It’s set to be another exciting weekend for domestic women’s football when Celtic and Rangers contest the Scottish Cup final at Hampden.
Last weekend, more than 20,000 fans turned out at Celtic Park and Ibrox for SWPL 1 matches, and Sunday’s final at the national stadium has the potential to break the attendance record for a domestic women’s game in Scotland again – for the fourth time this season.
However, I’ve had people tag me in posts on social media about how tickets have been inaccessible to buy and I really hope that’s not been the case for the majority.
We want to get as many fans into the stadium and if the process of buying tickets is preventing or putting people off from attending then that needs to be looked at.
The cup final is a chance to keep up the momentum from last Sunday’s SWPL 1 finale, where Glasgow City pipped both Celtic and Rangers to the league title.
The game has the potential to round-off what has been such a great season for the game in Scotland.
A potential record crowd and with the game being broadcast live on BBC One, it has the chance to showcase a real spectacle to a large audience.
The standard of the domestic game has improved and I believe those people going along in their numbers will have caught the bug and will want to keep coming back, hopefully that means going to watch the national team at Hampden, too.
We’ve experienced first-hand the boost you get with a big crowd while playing for Scotland – it’s an an amazing environment to play in.
The cup final is going to be a game of firsts for the women’s domestic game: the first final at Hampden, the first broadcast on BBC One and the first time VAR has been used.
I think VAR is going to be a good addition to the match. The women’s game is an elite sport and it should be treated as such – which is why VAR will be involved.
As a player, you are aware of VAR and definitely approach the game different. It does make you a bit more cautious of what you are doing.
I’m not a massive fan of VAR but I appreciate it means more right decisions are made.
The segment with Howard Webb on Sky Sports was a really interesting insight to understanding the process.
With a trophy at stake, I hope the inclusion of VAR goes smoothly and there is no controversy surrounding it come full-time.
"It was clear and obvious when we saw it from that angle" 🎥
Howard Webb breaks down the use of VAR in Leandro Trossard's disallowed strike against Leicester City 🔎 pic.twitter.com/5B3xsrNy07
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 15, 2023
Rangers can restore some pride after SWPL 1 disappointment, while Celtic aim to retain Scottish Cup
Both Celtic and Rangers go to Hampden off the back of league disappointment after failing to lift the SWPL 1 trophy on the final day of the season.
That honour went to Glasgow City, but Celtic did manage to finish in the top-two which secured Champions League football.
Last year’s league champions Rangers finished third and miss out on Champions League. I don’t think even winning the Scottish Cup will make up for what has been a disappointing season in SWPL 1.
They’re the club who have invested the most in their women’s team and European football would have been their minimum expectation – cup trophies, having already won the League Cup, would have been a bonus.
Earlier this week, the club announced manager Malky Thomson would be stepping down at the end of the season and it’s a statement of intent from the club.
They know this season hasn’t been good enough and feel changes are needed.
But the cup final is a chance for Rangers to restore some pride and for the team and Malky to try and end the season on a positive.
Celtic will have felt a different kind of disappointment after they missed out on the title. They did what they needed to do on the day by beating Hearts, but City still had the upper hand after their win at Ibrox.
Out of the top three, Celtic are a bit further behind on their full-time professional journey.
They have probably overachieved in the last couple of years because of that and further investment is still needed to take their women’s team to the next level.
Champions League football will be a big boost for them and I’m sure they are aiming to end this season with silverware, having won both cup competitions last season.
If Celtic do win the Scottish Cup, it means that all three domestic trophies have been won by a different team this season, which is another reflection of the growth of the Scottish game.
Aston Villa prepare to sign off after successful in WSL
My season at Aston Villa comes to an end on Saturday when we travel to Arsenal on the last day of the WSL season.
It’s been a really good, but challenging campaign for us.
We’ve had to overcome a lot of injury troubles, myself included, however we have still managed to secure fifth – which is our best-ever finish in WSL.
Our manager Carla Ward told us the other day we’re the first team outside the top four to win at least 10 games over the course of the 22-game campaign. It’s an amazing achievement for only being in our third season in this league.
The best of the best. ⭐@RachelDaly3 is the #BarclaysWSL's Player of the Season! ✨ pic.twitter.com/hCBGCkRL5c
— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) May 26, 2023
Rachel Daly has also been named the WSL Player of the Season. She’s one of several players who have had incredible seasons.
We’re not a team full of ‘big’ names but we’re a group who consistently work hard for each other and for the club.
Not a lot of people would’ve expected us to have the season that we have, so the challenge will be to keep this up next term. We want to keep pushing forward and keep improving.
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