We deserve to be at a World Cup...and all of Scotland is behind us
THEY’RE not merely filling the vacuum left by our ‘other’ national team’s repeated failings. The attention, the hype and the hoopla being generated by this bunch of elite professionals? They’ve earned it.
‘This is on merit,’ declares Scotland women’s head coach, Shelley Kerr, revealing more than a hint of steel behind the now-familiar grin.
‘We’ve captivated a nation by going to the World Cup. And we haven’t done that by default. We’re not going to these finals in France because we won a play-off. We actually qualified top of the group and did it on merit after an excellent campaign.
‘At my interview for this job, I said we need to change the perception of our team — and the only way we can do that is by having a product that’s viable and by having success.
‘That was always our intention. So all of this is on merit, based on what we’ve done on the pitch.’
Kerr (below) leads her World Cup-bound Scotland team out at Hampden tonight for a farewell friendly against Jamaica, knowing that history is already guaranteed to be made.
With over 25,000 tickets already sold, the fixture is on course to not only break but shatter the record attendance — just over 4,000, since you’re asking — for a women’s game in Scotland.
On a night when past wrongs are also being righted, through the awarding of caps to surviving
members of the team who played in Scotland’s first-ever women’s international fixture, Kerr admits she’s likely to be a bit emotional. Yet, with less than a fortnight to go until the big Group D kick-off against England in Nice, she’ll also be in full-on focus mode.
That clash with the Auld Enemy is going to come at everyone pretty fast.
‘It’s important for the players — and their head coach — to be prepared.
‘It’s almost like being on a plane when they tell you to use your own oxygen mask first,’ said Kerr with a laugh, when asked about the final fine-tuning required heading into the SWNT’s first World Cup.
‘I need to think about me, as well, and getting the support I need — because I’m the one responsible for everything that happens at the World Cup.
‘I have spoken to the experts in the media, match officials, other managers and I’m trying to get as much help and information as possible. With that has come a lot of plans that we have put in place to help the players. ‘There is an awful lot of distraction around big tournaments with the duties you have to carry out as coaching staff and players. ‘It’s vital to get the right balance witheverything and that’s something we’ve been planning for quite a long time. ‘I think we are in a really good place. I also turn to my own experiences as a player to recognise what the players like, what they don’t like and coming up with a balance. Players need to be feeling good if they are going to give good performances. And the aftermath is so important for us.
‘If I’m looking at growing the women’s game in Scotland, we can’t afford for this to be an isolated case.
‘If we want to qualify for other tournaments and have that success on a regular basis, we have to look at growing the game and putting resources into the youth side of the game.
‘Otherwise this might be a one-off for us — and that’s what we don’t want to happen. We need to reinvest in the women’s game generally.’
Kerr and her team were name-checked by new Scotland men’s team manager Steve Clarke on day one of his tenure at Hampden, the ex-Kilmarnock boss stressing his desire to emulate the achievement of the women’s national select.
‘I’m not surprised at his comments,’ said Kerr. ‘I sat beside Steve at the Scottish Cup final and I know how much he is looking forward to picking his squad and getting on the pitch with his players.
‘He is planning on coming tomorrow night, it depends on his diary, he is obviously busy with a squad announcement but his intention is to be at the game.
‘He is proud and passionate as a Scotland coach. He wants the national teams to do well, regardless of whether it is the Under-21s, Under-16 boys or the Women’s A-team.
‘Fortunately for us, we are the team leading the way in terms of getting to a finals — because that’s where we all want to be with all our national teams.
‘There would be nothing more pleasing for me if the men get to a finals.’
The spirit of co-operation across the gender divide is in stark contrast to how things once were in Scotland, the SFA shamefully ignoring — or even obstructing — the women’s game for decades.
Tonight’s ceremony honouring the class of ’72, the footballers who took part in the game against England in that very first international for Scotland, is important to Kerr.
‘I’m the only person connected to the national team, because of my age, who remembers that era,’ she said.
‘In the future, I don’t want that to be the case. Anyone involved in the national team, they should know the history and know who came before them.
‘I don’t think people realise just how difficult it was, back then, to be involved in the women’s game.
‘You had so many barriers in front of you. There are so many stories. Every single player from that era has a story to tell — not all positives.
‘But one thing is guaranteed. All of those players have character in abundance. They built up resilience through facing so many challenges.
‘I actually got a medal for my first appearance in 1989. It was a friendly game. Then they started introducing caps for the qualifiers.
‘But my very first game, which was against England, it was a commemorative medal with the date engraved on it. I’ve still got it, yes. Of course I have!’