My Eiffel tower of support PLOTTING A ROUTE TO SUCCESS
Kerr will pick Brown’s brains to use the lessons of France 98 for her team’s World Cup campaign
SHELLEY KERR revealed she has already met with Craig Brown to help plot Scotland’s World Cup fortunes in France. The women’s boss became the first Scot to lead her side to international football’s showpiece since the veteran coach 20 years ago. Brown was in charge for games in Paris, Bordeaux and St Etienne and Kerr will follow in his footsteps after being handed matches in Nice, Rennes and the French capital. The draw on Saturday evening in riot-hit Paris pitted the Scots against England, Japan and Argentina next June and Kerr’s preparations are already well under way. She will spend the next few weeks sorting out a training base and accommodation and she told how she has also met with Brown to get his input. Kerr said: “Craig was one of the first to send a letter of congratulations after qualification and he offered advice based on his experience of the World Cup finals. “I’ve since met him twice and he has given me various bits of information and a licence to pick up the phone at any time. “I will also seek advice and support from other managers who have been at World Cups to pick their brains about their experiences – good, bad or indifferent.
“I need to ensure I’m as well prepared as possible. The men’s World Cup may have been 20 years ago but there are still some aspects of relevance and even if it’s only one little thing I pick up, great.
“We always speak about small marginal gains and it would be crazy not to tap into the experience of Craig in taking a team to a World Cup. He has been a real tower of support.”
SFA performance director Malky Mackay led the SFA support staff around Kerr for the draw at the Seine Musicale that also included chief executive Ian Maxwell and president Alan McRae. There may have been disorder in the centre of the capital, but the venue for the draw was an oasis of calm as French World Cup winning boss Didier Deschamps joined US women’s skipper Carli Lloyd for the star-studded event.
The Scots will kick off their Group D campaign on the Cote D’Azur on June 9 with a match against the Auld Enemy, who thumped Anna Signeul’s squad 6-0 in the Euro finals in Holland last summer.
They will play Japan in Rennes on June 14 and Argentina in Paris on June 19.
Mackay said: “I was speaking with Phil Neville before the draw, 24 teams and we pull each other. You couldn’t make it up.
“I’m delighted it’s Shelley leading us to the World Cup. In the last 18 months the team has changed beyond recognition in terms of its style of play, athleticism and technical ability.
“We ran the USA close last month, defeated a Swiss side in qualification ranked above us and the team have been setting record attendances.
“We talk about growing the women’s game in Scotland and what could be better than playing England in the first game in Nice?
“You would hope the Tartan Army might decide to travel and watch the game in the sun. Japan also represent