SCOTTISH BUILDING women SOCIETY SWPL1 SUNDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER 2019 CELTIC KICK-OFF 2PM UNI FROM A NOTE THE MANAGER

Good afternoon and welcome to K-Park for this afternoon’s return to league business! “

We still have plenty to play Today we face Stirling, who have played Hibs in both the league

and the Cup over the past few weeks, and despite the fact for as the challenge for they lost on both occasions, we still need to be on our guard “ as they will be accustomed to playing at a high intensity. domestic honours continues.

Last week we were back on Cup duty ourselves, as we hosted St Johnstone in the last 16 of the , STIRLING UNIVERSITY and our 2-0 win on the day saw us PROFILED Stirling are the visitors to K-Park this Sunday, ready safely into the quarter-finals to return to action having had a free weekend following their Scottish Cup departure at the hands of Cup of the competition. holders Hibs on 21 August. Currently sitting bottom of SWPL1 table, separated by only three points from seventh-placed Forfar, it’s still all to play for the Stirling side who are now fighting for SWPL1 survival. Our last league fixture saw our winning run come to an end at , where we went down 1-0 at the hands A few of our Ghirls know the opposition only too well, of Glasgow City. As it stands, we now focus our fight for with two ex-Stirling players now in the green and white second place in the league, and we will continue to push hoops! Between the sticks we have ex-Stirling stopper, for that. However I do extend my best wishes to both City Chloe Logan, an Academy graduate who re-signed for and Hibs, and I sincerely hope they continue their winning Celtic during the closed season following a five year ways in this season’s Champions League, to raise our national stint with the university side. And in midfield we have co-efficient, ensuring we are rewarded with two spots Rachel Donaldson who played all of her 11 years with in the elite tournament. the Stirling side (formerly ), before signing for the Celts in 2018. After speaking to several supporters in attendance at our last home game against Rangers, it seems they thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere created during game. I urge everyone today to help recreate that same great atmosphere by encouraging MANAGER: CRAIG BEVERIDGE the team as they play! Your support is greatly appreciated, HOME GROUND: OCHILVIEW PARK thanks again!

Enjoy the game, LAST MEETING SWPL1: STIRLING UNI 0-4 CELTIC LAST 5 Eddie Wolecki Black CELTIC - WWWLW STIRLING UNI – LLDLL Manager, Celtic FC Women GIARD: HOPEFULLY WE CAN CAPTAIN’S COMMENTS KEEP GETTING BIG CROWDS We go into this game today fresh off the back With a run of three back-to-back home games, Celtic of our Scottish Cup victory against St Johnstone, forward Josephine Giard shared her hopes that the squad and looking forward to our next two home games. can continue to attract large, noisy crowds generating an exciting atmosphere to play in. Stirling are always a difficult team to play against, and in the past they have taken points away from The 23-year-old applauded the Hoops faithful for their K-Park. But, we know how they play as they have backing against Rangers and said she’s hopes the Celts can been in the league for a few years now and we continue their strong home-form as the season ramps up. will be going into the game expecting to put on a performance worthy of the three points. “It’s good playing at home. Obviously at the last home game against Rangers we had a lot of supporters there, There is still a fresh buzz around the squad as and maybe we can get that again to recreate that it still feels like the beginning of the second half atmosphere. We have a good home record and we’re of the season. We were disappointed with the result looking forward to building on that” she said. against Glasgow City, as we again lost out by just one goal. The disappointment shows how far With the Stirling fixture rearranged due to Celtic’s the squad has come this year and we will be looking Scottish Cup tie against St Johnstone, the team have to continue to build on that, starting with three avoided a free weekend during the international break, points on Sunday. which Giard is pleased more than happy with! Enjoy the game, “It’s just good to keep having games. With other International breaks coming up, it’s just good to keep Kelly the momentum going” she told. DONALDSON RELISHING STARTING POSITION Back in April, we caught up with Rachel Donaldson as the team made the trip to Forfar, where she outlined her short-term goals, hoping to break her way into Eddie Wolecki Black’s starting eleven. Fast forward four months, and Donaldson has started three consecutive games since the season resumed.

The pacey attacker had made cameo appearances throughout the first half of the season, but as she establishes herself in the starting lineup, she’s seizing the opportunity with both hands.

“I was taking it as it comes, but on the way up to Forfar, we were talking about short and long term goals and my short term one was to get into the starting eleven, so it’s good to have achieved that!”

“I’ve been working hard from the start of the season and throughout the off-season. Obviously competition is very tight, but that’s the environment we want to breed here, so I’m just taking my chances when they’re given to me” she said.

QUIZ 22 CELTS RETURN FROM 1 WHO DID CELTIC FACE IN THE LAST 16 SCOTTISH YOUTH ACTION OF THE SCOTTISH CUP? More than 20 Celtic players were recently called up into Scottish Youth action, with four players 2 WHO SCORED AGAINST STIRLING IN THE at under-15s camp, eight at under-16s, eight FIRST MEETING THIS SEASON? with the under-17s and two in under-19s. 3 HOW MANY LEAGUE GOALS HAVE CELTIC Girls Academy manager Edward Gallagher, said: SCORED THIS SEASON? “It’s fantastic to see representation at National Team level across so many age bands of our 4 HOW MANY CELTS WERE RECENTLY CALLED Youth Academy. INTO ACTION? Whilst we have had 22 selected, the hard work all 5 WHO DID CELTIC RECENTLY SIGN FROM STIRLING? of our players put in is very pleasing to see on a weekly basis. We genuinely believe we have players above and beyond the 22 who are more than capable of pushing on to both play first team football and also Internationally.” ANSWERS: 1 St Johnstone | 2 Josephine Giard (x2), Sarah Ewens, Natalie Ross | 3 33 | 4 22 | 5 Chloe Logan Official Partner

Rewarding Membership

The society that’s run in your best interests

As Scotland’s oldest and only independent building society, our mutual status means that everything we do is for the benefit of our members. Building for the future We offer a range of specialist since 1848 mortgages and competitive savings products for every stage in life. To find out more visit www.scottishbs.co.uk

Branches and local agents across Scotland

Scottish Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Register No. 206034). Member of the Building Societies Association and UK Finance. Scottish Building Society, SBS House, 193 Dalry Rd, Edinburgh EH11 2EF.

SBS256 Generic Ad A5.indd 1 26/06/2018 11:32 CELTIC STIRLING UNI MANAGER: MANAGER: EDDIE WOLECKI BLACK CRAIG BEVERIDGE

Chloe Logan 1 1 Claire Whitaker Keeva Keenan 2 2 Rachel Connor Cheryl McCulloch 4 3 Ciara Bonner Natalie Ross 5 4 Jess Murphy Chloe Craig 6 6 Hannah Fulton Kirsty McLaughlin 7 7 Gemma Mason Katherine Smart 8 8 Lindsey Blues Josephine Giard 9 10 Emma Lyons Sarah Ewens 11 11 Naomi Welch Rachel Donaldson 12 12 Jade Menzies Kelly Clark 15 13 Ellie Simpson Emma Black 16 14 Kim Guthrie Kodie Hay 17 15 Jillian Leiper Kelsey Hodges 19 16 Izzy Coppel Claire Crosbie 21 17 Kristina Kim Cara McBrearty 33 18 Demi-Lee Falconer Rachael O’Neill 40 20 Emma Gullan Kathleen McGovern 63 21 Eva Rule 22 Bethany Kerr 23 Claire Peterson 25 Rebecca Sjogerud

NEXT MATCH 8/9 – CELTIC V FORFAR FARMINGTON (SCOTTISH BUILDING SOCIETY SWPL1) HOME | K-PARK, EAST KILBRIDE | KICK-OFF 2PM

CELTICFCWOMEN.CO.UK @CELTICFCWOMEN @CELTICFCWOMEN