‘We’re in this together’ – Gavin Levey backs Aberdeen Women ahead of first game without Emma Hunter and Gavin Beith

By Sophie Goodwin

December 4 2022, 6:00 am

Aberdeen Women host Spartans on Sunday in their first game since Emma Hunter and Gavin Beith's departure. Image: Shutterstock.

Gavin Levey has backed the Aberdeen Women squad ahead of their first game without departed co-managers Emma Hunter and Gavin Beith.

The Dons host Spartans in SWPL 1 on Sunday afternoon, following Emma Hunter and Gavin Beith’s resignation, which was announced earlier this week.

Levey, who is Aberdeen’s academy director, has led a team of interim coaches this week, who he says have helped bring some “consistency” in the circumstances.

Those coaches include Claire Garret, who has worked with the women’s team since last year, Mark Emslie, Kevin Symon, and Matthew Mackie (goalkeeping coach).

Levey recognises it has been a difficult week for some of the players, as some of them have always been coached by Hunter during their time at Aberdeen.

However, he says the response in training has been good and has allowed them to prepare well for an important game against Spartans.

Aberdeen FC academy director Gavin Levey. Image: Aberdeen FC.

Levey said: “Emma has been a lot of the players’ coach for their whole time at Aberdeen and worked with some of them before she came to the club.

“So of course it’s been tough for them, but I think we were all pleased that the team got the victory against Dundee United last weekend so it ended things on a positive note.

“It’s been a case of us all trying to stay positive as we can throughout this week – and I think we’ve all managed to do that.

“The girls have trained really well during the week, so we’ll try to put in a good performance on Sunday in what is going to be a very big game against Spartans.”

Aberdeen aim to climb higher in SWPL 1 table

If Aberdeen were to beat Spartans on Sunday, and if other results go their way, they could climb out of SWPL 1’s bottom two.

Levey believes that everyone involved in the women’s team – the coaches and the players – want to see improved results and performances on the pitch.

Aberdeen Women celebrate after beating Dundee United last week, which was Emma Hunter and Gavin Beith’s final game in charge. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

He said: “We want to see progress in our performances this season, and right across the team we want to get more out of one another.

“That’s going to be the case for this weekend. If you’re in a performance environment there’s always going to be that element of pressure.

“We’ve all got to be in this together and try and get everyone through it. I’m not going into this game against Spartans unconfident at all.

“This group of players should be higher up in the table and they would agree with that – everyone agrees with that. We think it will happen in due course.”