Capitalising on the Euros is the goal in Scotland
A season of huge change for women’s football gets underway this afternoon.
It will be the first season under the auspices of the SPFL after the clubs voted at the start of the year to leave Scottish Women’s Football.
The challenge for the top 12 clubs, and the eight in SWPL 2, will be to capitalise on the huge success of the Euros.
There was a crowd of 87,192 inside Wembley last Sunday to watch England beat Germany 2-1, and win the trophy for the first time.
But while the Women’s Super League is thriving, with games being shown live on BBC and Sky, it’s a very different picture in Scotland. Crowds are tiny, as is commercial income.
With Celtic, Rangers and Glasgow City all fulltime, and other clubs offering players part-time contracts, the need for more cash was what led to the switch to the SPFL.
The league is without a sponsor, but newlyappointed managing director, Fiona McIntyre, expects to make an announcement very soon.
One player who knows all about financial figures is Celtic skipper, Kelly Clark. Unlike her team-mates, she has opted to stay in her day job as a chartered accountant.
Last season she led her side to a League Cup and Scottish Cup double, but they finished third behind league winners, Rangers, and Glasgow City, missing out on a Champions League place.
“We want to do better every season, and we have done that since Fran Alonso came in as manager,” said Clark.
Like many of the SWPL clubs, there was a lot of movement at Celtic over the summer. Midfielder Lisa Robertson returned from a season’s loan at Birmingham City, while Amy Gallacher has arrived from Hibs, and is expected to play against her old club at the Exclesior today.
The biggest blow for the Hoops is losing striker, Charlie Wellings – top scorer with 40 goals last season, to WSL side, Reading, while Sarah Harkes, who is married to Dundee United’s Ian, has also left.
Of facing the side which finished fourth last season, Clark said: “It’s a bit of an unknown. They have made a lot of signings, so we don’t know what this new Hibs looks like.”
Clark’s opposite number, Joelle Murray, said: “We’ve recruited well over the summer. I believe the quality we’ve lost we’ve replaced.”
Rangers have a straightforward start to their title defence against newly-promoted Glasgow Women, while Glasgow City, who had won a record 14 successive titles before being deposed last season, are at home to Spartans.
Aberdeen travel to Hamilton Accies, Hearts host Partick Thistle, and the other newlypromoted club, Dundee United, start off their campaign at home to Motherwell.