A Sunday for the Fans
36 days can feel like an eternity. It can also feel like no time at all. For the players, coaches and those who cover women’s football in Scotland the 36 day gap bridging the end of last season and the beginning of this has gone by in a flash but for the fans who have waited and battled through a season full of compromise this Sunday football felt like it was properly back.
As the summer deluges came down during half time of the SWPL Cup group stage tie between Glasgow Women and their City namesakes at New Tinto Park, heavy drops the size of ping pong balls splashing down and spinning back up into the air, permeating through my stupidly porous footwear, my attention was drawn to a City fan who seemed to be revelling in the rains.
Soaked to the skin and without an umbrella (a £7 purchase from the Asda adjacent to the ground saved me from a similar fate) her face was beaming. A smile brimming with joy and a twinkle of mania in her eyes as she embraced the absurdity that the isobars had decided to bring, braving the open terrace while others hid under the stands sacrificing their view of the action or huddled under overhanging trees. The opposing touchline which hosted the two benches looking the most exposed of all.
Her buoyancy was perhaps fuelled by a dominant first half performance from the 14-in-a-row champions as they began their pursuit of a trophy that they haven’t won since 2015. Four minutes in and their quest got off to the perfect start as Lauren Davidson opened the scoring for the SWPL season before new captain Jo Love thundered home a second a couple of minutes later.
Love’s promotion coming as another giant of the women’s game, Leanne Ross, announced her retirement, the floral presentation from the Glasgow Women bench pre-match an indicator of the impact City’s newest member of the coaching staff had left on the game so far.
Whilst Love and an experienced core will continue to pull the strings it was the attacking dynamism of Davidson and Costa Rican Priscilla Chinchilla that had those wrapped in orange standing on their toes. Both joined Love in adding more first half goals, the home side gamely fighting to limit their arrears as the storm clouds began to roll in towards half time. And boy did they arrive, turning from sprinkling shower to mini monsoon, causing the second half to be delayed in the hope that the rain would subside just a little.
A few minutes later than scheduled the visitors continued their dominance adding a further three goals (including Love completing her hat-trick) to the six they had tallied during much drier times. Their new away kit — all white complimented by asymmetric blues — unintentionally giving each player who made a headed leap the appearance of a silver salmon battling through the most difficult stage of their journey up river. Flailing ponytails creating the spray.
The ball began to zip across the surface at an ever increasing pace as the players slipped and slid, occasionally stopping to forlornly wring shorts and shirts “dry”. With unquenchable enthusiasm the soaked fan continued to cheer them all on, “GOOD SAVE GOALIE”, “WELL IN MOLIN” only stopping to wipe the steam from her bespectacled eyes. When the referee brought the game to an end a ripple of applause welcomed the staying power of the players as the rain finally began to ease.
Walking my way round to the exit with socks starting to squelch a group of young girls were waiting excitedly at the barrier for the arrival of an approaching Clare Shine. The Irish forward, who five minutes earlier had looked like she had seen quite enough rain for the day having been left frustrated in her personal pursuit of goals, arrived smiling. The easy effervescence of her hello’s leaving the youngsters looking on starry eyed as they told her about the fun they had despite the rain as I continued out the gate and onto the street.
Having done my best to shake my umbrella dry I quickly jumped into the drivers seat of my car and slapped the heating on. Waiting for the condensation to clear I suddenly realised that I was thirsty. “If only I had some water”, I thought. The irony not lost as I turned the ignition and headed for my second stop of the day.