While Aberdeen Women have only just concluded their 2020/21 season, their time off will be limited as the new season isn’t far away.
Dons captain Kelly Forrest lifted the SWPL2 trophy last weekend following a final 4-2 win over Boroughmuir Thistle, which rounded off an incredibly successful campaign for the club.
The celebrations at the Balmoral Stadium where modest, and men’s first-team manager Stephen Glass, plus other senior Dons figures, were also there to show appreciation for the team’s success.
Back-to-back promotions was the ambition for the women’s side after Aberdeen stepped in to back them three years ago and incorporate them into the club’s infrastructure. Despite this support in the background, the credit deserves to go directly to the players and coaching staff who have been at the heart of it all.
The work carried out over the course the past two seasons has enabled the side to achieve their goal at the earliest opportunity and it now sends them back into the top flight, where they can hopefully stay for the foreseeable.
Despite a very competitive final push at the conclusion of SWPL2, on the final day it was confirmed Hamilton Accies are the team who will join Aberdeen in promotion. Their unbeaten run in the last five league games, including a 2-1 win over the title-winning Dons, saw them pip Partick Thistle by three points to secure their own return to the Premier League.
With expansion plans already in place for the top-flight, Aberdeen and Accies now join the existing eight SWPL1 to form a 10-team league. With the exception of Forfar Farmington and Spartans, the teams are now all directly affiliated to a Scottish Premiership or Championship team.
The new season will begin with the SWPL Cup competition, and Aberdeen have been drawn in Group A with Motherwell and Rangers from the top tier, along with Boroughmuir and Queen’s Park from SWPL2. The top two in each of the four groups will then progress to the quarter-final stage.
The cup competition should hopefully help the players adapt to the pace of the top tier, after their pre-season and what will be a short summer break.
Standards at SWPL1 level will likely be higher than ever next term, with the top four sides now having full-time players, and Aberdeen will need to be ready to compete at a new level.
⚽️👂 @AberdeenFC Women's stunning season headlines this week's Northern Goal. @Kelly_Forrest14 helps us reflect on the SWPL2 title win and look ahead to SWPL1 football next term. @EmmaHunterAFC @PRZoeO
Apple: https://t.co/Jj9qi3OAG8
Spotify: https://t.co/hrMJsv4WDr pic.twitter.com/nvchWoR3ao— P&J Sport (@PandJSport) July 6, 2021
Undoubtedly, the physical demands will continue to challenge the teams who don’t have a full-time environment. Especially with Glasgow City, Celtic and Rangers all boasting players of international calibre.
The top teams and Scottish Women’s Football are at root of the continued evolution in standards. For example, as of next season, match-day delegates are expected to be allocated to each game to ensure a consistently high standard of operation league-wide.
Significantly, the addition of the highlights programme, broadcast by the BBC and which started at the tail end of last season, will hopefully continue to promote the game in another positive and professional light.
Parris goes from Lyon to London
The most significant summer signing this week saw Arsenal capture English forward Nikita Parris from Lyon.
After a successful two seasons in France, Parris returns to the WSL after having previously played for Everton and Manchester City.
She has already made her mark in the all-time goalscoring charts, sitting third on 49 goals already. At the top of the record books is Vivienne Miedema, and the two will now hope to strike up a partnership to boost both of their stats.
Meanwhile, Team GB rounded up their home-based training this week and have headed to Tokyo to finalise preparations ahead of their opening Olympics game against Chile on July 21.
At KC, we’re getting closer to season-changing result
It will be a bottom-of-the-table clash this weekend in the NWSL, as my team Kansas City travel to OL Reign in state of Washington.
KC are still looking for their first ever win, while Reign are sitting second bottom, having lost five of their last six games.
Both teams will be missing players due to the upcoming Olympic Games, which will see the league take a two-week break following this weekend’s fixtures.
Kansas City are without Desiree Scott (Canada), Chloe Logarzo (Australia) and Katie Bowen (New Zealand), and Reign will be hit even harder – missing US duo Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle, alongside Angelina (Brazil), Nicole Momiki (Japan) and Quinn (Canada).
To add to the woes in the Pacific Northwest, OL Reign announced last Friday head coach Farid Benstiti was to step down immediately.
The news was timed strangely and dropped ahead of the team’s league game the same night against Houston. There followed a 2-0 loss.
For me personally, it will be a return to my former club, which is always something to look forward to.
Despite the team moving south of the Seattle area to Tacoma, it is always nice to return to a region which was my first home in the United States.
Gotham: You think you can steal from us and just walk away?
KC: Yeah.Stole a point on the road tonight!#NJNYvKC | #WePlayForKC pic.twitter.com/dfWatuttXC
— KC Current (@thekccurrent) July 3, 2021
Even though we’re on a difficult run of form and rooted to the bottom of the league, there remains some belief we are getting closer to the first result which could transform the season.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.