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While women’s football continues to grow and advance, combined with the announcement of the SPFL taking over the SWPL last month, big things are coming towards Motherwell FC’s new girls academy.

The move to the SPFL aims to help clubs become more professional, give them better decision-making powers, and greater revenue streams. The Scottish FA has also promised to give the SWPL clubs access to their commercial and broadcast resources to further promote and improve women’s football, which the new academy will benefit from. Recently, I came across an article discussing how various sports leagues are leveraging revenue streams from new markets, with Georgia sports betting emerging as a key factor in boosting financial support for teams. The article highlighted how legal sports betting has created new sponsorship deals and increased fan engagement, offering a potential model for Scottish football to explore similar partnerships.

It’s no secret that the game in Scotland has been under-appreciated at times, but the academy has every ability to become a blazing force in the expansion of the female game.

Led by first team manager Paul Brownlie, the academy will provide young girls the opportunity to rise through the ranks from youth player to first-team player, and will help mould and build their talent.

Brownlie has been coaching both youth and adult teams for the last 17 years, and after joining Motherwell as head coach, he has transformed the side with innovative singings and has earned more points in half of the season than the club garnered across 2020/21.

The Women of Steel currently sit in sixth but have been in and out the top five all season as the rebuild continues to grow and improve.

“When I started in June there had been talks of the SPFL making a pitch to become the new governing body, I was excited,” he said.

“The new resources and opportunities that it brings will make a huge difference to both our first team and for the academy. We want to become a full-time club and show the girls coming through the ranks that they will have every opportunity to become a professional football player.

“The tools that will now become available to us as a result is fantastic.”

Motherwell’s academy is well known for creating exceptional players such as David Turnbull, Chris Cadden, James McFadden, Stephen Pearson, Stevie Hammell and also Allan Campbell. It will be hoping to produce female players of a similar if not even better calibre.

Currently the women’s first team has talented youth players that originated from Motherwell youth squads. One of those being 17-year-old Jemma Hughes, who graduated from Motherwell’s original youth system, and who scored the final goal to seal Motherwell’s first ever Lanarkshire derby win in September while receiving a Scotland call up in January.

She isn’t the only youth club talent in the squad as vice-captain Amy Anderson, who is a die-hard Well fan, started playing for Motherwell as a child and has worn the captain’s band when Gill Inglis has been unavailable to play.

Previously there wasn’t a concrete system for girls to advance into senior playing roles at Motherwell, but the new academy aims to rectify that.

With squads for under 11s, 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s, the academy will revolutionise Motherwell, and will hopefully bring the same levels of success as the boy’s academy.

“With my experience working alongside Steven Hammell, seeing what he has done with the boys and being involved at different clubs all around Europe, we really want to innovate and change the game,” said Brownlie.

“For us, it’s all about who can be the next Amy Anderson in terms of attitude and success.

“We will be asking a lot from our players, and we tell them that if you don’t perform in the classroom, you won’t perform on the pitch and instilling that into the girls from a young age is vital.

“They may need to make sacrifices and put hours in training before and after school, but it will educate them and provide them with not just good footballing skills but also good life skills as well with time keeping and personal responsibility.

“Their overall education is still hugely important and that is why we take this strict stance, we can’t have them excelling on the pitch but falling behind in their studies.

“We have plans to hopefully bring new sports scientists into the fold. We want to educate the girls on things like proper nutrition, and most importantly educate them on how to work as a team and how to grow as a footballer.

“We want to grow their minds and their talent to make them the best they can be.”

As a child, it is majorly important to have as many opportunities as possible to take part in hobbies you enjoy. With scheduled training sessions and regular matches, the girls will be able to develop their hobby into a potential career.

The Scottish FA performance schools have seen an influx of female football players applying and being accepted into the likes of Braidhurst High School in Motherwell. The academy aims to recruit girls from the local area by screening the potential of female footballers, while also being creative with their signings and trialists.

Academy football is a step up from local boys and girls club levels, and academies with links to the SWPL are hugely important in the success of future generations of players, whether it be from watching the first team train or play competitively, or from competing against other SWPL academy teams such as Glasgow City, Rangers, Celtic, Hearts or Hibernian.

“The academy is a long-term investment for the club,” added Brownlie. “What we’ve done at the first team level is crucial as now we have role models for the girls coming through that they can look up to. The goal is to try and bring the academy as close as possible with the first team.

“The girls have aspirations of playing at a top level, and all the girls involved have got the ability and that’s why they are here. Standards are extremely important to me and how they act on and off the pitch as they represent this football club now.

“The rewards of being connected to the club are higher than they have ever been, and we hope that being involved with the club will keep them on the right path, give them stability and a routine they actively want to follow.

“Not every player may be able to graduate into the first team and that’s OK, because the training and tools we have given our players means that they could go on to play for clubs that aren’t Motherwell and still be successful. That is what matters most to me.

Despite a spirited and resolute Motherwell performance, Glasgow City came away with maximum points at Petershill Park on Sunday with a 6-0 victory.

Lauren Davidson fired the hosts in front after nine minutes before Megan Foley doubled the hosts advantage minutes later.

Davidson prodded home her second of the afternoon midway through the first half, before a Priscila Chinchilla double followed to give the hosts a comfortable advantage at half-time. Mairead Fulton netted a late sixth to complete a disappointing afternoon for Paul Brownlie’s side.

Looking to continue their quest for silverware this season, City started on the front foot and deservedly netted the opener after some early exchanges.

Chinchilla’s incisive through ball accurately picked out Tyler Dodds on the right, who rifled a low cross into the box which Davidson coolly slotted into the bottom left corner, beyond the reach of Duff.

Minutes later, the hosts netted their second of the afternoon. Kerry Beattie’s floated short corner fell kindly to Foley at the edge of the box and her enticing low cross evaded everyone before nestling into the far corner.

Glasgow continued to threaten the Motherwell goal and soon added a third in quick succession. Dodds’ perfectly weighted cross found Haley Lauder lurking at the back post and the captains intelligent pass was drilled into the bottom right corner by Davidson for her second of the afternoon.

The hosts continued to flood the Motherwell penalty area and added their fourth in the latter stages of the first half. Beattie’s short corner found Chinchilla unmarked at the edge of the box, who composed herself before curling a spectacular effort into the top right corner.

With the half time whistle looming, Glasgow added their fifth of the afternoon. Chinchilla skilfully latched on Fulton’s through ball before nutmegging Kate Rice and bending an exceptional effort into the top left corner.

With the women of steel chasing the game in the second half, Paul Brownlie’s side pushed forward in search of a consolation.

Finding space on the left, Kaela McDonald-Nguah burst forward before firing towards goal, but her low-driven strike was brilliantly parried away by Alexander to the feet of Rice who couldn’t convert at the back post.

Minutes later, Lori Gardner showed magnificent skill to escape her marker with a clever nutmeg before curling an excellent effort towards goal, but Alexander again reacted superbly to make a comfortable save.

Unable the capitalise on their string of chances in the second half, Motherwell were left to rue their squandered opportunities as Glasgow City sealed all three points with a sixth goal.

Fulton’s dipping strike from distance sailed past Duff to complete a disappointing afternoon for Paul Brownlie’s side. The women of Steel will look to rectify this result when they travel to face Hibernian in the capital next week

Channel Finance Group are a growing Commercial finance brokerage based in the central belt of Scotland. We feel extremely proud to be part of the Motherwell FC community and have been making the most of it!

Since beginning our sponsorship of Motherwell Women in August, we have attended multiple games with clients, met with some of the players and given away lots of tickets to lucky followers.

Our sister company, Channel Mortgages, will be using this opportunity to support the players at the club with any mortgage and protection needs they may require and extend this to any staff or fans of the club too. In addition to this, Channel Finance Group will be working closely with Leanne Crichton and Paul Brownlie to support the future of the women’s team and academy. This partnership is based on shared values and we are very much looking forward to continuing it in the future.

At Channel Finance Group we offer various financial solutions which are tailored towards businesses of all types and sizes! As a directly authorised firm we have access to a panel of lenders which has solutions for all. Our aim is to make finance simple and accessible which is why we tailor each service to your individual needs.

Channel Mortgages recently partnered with award winning network Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB). This has expanded our network and as a thank you to the Motherwell FC community for welcoming us as the Motherwell Women shirt sponsor, we would like to offer a Free Mortgage and Protection review for all Motherwell Fans.

If you are interested in this, please email us at hello@channelmortgages.co.uk or call us on 0141 212 0740 and we can get your review underway for free!

Motherwell face off against SWPL1 champions Glasgow City on Sunday 6 March at Petershill Park. 

Kick off is 1pm.

Come and Watch 

Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Glasgow City online shop.

You can also purchase on the gate on the day of the game.

Tickets cost £8 for an adult and £2 for Under 16s.

Tale of the Tape 

The two sides have met on two occasions this season, with Glasgow City winning both encounters. 

The most recent game ended in a 5-1 victory to city, after Glasgow City broke the deadlock on the hour mark. Katie Rice grabbed the goal on the day for the women of steel. 

Form Guide  

Glasgow City have won their last 3 matches in a row, most recently against Hibernian. 

Their last defeat came at the start of February, when the current league leaders Rangers beat City 3-1. 

Motherwell come into this game off the back of a 5-1 defeat to Aberdeen. 

The ‘Well’s last victory came at the end of January, when they beat Spartans 3-0 at Alliance Park. 

Motherwell return to SWPL1 action when they travel north to take on Aberdeen on Sunday 27 February. 

Kick off at Balmoral Stadium is at 4pm.

Come and Watch

Tickets for the game will be purchased via the cash turnstiles only.

Adult tickets will cost £5 whilst under 16s will be go free.

Following guidance from Scottish Government, we would encourage all supporters to take a lateral flow test prior to attending the match.

Tale of the Tape

Aberdeen and Motherwell have faced off twice already this season.

In the most recent encounter, the women of steel came away with the three points after defeating the Dons 4-3. A Carla Boyce hat-trick and a Chelsie Watson goal secured the victory.

The two sides also faced in the group stages of the SWPL Cup in August, with Aberdeen winning 1-0 on that occasion.

Motherwell have only lost one of their previous six games against Aberdeen.

Form Guide

Aberdeen are currently one point behind Motherwell in the SWPL1 table.

The Dons beat Spartans 4-2 to advance in the Scottish Cup, after beating Hibernian 1-0 the previous week.

Aberdeen are currently on a four game winning run, dating back until the end of January.

Motherwell haven’t featured since the start of February where they were beaten by Hearts 1-0.

The women of steel have two defeats in five games and look to extend their gap to the teams below in the table.

Motherwell’s match against Rangers, scheduled to take place on Sunday 20 February, has been postponed.

This is due to players within the Rangers squad being away on international duty.

A rearranged date and kick off time for the game will be communicated in due course.

Defender Claire Crosbie has left Motherwell after her contract was cancelled by mutual consent.

The centre back, who made 13 appearances this season in claret and amber, scored twice this campaign and leaves after joining the club in the summer. 

The club wishes Claire well for the future.

We’re proud to launch the brand new Motherwell FC girls academy.

After numerous trials over the past four weeks, our foundations are now in place for young players to come through from the academy to first-team level. 

Head of women and girl’s performance Paul Brownlie, who joined the club in May 2021, was hired in a joint role of both coaching our first team and overhauling our pathway for female players.

Having guided his side to fifth place in the SWPL1 table so far this season, his work behind the scenes is now also coming to the fore.

“We are finally in the position to launch the new girls academy at Motherwell Football Club,” Paul Brownlie said. 

“Behind the scenes at Fir Park, we have worked extremely hard to make sure that we had everything in place before the launch.

“All players went through an extensive trial process, making sure we got the right players. With the full support of our Community Trust here at Motherwell, we feel we are now in the best position to move to the next level with the academy.”

The new academy structure will have teams representing at Under 11, 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s levels. These five age groups will have teams playing at regional and national performance level. 

“This is a new direction from the football club and one which fully integrates the Girls Academy into the football club,” Brownlie added.  

“Our approach will be to develop elite female players who can represent Motherwell at first-team level.

“Building the right pathway will be crucial to the success we want to build here. Within the pathway, it’s important that standards are maintained across the board. 

“Motherwell’s boys academy has a terrific reputation for developing young players and carrying that success over to the girls equivalent will be paramount to our success of developing players who can compete at the top level.

“It is now the responsibility of the coaches to make sure we develop each player to the best of their ability and that’s a challenge I know the coaches are looking forward to.”

Motherwell defender Georgie Rafferty has joined SWPL2 side Kilmarnock on loan for the remainder of the season. 

The 24-year-old centre half has featured on the bench twice this season since recovering from a cruciate injury she picked up almost two years ago.

“This is an ideal move for Georgie right now,” head coach Paul Brownlie said.

“With her mostly recovered from her serious injury, it is now time for her to get some game time and build up her match fitness.

“We will be monitoring her progress closely and look forward to see how she gets on.”

From coming through the ranks at boys’ clubs to playing for Scotland, 18-year-old Paige McAllister has come a long way since she first started playing football at the age of five.

McAllister signed for the women of steel in 2021 after an impressive period at Hearts while out on loan from Celtic.

The defender’s defensive efforts with Motherwell haven’t gone unnoticed as she was called up to January’s Scotland training camp, meaning she has now been called up for every national level she has been eligible for apart from the main adult team.

“When I started playing women’s football, I was with Celtic’s under 17s at 14 years old. I was a bit nervous because I was playing and training with the older ones but once I went in for my first trial I felt alright, and over time I became more confident in my ability and myself as a player.

“Once I got accepted by Celtic and I settled into the squad I got my first Scotland call ups. I’ve now been called up for the under 15s, under 16s, under 17s and under 19s, and I received my first call up when I was around 14 or 15.

“Since then, I have been involved with various training camps spanning the different age group. I joined the under 17s team in the Championship and I even got a goal.”

When discussing what it was like to be invited to take part on international duty McAllister added: “It’s always an honour to be called up to play for your country but I wasn’t expecting to be called up to the January training camp. I had picked up a really bad injury and I thought the under 19s campaign was finished.

“It was a brilliant feeling being invited to the camp. It’s a huge honour to be considered and an even bigger one to be invited away.

“It’s great being away with the girls, it lets you meet and talk to players you may not have had the chance to engage with before, especially if there are new faces in the squad because it lets you form some good friendships and create memories.

“This year it was a bit different because of Covid, you had to stay in your hotel rooms when you weren’t training, and we had to make sure we were social distancing and keeping to the Covid protocols in place but those bonds you make on the pitch stick with you.

“I never take it for granted, I never expect it, so every time feels just as good as the first.”

McAllister may have only scored two goals in the SWPL overall, but she got her first-ever professional goal for Scotland which saw her country win 4-1 against Northern Ireland in October 2019.

“I think I blacked out after I scored it to be honest,” she explained. “I scored the goal, and everyone started running to me to celebrate and I kind of just stood still. I was in complete shock. It was so unexpected, and it easily became one of the best days of my life.”

International duty can show players different tactics and styles they may not have utilised while playing at their clubs. It is something McAllister is keen to draw on.

Having the likes of Leanne Crichton, who has been to major tournaments with the Scotland national team, alongside her will undoubtedly help in her development, and she is also looking to draw on the experience of others.

“International football is obviously different from club football,” she said, “I’ve felt myself improve after being away as it gives you different perspectives and ways of developing your game.

“I definitely encourage the other girls to try to push themselves so they can have the opportunity to be called up. I would say to young players to keep working hard as it is possible.

“Getting game time is so important, which is why I’m extremely grateful for Motherwell giving me the opportunity. Our improved form this season has definitely contributed.”

This summer, former Scottish internationalist Crichton joined both the coaching and playing staff at Motherwell.

Hailed as one of the most influential female players of her generation, the 34-year-old earned 72 caps and has been a hugely inspirational figure for the Women of Steel.

“Paul [Brownlie] and Crichton have been great at taking me on board and helping me advance as a player,” said McAllister.

“They are all about helping youth players with game time and becoming the best that they can be by giving me experience. That then helps me prove to both myself and the Scotland coaches that I am a strong player, and I am good enough to be playing.

“I definitely believe that Crichton’s experience, as well as being an internationalist, has rubbed off on to the rest of the team. She has brought so much to the group, and the older more seasoned players, as well as the younger ones, have all learned something from her.

“I have also learned things on international duty that I’ll try to show the rest of the team so we can all progress as one unit.

“Crichton has experienced a lot over her playing career and being able to learn from a player of her calibre is honestly amazing. She is a great inspiration to us as players and to a lot of young girls overall. Having her as a team-mate and coach is wonderful.

“I’ve learned a lot during my time at Motherwell and I hope I can continue to improve and keep our good run of form going for the rest of the season.”