All eyes on struggling Saints ahead of Scottish Cup return
SCOTTISH Cup specialists Hibernian will play their first game in the competition since the 2019 final when they travel to St Johnstone today. Thanks to the pandemic that’s a gap of two years, two months and six days.
Hibs lost 4-3 to Glasgow City in a memorable showdown at Tynecastle, with Clare Shine scoring an appropriately excellent winning goal. Since 2003 the Edinburgh side have won the trophy eight times and been losing finalists on another four occasions.
For today’s postponed thirdround tie, however, the focus is on St Johnstone. The SWPL 2 side came perilously close to folding early in the season when it became abundantly clear they were receiving little or no support from the parent club.
The interventions of Scottish FA east district development officer Sam Milne and SWF chief executive Aileen Campbell (a passionate supporter of the Perth club) ensured the team’s shortterm survival. I understand a much more positive future lies ahead.
A film director would also nod approvingly at today’s script. Grant Scott, who was Hibs’ head coach in the 2019 final, will be in charge of St Johnstone for the Edinburgh club’s subsequent tie – just as his last game as interim Glasgow City manager was against Hibs back in October.
Scott, who has strong family ties to Perth, has done well since being appointed. He inherited a side which had – unsurprisingly in the circumstances – taken just four points from their opening seven fixtures and turned that on its head with seven points from his four games in charge.
The only defeat was to runaway league leaders Dundee United, but today provides a considerably more testing challenge. To date the only meaningful third round match between SWPL 1 clubs and lower league opposition was Tuesday night’s postponed tie – a 4-2 away win for Aberdeen over Glasgow Women.
The other six such games provided scorelines ranging from 9-0 to 14-0.
“I would like us to be competitive,” Scott said. “When it gets to double figures it becomes difficult to see what the competition or enjoyment is for either team.
“It shows some flaws in our game at the minute. It’s very top heavy.
“I know first hand the talent that is still at Hibs. That 2019 final was the most exciting game I’ve ever been involved in.
“I didn’t appreciate it in the heat of the moment when it was so sore to lose the game, but I’ve watched it back two or three times. Each time I think what a special contest that was between two terrific sides. ”
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EIL Doncaster says the SPFL will make every effort to provide an enhanced environment for the top women’s clubs should they decided to move to a subsidiary governance model under the auspices of his organisation.
The SPFL chief executive met with the top ten clubs for a second time late on Thursday afternoon and – in a new development – will engage with the SWPL 2 clubs this week as well.
“We enjoyed a very positive meeting with the SWPL 1 clubs and are looking forward to meeting the SWPL 2 clubs,” Doncaster said. “We have made clear since the start of these discussions that the SPFL stands ready, if the clubs wish, to help elevate Scottish professional women’s football even higher.
“Everyone has seen the many benefits that professionalism has brought to women’s football worldwide and the SPFL is well placed to assist at this crucial stage of the development of the game here in Scotland. The SPFL has a long history of running professional league competitions smoothly and efficiently, and of commercialising these competitions for the benefit of the member clubs.
“Last season, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, we made record fee payments of over £28m to the 42 SPFL clubs thanks to a range of commercial partnerships. We believe the women’s professional game in Scotland has significant potential to grow further.”
Thursday’s meeting was the result of a request by the SWPL 1 clubs for further clarity. Following their internal discussions the previous Friday, they gave both the SPFL and Scottish Women’s Football until tomorrow to meet them again and provide the requested detail.
At the time of writing, and with the clock running down, the clubs had not heard back from SWF. The organisation did, however, announce a new commercial partnership manager on Friday.
Whether the incoming appointee will have SWPL 1, or even SWPL 2, in his portfolio is open to question. There is much to be resolved in what is now a very short time indeed.
When it gets to double figures it is difficult to see what the competition is for either team