s game come 40 years on from the US youth exchange which spawned the set-up, which is now the envy of clubs across the country.

Their established position in the SWPL 1 puts Farmington ahead of bigger-name sides like Dundee United and Aberdeen but – much like their senior Angus male counterparts – the ladies say community backing is the key to continued success.

Colin Brown, the depute provost of Angus and a figure steeped in local youth football development, forged the Farmington link with the first visit from the unusual platform of a latenight transatlantic phone call from ex-Brechiner Al Bell.

“Someone had put Al in touch with me and he called me up suggesting an exchange, but it was late at night and I initially thought it was a bit of a wind-up,” said Colin, who is still Farmington chairman.

School team exchanges to Connecticut continued, and growing interest in the women’s game led to the setting up of Forfar Farmington, which has gone from strength to strength.

Colin’s daughter Nicola McBride, the club’s development officer, said: “We now have almost 200 players over a dozen teams, from three-year-olds up to the women’s side in SWPL 1.”

Against the might of the likes of Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Hibs and Glasgow City, Farmington have remained an almost permanent top flight side for the past 15 years and now attract international talent including new season Icelandic signing Magdalena Olafsdottir.

“It is the town’s club and we really hope this season to grow the backing from the community to help us stay successful,” said Nicola.

“The schools are really important to us – if we can get the kids saying they want to watch Forfar Farmington, that will bring them along and hopefully encourage them to join us.”

Farmington start their league campaign against Motherwell at Station Park on February 23, kick off 2pm.

Picture: Steve MacDougall. Some of the Forfar Farmington team during a training session in the town.