IT was a pleasure to witness Eddie Wolecki Black in fine fettle at Fir Park on Thursday. The Motherwell Ladies manager was showing not only the benefits of two weeks in the Florida sun, but the pioneering medical treatment which has delivered significant physical and psychological improvements.
Wife Emma, the former Glasgow City and Scotland defender, said the recent trip to the United States had many tangible outcomes as Wolecki Black continues his recovery from a life-threatening stroke two years ago. He is now able to plant his left foot on the ground firmly and walk without the aid of a stick. Physiotherapy is expected to deliver further breakthroughs.
There is also an improvement in the manager’s speech, while Emma says his concentration, hearing and peripheral vision are all better.
The pair were at Motherwell’s home game against Aberdeen last Sunday – Emma even came on as a sub – despite having only landed back in Glasgow that morning. The side won 6-0 to consolidate their place at the top of the SWPL2 table.
Today Motherwell play Kilmarnock and a victory over the second-placed side would put Wolecki Black’s team five points clear after just seven games. It would have been even more, but a 2-1 win over the same opposition on the first day of the season was overturned to a 3-0 defeat due to an administrative error.
Ominously for the other SWPL2 teams, Motherwell signed former Scotland midfielder Megan Sneddon – now Burns – on Thursday. The 32-year-old played three games as a trialist, during which Motherwell scored 18 goals and conceded just two.
“Her best days are probably behind her, but even in her short spell here you can see what she brings,” Wolecki Black enthused. “Top players make the ones around them play better and Megan does that at our club. She is so assured and calm on the ball. There is never any panic.”
Burns quit international football prematurely after being omitted for the 2015 World Cup play-offs against Holland. At the time she was 29 and had 130 caps, but didn’t play for Scotland again after criticising Anna Signeul’s tactics in a newspaper article.
Ironically, the area which she used to occupy with distinction is one that is now giving Shelley Kerr problems.
“I don’t think Scotland have ever replaced Megan in midfield,” Wolecki Black said.
CONGRATULATIONS to Grant Scott who was appointed Hibernian head coach on a permanent basis on Wednesday. In his three games in temporary charge, Hibs drew at home with Glasgow City in the league, won away at Celtic, and then last Sunday beat City to reach the final of the SWPL Cup.
FINALLY, there was a record crowd for the third year running at last night's SSE Women's FA Cup final between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley. With more than 40,000 tickets sold in the build up to the match, the professional game in England continues to take off at an unprecedented rate.
Here in Scotland we can only look on in envy. It took over a century for England to move on to a different financial planet in men's professional football; in the women's game it seems to have happened almost in the blink of an eye.
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