IT was an altogether more modest affair than the open top bus which once packed Ally’s army off to Argentina. But there was still a rousing send off for Shelley’s heroes at Hampden Park last night as they fly off to France to represent Scotland at the Women’s World Cup for the first time.
In the end, the crowd in attendance at the national stadium last night came in at 18,555 – short of the 30,000 who turned up back in 1978, paying 50p for the privilege – but that was still enough to comfortably outstrip the 4,098 paying customers who comprised the women’s team’s previous record attendance, during August’s qualifier against Switzerland in Paisley. Not to mention the 4,058 who made it along the last time Scotland’s womenfolk were permitted to play on the hallowed turf of the home of Scottish football.
It also appeared to be more than the SFA thought the crowd might be. Hundreds missed the start of this match as stewards appeared to be overwhelmed by the amount of punters looking to pay at the cash gate on this glorious Glasgow night.
But I digress, because ultimately this was every bit the “watershed moment” which manager Shelley Kerr and her players had hoped it would be. It was an evening of righting the wrongs, of accepting that female players had been shunned or ignored for too long.
READ MORE: Shelley Kerr: I never thought I'd see a crowd like this in my lifetime
And it all began before kick-off, with first minister Nicola Sturgeon in attendance to hand over long-awaited caps for Rose Reilly, Jean Stewart, Linda Kidd, Jean Leggatt, Margaret McAuley Rae, and manager Elsie Cook for the role they played in Scotland’s first ever women’s international, a 3-2 defeat to England in Greenock in 1972.
That was back in the bad old days, when women’s football was still banned. Reilly was so miffed by how little her country wanted her that she decided to win the World Cup with Italy instead.
Fast forward 40-odd years and the SFA have learned to love the women’s game, even if some would say they have had no choice, considering our women have qualified for two major tournaments in two years, whereas we are two decades and counting since the men qualified for anything.
But on an occasion like this last night, with sun streaming into the curves of this famous old stadium, that was the wrong way to look at it. Clad in the first ever bespoke kit - with Judy Murray and new men’s manager Steve Clarke in attendance last night - this Scotland squad are doing it for themselves.
Not only did they play plenty of pretty football in pink last night but, perhaps typically for a squad which had to earn qualifying the hard way, there was an element of adversity to be overcome along the way.
READ MORE: ‘Senior Scotland players felt pushed out’
Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz are also tuning up for their first World Cup – they face Brazil, Italy and Australia – and forwards like Cheyna Matthews and Khadija Shaw displayed the same kind of pace and height once displayed at this stadium by Usain Bolt and the Jamaican sprint team. The way they twice pounced on mistakes from the Scottish backline was a reminder to Scotland just how unforgiving the likes of England, Japan and Argentina will be if they do the same in France.
The hosts were in arrears within 15 minutes, Caroline Weir’s pass picked off by Chantel Swaby, who rode what can only be called a robust tackle by Jennifer Beattie. It fell to the feet of Shaw, and the striker whose family has been marked by tragedy, fairly lashed the ball in from the edge of the box.
It was a blow but this Scotland team has enough class stamped on it that it would be foolish to write off their chances of going one better than the men have ever achieved and reaching the knockout stages of a major tournament. That errant pass was pretty much the only one Weir, of Manchester City, misplaced all night and it wasn’t long before she, Kim Little and Erin Cuthbert began working their magic.
The equaliser was lashed in from 25 yards by Erin Cuthbert, a gallus little 20-year-old whose exploits with Chelsea saw her nominated for the players’ player of the year award south of the border. We had a lead before half-time, courtesy of a free quick from the rangy Weir.
READ MORE: We’ve still got the talent to get results, says Clarke
A mistake from Sophie Howard, just on the park at half time, allowed Shaw to clip home her second of the night but when she limped off injured soon afterwards, Jamica’s threat disappeared with her. Howard redeemed herself with a looping header from a Weir corner and while they might have had more goals on the night Scotland disappeared for France with a spring in their step.
One of the biggest cheers of the night came when the crowd was revealed. They knew what it meant. So did Kerr, who was ushered towards a microphone to address the crowd afterwards. Having had to pay for her own hotel room and wear a makeshift tracksuit when she made her first appearance for her country, she knows how far the women’s game in this country has come. And how much room it still has to grow.
There was no hubris here, no MacLeod-isms, but Scotland’s women are ready to take on the world.
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