Dundee United Football Club Honours: Scottish Women’s Football League One North 2018 Scottish Women’s Football League Two East 2016 Scottish Women’s Football League Two League Cup 2016
Chairperson Colin Stewart Secretary Susan Batten
Head Coach Gavin Beith Coaching Staff Graeme Hart Bartek Bacik Kenny Strachan
Captain Keira Johnstone Physiotherapist Vacant Media Manger Lee Smith Media Team Drew Orr Josh Grimes
Welcome to the Regional Performance Centre for today’s Scottish Building Society Scottish Women’s Premier League Two opener with Boroughmuir Thistle. Last season proved to be a successful debut season in SWPL2. It was a big step up for the squad but one in which we adapted to better with the more games that we played.
The club have introduced our first Media Manager in Lee Smith. Lee has worked so hard in the short period of time he has been with us to help raise our profile off the pitch.
On the pitch, we look forward to hosting Boroughmuir in the league opener this afternoon. They have entered the league late in the day and will be full of enthusiasm and desire. This will prove to be a difficult Pre-season has been very good, the players test but one we are very much looking forhave worked extremely hard and are in good ward to. shape to kick the season off this weekend. Having our League Cup games postponed The girls are well aware of how competitive has slightly hampered our preparations, we every game is at this level. We must apwould have liked to have more game time proach games with the proper attitude and for the players but unfortunately it wasn’t to mentality which in turn will hopefully see us be due to the Scottish weather. compete and perform to the level required to win games. We feel we have added well to our squad during the season close season, Danni Enjoy today’s game, McGinley, Robyn Smith & Holly Napier have Gavin added a great deal of quality and experience to the group. The have integrated into the squad very well and set very high standards every session.
A lot of work has went in behind the scenes to try and raise the profile of the club and to improve our standards. We are delighted that the Regional Performance Centre will be our home for the upcoming season. The facilities are fantastic and we look forward to using them.
Good afternoon and welcome to the Regional Performance Centre for our opening game of the season in the Scottish Building Society Scottish Women’s Premier League Two as we host Boroughmuir Thistle.
The new league structure will be great as we will be playing more regularly and the play offs will make both leagues more competitive. Last season there was a lot of competition in the SWPL2 and was a really exciting league to play in. This season there are four new teams entering the league which is goAll the girls are buzzing to get the league ing to make it even more interesting, we are kicked off this weekend. It’s always exciting all looking forward to get started. to play a new team and we have all been working hard over pre-season to prepare. We have signed a few new players who preHopefully we can put everything we have viously played for top clubs in the SWPL in been working on into the game and come Holly Napier, Danni McGinley and Robyn Smith. They have gelled brilliantly with the away with the three points. rest of the girls and I’m sure their ability and A fortnight ago saw our original first game experience will help us perform well this of the season postponed as we were due to season. visit Hamilton Academical, but this was postponed due to safety concerns at New Last season was a great achievement for Douglas Park. It was frustrating to see the everyone associated with the club. For expematch postponed as we are all itching to get riencing our first season in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, it was a fantastic started, however it was out of our control. result finishing in third. It was disappointing that the Rangers game was postponed last week as we had all been Pre-season has gone well with the squad working hard at training to prepare for it. getting a few games under our belt helping Hopefully we will find out the rescheduled us prepare for the season ahead. Everyone date shortly as we are all excited to compete has been working really hard on and off the and test ourselves against a top flight side, pitch to take our performance to the next especially one who have went professional level. recently. I hope you all enjoy today’s game and thank It’s exciting to have a new home ground for you all for coming along to support the club. the season ahead, the Regional Performance Centre is a new build & I’m sure it will Keira be a great facility to play at.
AN INTERVIEW WITH…
ROBYN SMITH
The 26 year old winger talks about her career so far from starting out at nine years old with Dundee United Social to winning the Scottish Women’s Premier League Two with Forfar Farmington & Heart of Midlothian before joining United in the close season to continue a ‘famous’ friendship with Danni McGinley.
You joined Dundee United in the close season, how have you found your time at the club so far? It’s been a good few months, I’ve played with most of the squad before joining so it’s made for an easy transition! I’ve enjoyed myself so far so I’m excited to see what the season has in store. This weekend should see you make your debut, are you looking forward to doing so after the recent postponements? Debuts are always exciting and you always want to get off to the best possible start, so I’m looking forward to it!
boys to let me join in because we all had the same group of friends. So basically since I could walk I had a ball at my feet. You represented a few clubs in your youth career, can you give us a brief overview of the clubs you played for growing up? I joined Dundee United Social at the age of 9 and was there two or three seasons before moving on to Perth City U13s and stayed there until U15s, this was where the famous Robyn and Danni friendship started! Within my time at Perth City I was lucky enough to win leagues, Scottish Cups and represent Scotland at the Gothia Cup. While playing for Perth City I also joined my brother’s team Coupar Angus Boys and played with them at U15s. After then the club folded and I moved to Tayside Celtic U17s for another two successful seasons, before heading to Forfar Farmington Ladies where we won promotion to SWFL1, this also gave me my pathway to SWPL1 football.
Touching on the postponements, has it been frustrating to see the first two games of the season called off or has it allowed the squad to benefit from the additional pre-season time? As players, we look forward to game day every week so the fact the last two have been cancelled is frustrating. We have prepared well Your SWPL debut came for Forfar Farmingover the extra few weeks but we’re ready to ton in March 2013 against Falkirk, can you start competitive games now. remember much about it? I remember how baltic it was! It was a bit Looking at your career, how and when did unexpected as I was really only there to get you first get into playing football? the experience but we had been played well Like most young girls who grow up with and in front so Mark Nisbet gave me my brothers, you tend to do what they do so I did chance. just that, my parents also ran my older brothers football team so I had no choice but You were then unfortunate to suffer an to go and run about with the boys. I think it ankle injury that almost ended your season, also helped that I have a twin and we were was it disappointing to go from the high of joined at the hip so it made it easier for the making your Premier League debut to that?
Yeah it was, I had been working really hard to get my chance and when you look back on it now you can see how frustrating it could be to a player, as I don’t think many players can say their own team mate tackled them in a league game resulting in a broken ankle and an operation the next week.
Your first season back saw the club relegated to SWPL2, what was the feeling amongst yourself and the club when relegation was confirmed? It was gutting, we had a good squad that season but things just didn’t work out. I felt for the guys that had been there for years as you could see how much it hurt but we all felt the You recovered to make two more same, I think if you ask any player the last appearances at the end of that season but thing they would want is to feel the feeling of departed for Jeanfield Swifts in the then relegation! First Division at the end of that season, was it a difficult decision to move on? 2017 was the second season you earned a Not really, I was playing for the Ladies at For- winners medal and it came as Farmington far and had been told I wasn't in the managers won the league to return to the top flight. plans for the following season and I wanted to You were heavily involved in the success play at a higher level, so moving on meant I with a number of goals and assists, talk us would do so. through that season? That season was one to remember, we went At Jeanfield you won silverware in 2015 in into the break six points clear and had it all in the form of the SWFL First Division League our own hands! We just went from strength to Cup, grabbing the third in a 3-0 win, can you strength after the break and teams struggled talk us through your feelings that day? to break us down. Once we had it confirmed I had came off the bench as a second half sub against Motherwell it was an amazing feeling and I knew I wanted to make an impact. When knowing the team that got relegated Rachel Todd played me in, I only had one managed to get ourselves back up at the first focus and that was to put the ball in the back attempt. of the net! After then we knew we had secured the cup and it was just an amazing You spent another eighteen months at the buzz and such a great achievement for the club before departing last summer, what club! was behind your decision to head for pastures new? After two seasons at Jeanfield you decided A lot of things had changed at the club and I to move on, did you enjoy your time at the didn’t enjoy my football anymore, I needed a club? fresh start, I loved my time at Forfar but I felt I Jeanfield gave me the game time I needed needed to go and find my love for the game after coming back from a bad injury, the club somewhere else before I started to lose it was amazing and I can’t fault them for every- completely. thing they have and are doing within the game. Hearts was your destination and you had a successful six months at the club as they You returned to Station Park for a second won SWPL2 on the final day, making yourspell at Farmington in 2016, what made you self one of just two players to win the decide to return? league twice, did that help make the move I wanted to play SWPL1 football and I knew down a level pay off? from my time before how good a manager - For me, it was about enjoying my football Mark Nisbet was so it was a no brainer for me. again, when Hearts came in for me I felt it was
somewhere I had to go and try, if I didn’t I know I would have regretted it. The fact they were pushing for promotion and wanted to bring me in to help them over the line was a big reason for me, so it was worth the step down and the long journeys but these are made easier when you have someone with you or I think it might have been a different story.
I’ve won plenty at youth level but winning SWPL2 with Forfar is one of my highlights! Who are the best players you have played with and against? The best player played with would have to be Lisa Evans at Scottish select U15s and against would probably Kirsty Smith or Nicola Docherty, both I’ve had plenty of encounters with!
You’ve now joined United ahead of this season, what’s your aims for the year ahead? Like any player, play as many minutes as I can, Below: Robyn makes her Scottish Premier stay fit and be a player teams see as a threat! I League debut at Recreation Park, Alloa against love getting on the ball and being the provider Falkirk in March 2013. of assists so getting as many assist as possible and chipping in with a few goals. Has it helped you fit in that you are familiar with so many faces at the club? Yeah, it’s always easy when you turn up to a new team and you know most of the players already! It made it easy to settle in. Looking at this weekend’s game, we host newly promoted Boroughmuir Thistle, are you looking forward to an unknown test so to speak? I actually played against them half way through last season in a bounce game for Hearts, so I know from that game that they are a hard team to break down and have a great work ethic so it will be a tough game but one we are looking forward to.
What team did you support when you were younger and why? I support Celtic and still do... an unpopular choice within this squad but I’ve grown up with a family of Celtic fans! If you had to pick a game you’ve played in, which is your favourite? It probably would be the win over Motherwell to secure promotion back to SWPL1 at Forfar Farmington. The whole occasion and what it meant to the club made it such a special day!
Player Sponsorship - £200 - You will receive a signed and framed shirt at the end of season presentation evening - Two complimentary tickets to the end of season presentation evening - Social media announcement - Your name/company name/logo in our online matchday programme and on our goal graphics Match Sponsor - £50 per match - Your name/company name/logo in matchday programme of sponsored match - Your name/company name/logo in social media posts regarding the game prior to and after full time - Photograph of you and your selected Player of the Match presenting them with their award
Player of the Month - £50 per month or £400 for the entire season - Promotion of sponsorship via social media channels and matchday programme - Player of the Month trophy to be presented by sponsor to winning player Goal of the Month - £50 per month or £400 for the entire season - Promotion of sponsorship via social media channels and matchday programme - Player of the Month trophy to be presented by sponsor to winning player Social Media Sponsorship - £480 - Your name/company name/logo on all social media graphics for the entire season - A large reach on social media means more people will see your name/company name - Two complimentary tickets to the end of season presentation evening - Your name/company name in our online matchday programme
Match Highlight Sponsor - £480 - Your name/company name/logo included in all highlight packages (there is a minimum of 30 matches to be played in 2020) - Two complimentary tickets to the end of season presentation evening - Your name/company name in our online matchday programme To select any of these sponsorship packages, please contact enquiries@dundeeunitedct.co.uk
DATE
OPPOSITION
STARTING XI
16/02
Rangers (LC)
H
23/02
Boroughmuir Thistle
H
01/03
Queen’s Park (LC)
H
08/03
Hamilton Acad. (LC) A
15/03
Kilmarnock
A
22/03
Stirling University
H
05/04
Queen’s Park
A
19/04
Glasgow
H
29/04
St Johnstone
A
03/05
Hamilton Accies
H
10/05
Aberdeen
A
24/05
Partick Thistle
A
31/05
Boroughmuir Thistle
A
03/06
Kilmarnock
H
07/06
Stirling University
A
14/06
Queen’s Park
H
28/06
Glasgow
A
02/08
St Johnstone
H
09/08
Hamilton Accies
A
23/08
Aberdeen
H
30/08
Partick Thistle
H
06/09
Boroughmuir Thistle
H
27/09
Kilmarnock
A
30/09
Stirling University
H
11/10
Queen’s Park
A
18/10
St Johnstone
A
28/10
Glasgow
H
01/11
Hamilton Accies
H
08/11
Aberdeen
A
15/11
Partick Thistle
A
P P
KEY | Scorers in BOLD | Sub used 1 | Sub used 2 | Sub used 3 | Sub used 4 | Sub used 5
SUBSTITUTES
Statistics Starts 0
Sub 0
Goals 0
Assists 0
Bookings 0
Red Cards 0
Georgia Carter
0
0
0
0
0
0
Allie Crum
0
0
0
0
0
0
Nakia Graham
0
0
0
0
0
0
Neve Guthrie
0
0
0
0
0
0
Tammy Harkin
0
0
0
0
0
0
Keira Johnstone Philippa McCallum
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
Danni McGinley
0
0
0
0
0
0
Jade McLaren
0
0
0
0
0
0
Rebecca McMillan
0
0
0
0
0
0
Aaliyah-Jay Meach
0
0
0
0
0
0
Caroline Nachman Holly Napier
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
Ellie-Jai Reid
0
0
0
0
0
0
Rachel Robbie
0
0
0
0
0
0
Isabella Rosalina
0
0
0
0
0
0
Erin Ross
0
0
0
0
0
0
Laurie Ross
0
0
0
0
0
0
Steffi Simson
0
0
0
0
0
0
Robyn Smith
0
0
0
0
0
0
Megan Burns
Scottish Building Society Scottish Women’s Premier League Two 1 Aberdeen
Played Won 0 0
Drawn 0
Lost 0
For 0
Against 0
GD 0
Points 0
2 Boroughmuir Thistle
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3 Dundee United
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4 Glasgow
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5 Hamilton Accies
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6 Kilmarnock
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
7 Partick Thistle 8 Queen’s Park
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
9 Stirling University
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
10 St Johnstone
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
DUNDEE UNITED
BOROUGHMUIR THISTLE
Head Coach Gavin Beith
Head Coach Suzy Shepherd
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23
Aaliyah-Jay Meach Rachel Robbie Rebecca McMillan Laurie Ross Georgia Carter Jade McLaren Neve Guthrie Erin Ross Robyn Smith Ellie-Jai Reid Danni McGinley Holly Napier Caroline Nachman Nakia Graham Steffi Simson Keira Johnstone Megan Burns Isabella Rosalina Philippa McCallum Tammy Harkin Allie Crum
Katie Moodie Fiona Gibson Ashleigh Clark Kim Goodchild Tegan Browning Caitlin Lynch Addie Handley Hannah Markley Brogan Anderson Helen Templeton Beth MacLeod Alix Wilkinson Maria Novoa-Terrente Kim Guthrie Margaux Durand-Watson Lucy Brown Ashley Carse Izzy Coppel Katie McCabe Stella Paton
MATCH OFFICIALS REFEREE COLIN FLUCKER ASSISTANT REFEREE N/A ASSISTANT REFEREE N/A