SCOTTISH BUILDING women SOCIETY SWPL1 FRIDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 2020 CELTIC KICK-OFF 7:35PM CITY FROM A NOTE THE “ Whatever the result,

MANAGER we can guarantee, we won’t make it easy “ Good evening and welcome to K-Park for for Glasgow City. our first league game of the season, and welcome to our visitors Glasgow City.

We have the hardest start to the league possible, but I think we are coming into this game the best way possible — which is high in confidence. We know we are the underdogs, but we like to be underdogs and we GLASGOW CITY hope our fans are with us. Whatever the result, we can guarantee, we won’t make it easy for Glasgow City. PROFILED Celtic welcome the defending Champions in the first SWPL1 game of the season, in their first meeting since the Hoops’ momentous 4–1 win over them in November.

Every girl that was on against The Hoops consigned City to their first league defeat in three-and-a-half years when they registered their St Johnstone made an impact first win over them in eleven years, but with the visitors securing a league and double last season, they still remain firm favourites in so everyone got at least eight Scottish women’s football.

or above out of ten. It has given Glasgow City arrive at K-Park having signed former Celtic attacker Mairead Fulton on her return to me a nightmare, but it’s from Icelandic football, and with ex-Hibs manager a good one to have! Grant Scott as Booth’s new number two.

MANAGER: Team spirit is the most important thing, but at the end of the day everyone is fighting for a place, and everyone HOME GROUND: PETERSHILL PARK did well. It makes it hard for us, but that’s what makes a team good. You can change it and the quality stays the same or gets better.

Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy LAST MEETING the game! SWPL1: Fran Alonso CELTIC 4–1 GLASGOW CITY Manager, Celtic FC Women CAPTAIN’S COMMENTS The first weekend of league action is always an occasion that gets attention but I don’t think any previous season reaches what we are looking forward to on Friday.

It’s a massive game for us, at home against the NEW SIGNING BRENDA champions and live on TV — two days before any other league game takes place. Everyone will be EXCITED FOR CELTIC MOVE watching, whether they’re at K-Park or whether New signing Brenda Lopez Castellano says she’s ready they’re in the warmth of their home. It’s Fran’s to “achieve her dreams” here at Celtic, as she becomes first league game in charge and it couldn’t be Fran Alonso’s second signing since his arrival. a bigger one.

The 27-year-old joins Celtic on a professional contract from Pre-season has been good and we are all excited for Femarguin, the host club of the BeCordial tournament the the game. Glasgow City are looking to defend their Celts took part in in Gran Canaria in January, where she title for the 14th year in a row and deserve every bit caught the eye of Alonso. of respect for that. Our last fixture against them saw a Celtic victory and we will be looking to produce “I’m delighted to be here and can’t wait to start working a similar performance on Friday night. The mental with the group,” she said at . barrier is broken after many years and the girls will give everything to get another positive result. “I watched Celtic play Bayer Leverkusen and I liked the Hopefully the storms have passed and it can be team. Fran told me that was their first game together an enjoyable night under the lights. as a team and I saw many things I liked about it. Thanks, “Celtic’s style suits me. Fran likes to have the ball, and I like to have the ball too so I think we will understand Kelly each other very well,” she said. MCALLISTER: FIRST TEAM EXPERIENCE CAN HELP WITH SCOTLAND 17S Shortly after arriving back from Gran Canaria, Rebecca McAllister was booked onto another flight back out to Spain, as she was re-called to the Scotland Under-17s squad for the Elite Round in Pinatar.

The attacking midfielder has been a regular face in Pauline MacDonald’s squad, and having broken her way into Fran Alonso’s plans, she was excited to see how she can use that experience with the national side.

“It’ll be good to get away with Scotland again,” she began, “we’ve got some tough games coming up against Poland and Sweden who are very physical teams, but I’m hoping that training with the first team will help me with the tempo.

“It was nice to get away with the girls and really start to implement Fran’s way of playing and his tactics. Even just to get away and bond as a team it was a great trip.

“It was very unexpected, but it was a great experience seeing the level I need to be at, and what I need to do to get those opportunities and chances to train with them again,” she added.

QUIZ YOUNG CELTS ENJOY MORE 1 WHERE DID NEW SIGNING BRENDA COME FROM? SCOTTISH RECOGNITION Celtic celebrated more Scotland Youth success, 2 WHICH PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS HAS with a remarkable 15 players receiving call-ups FRAN ALONSO WORKED AT? to represent their country. 3 WHO SCORED IN THE LAST MEETING BETWEEN The Hoops were well-represented last year in the Scotland setup across all age groups, and their CELTIC AND GLASGOW CITY? success was further reinforced with the latest batch. 4 HOW MANY ACADEMY PLAYERS HAVE CELTIC At under-17s level, Rachael Johnstone, Kirsty O’Brien, Monica Forsyth, Rebecca McAllister, Paige McAllister, PROMOTED THIS SEASON? Tegan Bowie and Kate Nicolson all were in Elite Round action in Pinatar, Spain, with Nicolson again 5 WHO SCORED CELTIC’S FIRST SWPL1 GOAL taking the armband. LAST SEASON? Furthermore, eight Girls Academy players have been called into under-16s action by Paul Brownlie, as they prepare to head off to Malta for a ANSWERS: 1 CD Femarguin | 2 Southampton FC and Everton FC development tournament. 3 Sarah Ewens, Natalie Ross and Josephine Giard | 4 Four | 5 Sarah Ewens Official Partner

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