Forfar Farmington

vs FORFAR FARMINGTON

Tuesday 8th October 2019 / 19:45

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CONTENTS

CLUB DIRECTORY

Manager - Grant Scott Assistant Coach - Stewart McGuire Goalkeeping Coach - Chris Flockhart Secretary - Karen McEwan Physiotherapist - Claire Rankin Masseuse - Laura Burns Chaplin - Catriona Lamont Social Media - Craig Doyle, David Ronney, Peter Burt Match Reports - David Ronney, Struan Garvie, Jack Donnelly Club Photographer - Craig Doyle Video Support - Andrew Mobberley, Amy Yorkston, Emma Crawford

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HONOURS

SWPL 03/04, 05/06, 06/07 Scottish Cup 03, 05, 07, 08, 10, 16, 17, 18 SWPL Cup 05, 07, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19

CONTACT

Website - www. hiberniancommunityfoundation.org.uk Twitter - @hibsladies Instagram - hibsladies Phone - 0131 656 7062 Address Hibernian Community Foundation Easter Road Stadium 12 Albion Place Edinburgh EH7 5DG

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PROGRAMME

Editor - Craig Doyle Written Content - Grant Scott, Joelle Murray, Craig Doyle, Siobhan Higgins, David Ronney, Jack Donnelly, Lee Smith Images - Craig Doyle, SWF

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THE EDITOR

THE

EDITOR WELCOME TO HIBERNIAN TRAINING CENTRE, OUR FIFTH HOME GROUND OF THE SEASON, FOR TONIGHT'S MATCH AGAINST FORFAR FARMINGTON,

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onight's fixture has really crept up on us. There was a bit of confusion with regards to this match as it was initially scheduled for the same day as the SSE Scottish Cup 4th round and had to be rearranged. While a Tuesday night at Hibernian Training Centre may not be the ideal venue however I've little doubt it will be a great night of football for those who can get along.

I have highlighted recently that there is a huge effort to really advance our media content at the club. Not everything is evident in public but I want to reassure our supporters that we are working alongside the media team at Hibernian FC to bring you more content than ever before.

It is at this point that I'd like to welcome Emma Crawford to the club. Emma joins us a videographer who will be operating out of Hibernian Training Centre. From the media perspective she will be filming matches and producing highlights packages. However she also joins us to assist the coaching team with video analysis preparation and will be making full use of the HTC facilities to help with pre-match preparations. I look forward to working alongside Emma and I am sure you will all enjoy the video content that she creates.

Unfortunately there was no ticket giveaway for tonight's match. With the change of venue and the late kick-off time a decision was made to postpone the give-away until the home fixture against

Rangers on October 20th. To make up for the disappointment though we will be giving away even more tickets for our final three home games of the season. Look out for announcements via our Twitter channel for a chance to win and meet your favourite players. And if that's not reason enough to follow @HibsLadies then we have even more prizes lined up before the end of the season. Make sure to follow so that you don't miss out!

One area of the club that I would like to shine the spotlight on is the back-room staff. The people behind the scenes at the club put in an incredible number of hours just to keep the wheels turning on a day to day basis. To acknowledge the contributions made by these individuals I have offered up The Last Word column at the back of the match programme as a platform for those people to share a little about their roles at the club. Today social media manager David Ronney takes the wheel and gives a little insight into his position with Hibernian Ladies. It's an insightful read into an area of the club that is rarely discussed which I hope you will enjoy.

Finally, thank you to everyone who makes the effort to get down to Hibernian Training Centre this evening to support the team. Please enjoy the match.

Craig Doyle 5

THE BIG PICTURE

THE SQUAD TAKES PART IN A TRAINING SESSION AT THE SINOBO ARENA IN PRAGUE THE DAY BEFORE THE UWCL SECOND LEG AGAINST SLAVIA PRAHA.

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THE BIG PICTURE

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THE MANAGER

GRANT

SCOTT WELCOME TO HIBERNIAN TRAINING CENTRE FOR ANOTHER MID-WEEK MATCH UNDER THE LIGHTS.

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e knew leading into the game As was with our last game after a against Celtic that we’d need to European tie, I felt the players looked have a strong performance and a little fatigued but ultimately got the job done which is what we must do in that’s exactly what the players produced games where we might under-perform. on the day. We started well in the match However, it was good to score our second and got two great early goals, terrific goal early in the second-half which give team goals they were too! Goals built us the opportunity to use the full squad from the back and through giving all the players some the areas of the pitch and game time and notably saw at speed is how I like to see the girls play. Thereafter "AS WAS WITH OUR the return of Amy Muir. we limited Celtic to chances LAST GAME AFTER Tonight we welcome Forfar from distance and controlled Farmington to Hibernian the whole match in my A EUROPEAN TIE, I Training Centre, another opinion. We have now put FELT THE PLAYERS home venue for this season. ourselves in the driving seat not sure we have LOOKED A LITTLE I’m for finishing in 2nd place in ever played at so many the league but there’s a lot FATIGUED BUT different ‘home’ venues of football to be played yet. as we have this season!

ULTIMATELY GOT Fortunately as we train at After the Celtic match THE JOB DONE HTC, we are familiar with we travelled to Prague. We WHICH IS WHAT WE the surroundings so I don’t knew the task at hand was a big one and that’s exactly MUST DO IN GAMES expect the change of venue to affect the players. Forfar how it proved on the night.

WHERE WE MIGHT Farmington as always will I maintain that once again UNDER-PERFORM." be given our full respect the result was hugely unfair despite their current league on the girls as they bravely position. Although they took the game to Slavia. are fighting for their lives We wish Slavia well in the to stay in the league, they have several competition and will take many lessons experienced players who can grind from our experience but have to park results out and have the game know-how those for now and focus on the business to make things difficult for us but I hope end of our domestic season. our players will respond to playing on a Keeping that domestic focus began decent pitch again. on Sunday with our trip to Ravenscraig As always all chat of the forthcoming which is a difficult venue to play in.

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THE MANAGER

semi-final is banned around the camp until after the Forfar Farmington match.

But having had a look at Motherwell on Sunday, we’ll be looking to capitalise on one or two areas that we’ve picked up upon where we think we can hurt them in the game. We’re looking to make another SSE Scottish Cup final and what better place to challenge for the cup again than at the home stadium of our rivals Hearts!

As always your support is hugely appreciated by all at the club. Thank you for taking the time to journey out to HTC this evening to back the team. I hope you enjoy the game.

Grant Scott

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THE CAPTAIN

JOELLE

MURRAY GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO HIBERNIAN TRAINING CENTRE FOR TONIGHT'S SWPL1 FIXTURE AGAINST FORFAR FARMINGTON

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he recent SWPL1 victory over There’s no doubt that Slavia Praha are Celtic was massive, not only for a quality team however the scoreline us to regain second spot but also doesn’t reflect our performance or work because they beat us last time we met rate. That being said, in sport, particularly in the league. We let ourselves down football, you are judged on the scoreline that day and we wanted to rectify that. and with that in mind it wasn’t favourable You could see from the first minute at all. We can only learn and look forward that the appetitive was there to put on to our next adventure in Europe which is a performance and show hopefully sooner rather than "THERE’S NO DOUBT later for this talented group our quality as we were on the front-foot straight THAT SLAVIA PRAHA of individuals. away. I thought we were We knew Motherwell were ARE A QUALITY outstanding on the day and TEAM HOWEVER THE going to be a difficult more than deserved the opposition, they sat in and three points. Now that we SCORELINE DOESN’T were very disciplined in have retaken second spot their defensive structure.

REFLECT OUR in the league it is on us we managed to to ensure that we secure PERFORMANCE OR However break them down at times that position at the end of WORK RATE. THAT and got the goals our the season. There are still SAID, IN FOOTBALL performance deserved. It challenging games ahead in wasn’t one of our finest what remains a busy fixture YOU ARE JUDGED performances however we schedule and full focus will ON THE SCORELINE are at the business end be on making sure points AND WITH THAT IN of the season with games are put on the board one coming thick and fast. game at a time.

MIND IT WASN’T Returning from the midweek The trip to Prague was an trip to Prague it was key to FAVOURABLE AT experience for everyone. get back to winning ways ALL." UEFA Women's Champions and the result ultimately League games involve meant more than the slightly different preparation to what we performance on the day. are used to and ultimately makes those This evening it will be a change of occasions extra special. Once again we home venue when we welcome Forfar started the match well however due to Farmington to Hibernian Training Centre, some errors and small margins we fell however that wont deter or distract us to an overwhelming defeat on the night. from the task at hand. We hope that

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THE MANAGER

change of scenery is a positive move and that a big part of our Hibernian fan base can make the trip over for this midweek game.

Next weekend we head to Forthbank Stadium in Stirling for the SSE Scottish Cup semi-final against Motherwell.

Having only played against Motherwell last week it gives us an opportunity to work on things we felt we could’ve done better in that game and find ways to unlock their defence. With it being a one off cup game Motherwell will no doubt be up for it and looking to rectify last season's final where we won 8-0. We know that they have little else to play for with no threat of relegation allowing them to focus fully on this cup tie.

Keeping this in mind we will need to be focussed from the first whistle until the very last if we wish to book our place in the final come November at Tynecastle.

Joelle Murray

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MATCH ACTION

HIBERNIAN 3 CELTIC 0 SSE Scottish Cup Sun 22nd Sep Ainslie Park

HIBERNIAN

1 Fife 4 Hunter 7 Napier (Davidson 80) 8 Michie 10 McGregor 14 Leishman (Cavanagh 70) 15 Gallacher (Higgins 80) 16 Notley 17 Murray 19 Cornet 23 Boyle Subs Currie, Cavanagh, Higgins, Davidson Goals Napier 10 Boyle 15 OG 47

CELTIC

1 Logan 2 Keenan 5 Ross (Hay 63) 6 Craig 9 Giard 11 Ewens 12 Donaldson 15 Clark (Smart 58) 18 Cox 40 O'Neill (Hodges 37) 63 McGovern Subs Cunningham, Smart, Hay, Hodges, Craig, McLaughlin Goals

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MATCH ACTION

KEY MOMENT

Celtic threatened to get back into the match after Napier's early opener but Hibs doubled their lead when Leishman beat two players in the midfield before sliding the ball through for Napier to cross to the on-rushing Boyle to calmly volley beyond Logan in the Celtic goal.

SCORELINE REVERSAL

After losing by three goals to Celtic at K-Park earlier in the season it was a real statement of intent from Hibs to score three and retake the advantage in the race for second.

THE GAFFER

"Much more pleased today. I think a clean sheet against a Celtic team is always a good start but to get a couple of goals early was quite pleasing as well. Overall delighted with the result. The performance was very good today, we asked the players for a little bit of reaction during the week and they've certainly given that today."

WHO SAID WHAT?

“It's been a while since I last scored so it's good to get on the scoresheet today but most importantly we went out, started quick and moved the ball really good and got three good goals.”

JAMIE-LEE NAPIER

PRESS REACTION

“Hibernian sent Celtic to a 3-0 defeat to go above them on goaldifference. Hibs were 2-0 up in quarter of an hour through JamieLee Napier and Rachel Boyle, with Shannon Leishmann completing the scoring 2 minutes after the interval."

SHEKICKS.NET

SWPL 1 RESULTS

Stirling University 1-4 Rangers Glasgow City 3-0 Spartans Forfar Farmington 0-1 Motherwell

MATCH ACTION

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THE BIG INTERVIEW - SIOBHAN HIGGINS

SIOBHAN

HIGGINS THE AMERICAN ATTACKER GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO FOOTBALL OVER IN THE STATES AND DISCUSSES HER LOVE OF SCOTLAND. Siobhan, you joined the club in the summer.

How have these first few months been playing for Hibernian?

SH: These first few months have been challenging, they’ve consisted of adapting to the way football is run in Scotland and learning a lot about myself as a player.

How did it feel when you made your debut for the club?

SH: I made my debut against our rivals Glasgow City, and I entered the game while we were down 2-0. So for me to debut in such an important game at a crucial point of the game was a bit nerve racking, but as soon as I stepped onto the pitch the nerves went away and I felt comfortable and focused.

You joined the club ahead of a successful Champions League trip to Slovenia. What was it like to play in an illustrious competition

like the UEFA Women’s Champions League in the early days of your time with the club?

"FOR ME TO DEBUT IN SUCH AN IMPORTANT GAME AT A CRUCIAL POINT OF THE GAME WAS A BIT NERVE RACKING, BUT AS SOON AS I STEPPED ONTO THE PITCH THE NERVES WENT AWAY AND I FELT COMFORTABLE AND FOCUSED" SH: It was a wonderful experience to be a part of. I had never travelled to Slovenia before, and it meant a great deal to me

to earn a starting spot in that first qualifying game.

It was a great learning experience and I was happy to be a part of it.

In Slovenia the team were abroad for just over a week.. Was this an opportunity for not only yourself but the squad as a whole to get to know one another better and strengthen that team morale?

SH: Of course! I was stuck in a room with Siobhan Hunter you can only imagine the things I had to endure... just kidding!

It was a great way to get to know my teammates and I won’t forget my time there.

The club’s Champions League journey was unfortunately cut short in the Round of 32 with a loss to Slavia Praha but what was it like to play in front of over 1,250 fans at Easter Road and over 2,000 in Prague?

SH: Again it was a great

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THE BIG INTERVIEW - SIOBHAN HIGGINS

experience overall.

Playing in front of a large crowd doesn’t necessarily phase me, but I will say that the atmosphere felt professional and that in itself was pretty cool. If anything, just knowing at some point in the game there will be a close up of you on the TV is quite funny to think of.

When were you first introduced to football and did you play for your school team?

SH: I was introduced to football when I was 12 years old, and throughout my career I played for my high school as well as university team.

Can you give us an insight into the early days of your football career? What was the first club that you joined and at what age?

SH: The first competitive club I joined was called Texas Premier FC and I was 12 years old. My dad was the team manager and I played alongside some of my best friends growing up. I loved that team and learned great fundamental skills which I carry with me today.

Women’s football, or soccer, in America is clearly culturally

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different to here in the UK. You mentioned playing in High School which is something that’s really just starting to develop for girls here in the UK. How big is the

"THE FIRST COMPETITIVE CLUB I JOINED WAS CALLED TEXAS PREMIER FC AND I WAS 12 YEARS OLD. MY DAD WAS THE TEAM MANAGER AND I PLAYED ALONGSIDE SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS GROWING UP. I LOVED THAT TEAM AND LEARNED GREAT FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS WHICH I CARRY WITH ME TODAY." High School game back home and how many girls at your school were involved in football?

SH: High school sports in America are huge!

I actually went to a high school that had a graduating class of over 1,100 students. There were 3 women’s’ teams in my high school, a first-year team, a jr. varsity team, and a varsity team. Each team consisted of about 18 girls.

Similarly at the University level there appear to be major differences between the UK and US approach to women’s football.

In the UK they do have the BUCS competition but the University level doesn’t really offer any progression into a career like it can in the USA. Can you give us a little insight into how University women’s soccer works back home?

SH: University women’s soccer is the same as men’s university soccer back home. In university there are two different Associations (NCAA and NAIA). Within NCAA there are 3 divisions. Within NAIA there are 2.

NCAA are for the bigger universities. Each division has their own separate conferences (leagues), and their own play offs (tournaments). After a winner is decided between each conference, there

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is a national competition as well. So overall, there are 5 annual “National Champions” from each division across America.

The top tier of professional soccer in the USA only contains nine teams. To the outsider that seems a staggeringly low number of clubs given the size of the country and the numbers of young women playing at University and High School levels. How competitive is it trying to get a place in one of those squads and what process does a hopeful player have to go through to be selected?

SH: It is extremely competitive to make an NWSL squad. There are about 3 ways to achieve making a team. One is through the annual college draft, and the others are through attending open try-outs, or by having an agent contact the team. The college draft is essentially putting your name onto a list of recent college graduates, where the coaches in the NWSL will choose a handful of players to be on their squad. Open try-outs are exactly as they sound. Not every team will host these, but the ones that do host

an open 2-day try-out process that consist of coaches assessing players’ skills and abilities. Of about 100+ girls trying out, maybe 5 get selected to train with the squad for further assessment. Lastly, an agent can contact coaches and promote a

"IT IS EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE TO MAKE AN NWSL SQUAD. THERE ARE ABOUT 3 WAYS TO ACHIEVE MAKING A TEAM. ONE IS THROUGH THE ANNUAL COLLEGE DRAFT, AND THE OTHERS ARE THROUGH ATTENDING OPEN TRY-OUTS, OR BY HAVING AN AGENT CONTACT THE TEAM." player that they believe in, and if the coach is interested they will invite them for a trial and if they want them on the squad, then they will offer the player a contract.

Given the growing popularity of women’s

football and the huge successes of US Women’s National Team do you think the NWSL will grow in size much like the men’s equivalent, the MLS, has done with its expansion plans? Or do you expect the current structure to remain in place with the much larger pro/am setup sitting below the elite NWSL competition?

SH: I have heard talk about the NWSL expanding.

The issue prohibiting the league from expanding has to do with funding. I am confident that in the near future, more teams will be added to the NWSL therefore the structure will be forced to change.

As the sport continues to grow in the UK and Europe what do you feel is the biggest attraction that could lure more American players to cross the Atlantic and choose to play their football in Scotland?

SH: To be honest I think the biggest attractions are competition, accommodations, and money. Obviously as a woman not getting paid to play football, there is more to the game than money. From a practical standpoint, women

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"I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A VERSATILE PLAYER AND FOUND MYSELF IN EVERY SINGLE POSITION EXCEPT FROM GOALKEEPER. TRUST ME, YOU DON’T WANT ME IN THE GOAL. IN MY COMPETITIVE YOUTH CLUB YEARS I PLAYED MIDFIELD AND LEFT BACK. IN HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY I PLAYED ALL ACROSS THE MIDFIELD AND ANY POSITION UP FRONT. I AM MOST COMFORTABLE IN THE CENTRE OF MIDFIELD OR OUT WIDE UP TOP."

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THE BIG INTERVIEW - SIOBHAN HIGGINS

coming over have recently graduated from college and are trying to earn a living while pursuing their dreams playing. It is difficult to do that as a foreigner, so if a team can cut the cost by sorting out accommodations and offering pay then there is a good chance of more players coming across.

The level of football competition must also be equal if not better than what that player was already used to in America.

The success of the USWNT was mentioned earlier. Did you watch the World Cup? What were your thoughts on the USA retaining the trophy in France?

Did any players catch your eye as stand-out performers?

SH: Of course I watched the World Cup!! To be brutally honest, coming from America I had the mentality that we were already going to win the World Cup. We have exceptional athletes and the USWNT’s bench is so deep with quality players that are all equal in skill.

I can also assure you that there are multiple players who are not on the USWNT that could play with the first team

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too. As defending world champions, it was great to win again, especially since we are stressing equal rights/pay in America.

As I mentioned before I think each player is equal in talent, but personally I think that Rose Lavelle is

"WE HAVE EXCEPTIONAL ATHLETES AND THE USWNT’S BENCH IS SO DEEP WITH QUALITY PLAYERS THAT ARE ALL EQUAL IN SKILL. I CAN ALSO ASSURE YOU THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE PLAYERS WHO ARE NOT ON THE USWNT THAT COULD PLAY WITH THE FIRST TEAM TOO." a stand out since she is young and has flourished at the highest level.

You’ve played as a midfielder during your time at the club but did you play other positions growing up?

SH: I have always been a versatile player and found myself in every single position except from goalkeeper. Trust me, you don’t want me in the goal. In my competitive youth club years I played midfield and left back. In high school and University I played all across the midfield and any position up front. I am most comfortable in the centre of midfield or out wide up top.

What prompted your decision to come to Scotland to play football and why did you choose to come to Hibernian?

SH: I chose to pursue football in Scotland so I could be exposed to coaches affiliated with the SWNT. I am eligible to play for Scotland and ultimately that is my dream.

Going from the competitive scene in the USA to Scotland must have been quite the change. How do you feel you have adapted to the change of football scenery?

SH: I feel as though I have adapted as best as I can. This is only my third month here, so I am still listening, learning, and pushing myself mentally to be patient and ready for

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THE BIG INTERVIEW - SIOBHAN HIGGINS

my opportunity to make an impact.

Off the pitch you have clearly been embracing the local culture and cuisine. What have been the highlights of Scotland for you thus far?

SH: Yes! I am a big travel girl and I love exploring.

The highlights thus far have been traveling with my family discovering small cities with beautiful views. I’m having a great time learning about the Scottish culture.

Similarly is there anything that you miss from back home that Scotland desperately needs to get as soon as possible? (The weather probably isn’t going to be possible!)

SH: TRUE Mexican food!

Texas borders Mexico, so I am used to authentic Mexican food... and margaritas! I also miss fast food such as Chick Fil A & Whataburger. These are two food chains Scotland needs!

Tuesday’s game against Forfar Farmington is taking place at the club’s training centre of course.

The squad also train here too. How important are these facilities to the

development of yourself and the rest of the squad?

SH: These facilities are extremely important for our development. The fields are exceptional in terms of quality and we have everything we need. I feel lucky to have access to Hibernian Training Centre.

"I AM A BIG TRAVEL GIRL AND I LOVE EXPLORING. THE HIGHLIGHTS THUS FAR HAVE BEEN TRAVELING WITH MY FAMILY DISCOVERING SMALL CITIES WITH BEAUTIFUL VIEWS. I’M HAVING A GREAT TIME LEARNING ABOUT THE SCOTTISH CULTURE." Hibernian are back into second after that win over Celtic a few weeks back. How important is Tuesday’s match to begin to widen that gap and cement a second place finish in the SWPL 1 for Hibernian?

SH: I have always been

taught to take one game at a time and to treat every game equally, regardless of who you are playing and what position they are in.

We treat each team with respect and out of respect you always play your best football. Tuesday’s match is just as important as any other match in the league.

We need to continue our winning streak and get business done.

The SSE Scottish Cup Semi-final is coming up on Sunday against Motherwell. Have you played many semi-finals or finals during your time in America and if so what have you drawn from those experiences?

SH: I have played in plenty of semi-finals and finals in America. These games always increase your adrenaline and desire to win. I also believe these experiences bring out the fighter in each teammate as there is a great motivation behind winning. The game should be competitive and intense.

Similar to the Stirling match in the Cup, the squad have had a fresh look at Motherwell with that 2-0 win at Ravenscraig. Do you believe Sunday’s match will pan out in a similar

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THE BIG INTERVIEW - SIOBHAN HIGGINS

manner or is this a completely different game?

SH: As we all know the game of football is unpredictable. Obviously I hope the result pans out in a similar manner, but as a team I think we all have higher standards for ourselves as to how we will achieve that win.

Hibernian of course are the reigning champions for both domestic cups since 2016. What’s it like being in a squad with such a winning mentality?

SH: To be honest I have been lucky to have always been on a squad with a winning mentality. I feel relieved that we all share this winning mentality and again I feel grateful that I get to experience this journey with all of the talented girls here at the club.

Looking ahead slightly, this is clearly a huge second half to the season for Hibernian with the SSE Scottish Cup and some big home games in the league still to come. What message would you send out to anyone who might be looking to come along to their first match?

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SH: I would encourage anyone who wants to watch some quality women’s football to come along and watch us play.

Everyone is welcome and we love having our community come out to

"TO BE HONEST I HAVE BEEN LUCKY TO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ON A SQUAD WITH A WINNING MENTALITY. I FEEL RELIEVED THAT WE ALL SHARE THIS WINNING MENTALITY AND AGAIN I FEEL GRATEFUL THAT I GET TO EXPERIENCE THIS JOURNEY WITH ALL OF THE TALENTED GIRLS HERE AT THE CLUB." support us!

Do you have any personal goals or objectives for the remainder of this season?

SH: Yes! I have still yet to score, so I am definitely looking to get on the score sheet as soon as possible.

I’d also like to earn more game time.

Most people have a club that they support. What team do you follow and why?

SH: If my Dad is reading this I'm hoping he's just going to skip this question and go straight onto the next one! I support Manchester City! If you know me you know I am a HUGE Kevin DeBruyne fan.

Back in the states I had the pleasure of being coached

by Dave Puro from MCFC U16 girls side, and the standards he instilled in me will always stick. I love the club and what they stand for, and Kevin DeBruyne is such a class midfielder I could watch him string passes together all day.

Do you have any footballing role models from the professional game or that you have played with?

SH: As I previously stated, I am a huge Kevin DeBruyne fan. Kevin is a quiet, lowkey player that gets the job done, and done well.

He is classy and his vision of the pitch and accuracy with passing and shooting

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never ceases to amaze me. Back in the States I also had the pleasure of training with former NWSL Houston Dash player Jordan Jackson (Jacko).

She was our team captain and her ability to lead and teach a team with grace and assertiveness made me gain a lot of respect from her as a leader.

Everyone loves a bit of fashion and these days boots are no exception.

What is your choice of footwear on the pitch this season?

SH: I have always been a Nike Tiempo fan to be honest. This season I have been wearing Nike Phantom. I like them, but I prefer Nike Hypervenom Elite.

Obviously, you are still young and have years of playing time ahead of you, but have you made any plans to get involved in coaching or other aspects of football that would see you potentially stay involved after you finish playing?

SH: I have actually been involved with coaching for the past 5 years, and I’m sure I will become part of a club when I return to the states to continue.

Who are the best

players you have played alongside and against?

SH: Honestly there are too many to list I would hate to leave anyone out! That list continues to grow as I move onto new teams.

Can you tell us something about

"A LOT OF YOU DON’T KNOW THAT I HAVE DUAL NATIONALITY. I WAS BORN IN SCOTLAND, BUT I AM ALSO AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. I’M FROM PERTH ORIGINALLY. I ALSO SPEAK SPANISH AS I AM PART ECUADORIAN AND SPANISH." yourself that we don't know?

SH: A lot of you don’t know that I have dual nationality. I was born in Scotland, but I am also an American citizen. I’m from Perth originally. I also speak Spanish as I am part Ecuadorian and Spanish.

Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

SH: An ex Houston Astros (baseball) player named Craig Biggio. He had a 19 year hall of fame career which he spent exclusively at the Astros.

He’s arguably the greatest all-rounder to have ever played for Houston.

Moving on to music.

We have a wide variety of tastes at the club with players enjoying a variety of different sounds and genres. What do you enjoy listening to?

SH: I enjoy listening to many different artists from every genre, but the best gig I’ve been to would have to be Chelsea Cutler. She’s an up & coming artist from the US. Check her out!

What is your favourite movie of all time?

SH: Tough to narrow it down so I’ll choose 3: We’re the Millers, Benchwarmers, and White Chicks

PLAYER SPONSORS

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CLUB NEWS

HIBS

NEWS SWF INTRODUCE NEW SENIOR STRUCTURE FOR 2020 The SWF has introduced a number of key changes to the structure of the senior level of Scottish Women's Football to take place at the start of the 2020 season.

The biggest outlined changed is a key split between recreational and performance level football which has a significant impact on the makeup of the league structure.

The SWPL will continue to exist as an eight team SWPL 1 with SWPL 2 moving to a 10 team format. The biggest change comes below that with the formation of a Championship North and South in place of the current SWFL 1 North and

South leagues. While this sounds like a renaming of the current setup the new Championship leagues will have set criteria that teams must meet at the application stage. Both North and South divisions are excepted to have around 12 teams competing.

Automatic promotion will remain the same across the structure however a new play-off system will be introduced to add extra spark to the end of the season. The 7th placed side in SWPL 1 will face the second placed side in SWPL 2 while the 8th placed SWPL 2 team will also go into a play-off against the winner of a match between the two

teams which come second in the Championship divisions.

SWF Executive Officer Fiona McIntyre added, "One of the most exciting developments within the revised structure is the introduction of promotion and relegation play-offs. We believe this will add further excitement and exposure for the whole game at the end of each season."

There will also be significant changes to the SWPL Cup with a new format which sees the introduction of a group stage. With 18 SWPL teams in total next season it has been decided that the top two SWPL 1 teams will get a bye into the quarter-final stage while the remaining 16 teams will battle it out in four groups of four with the winners and two best runners up reaching an unseeded quarter-final stage.

The belief is that the new structure will introduce more competition for more teams while it will also allow Scotland's top two teams the opportunity to play in friendly matches against stronger opposition from down South in preparation for competitions such as the UEFA Women's Champions League.

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CLUB NEWS

ADAMS & YATES CALLED UP TO U17 SQUAD Hibernian U23 goalkeeper Alicia Yates and striker Eilidh Adams have been called up to the Scotland U17 national squad for the UEFA qualifying round starting October 14th.

Fixtures are being hosted here in Scotland with the team facing Northern Ireland in their opening fixture on Monday 14th October with a 17:30 kick-off at Oriam.

They will then play Montenegro at the same venue on Thursday 17th October again at 17:30 before taking on Italy in a thrilling final fixture at Ainslie Park on Sunday 20th October at 12:30.

Entry to all fixtures is free of charge with the action at Oriam taking place on the indoor pitch so why not pop along to catch a glimpse of some of the best up and coming talent in the country?

DAVIDSON LOOKS TO LEAD SCOTLAND U19 EUROS EFFORT Hibernian striker Lauren Davidson has once again been selected for the Scotland U19 squad.

After a pair of victories over Northern Ireland in recent friendlies the squad has made the trip out to Poland to compete in the qualifying round against the host nation, Croatia and Bulgaria. The top two teams in each of the qualifying groups along with the four best third placed sides will make the hat for the Elite round draw which takes place in November.

At the conclusion of the Elite round in Spring 2020, seven teams will join host nation Georgia in the 2020 European Championship finals.

Lauren Davidson is currently the sole Hibernian representative at the U19 age group with previous players Jamie-Lee Napier and Amy Muir, who both featured during the most recent European Championship finals hosted here in Scotland, now too old for the age group.

Hibernian's other regular U19 player, Kirsty Morrison has been ruled out of

38

competing due injury.

Hopes of progressing to the Elite round were boosted on Wednesday as Scotland eased by Bulgaria 4-0 in their opening fixture to surge straight to the top of the group.

Saturday saw a rather disappointing draw against a defensive-minded Croatia team with neither side being able to find the back of the net.

With four points on the board, Scotland sit in second place but have already qualified for the Elite round as they are now guaranteed to be at least one of the four best third place teams even if they fail to pick up any points against Poland in their final match.

A victory will see Scotland top the group while a point will be enough to ensure second place ahead of Croatia regardless of their result against Bulgaria.

The final group stage game against Poland takes place today (Tuesday) meaning that Davidson is unavailable for selection for tonight's SWPL1 encounter with Forfar Farmington.

39

MATCH ACTION

SLAVIA PRAHA 5 HIBERNIAN 1 UWCL Round of 32 Wed 25th Sep Sinobo Arena

SLAVIA PRAHA

1 Lukasova 5 Pincova 6 Khyrova (Vesela 82) 7 Necidova 9 Persson 14 Blackwood 19 Divisova (Szewieczkova 70) 18 Bartovicova 21 Svitkova 22 Jarchovska 27 Kozarova (Cerna 89) Subs Cerna, Vesela, Szewieczkova, Votikova, Sedlackova, Dedinova, Krejcirikova Goals Divisova 5 Kozarova 37, 60 Svitkova 69 Szewieczkova 90

HIBERNIAN

1 Fife 4 Hunter 7 Napier 8 Michie 10 McGregor 14 Leishman 15 Gallacher (Cavanagh 75) 16 Notley (Davidson 70) 17 Murray (Higgins 78) 19 Cornet 23 Boyle Subs Currie, Tweedie, Cavanagh, Higgins, Davidson Goals Gallacher 20

41

MATCH ACTION

KEY MOMENT

Kozarova's strike to put Slavia back in front on the night effectively ended the tie as a contest.

Possession was surrendered in the Hibs half to the excellent Svitkova who skipped around the challenge of Hunter and unselfishly squared for Kozarova to tap into an empty net.

PRESS REACTION

“Hibernian Ladies crashed out of the Women's Champions League at the last 32 stage after a 5-1 defeat to Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic."

THE GAFFER

"We've analysed Slavia Praha pretty well and a lot of the opportunities came from things we thought we'd spoken above. But the intensity they attack with, the pace, the strength, the quickness of thought has done us over particularly in the later stages today."

WHO SAID WHAT?

"Another frustrating one. I don't think the scoreline really reflected the game. It's gutting to concede that many goals again but they are a quality team so we can't be too disappointed."

AMY GALLACHER

UWCL RESULTS

Lyon 7-0 Ryazan (16-0) Zurich 1-3 Minsk (1-4) Wolfsburg 5-0 Mitrovia (15-0) Glasgow City 5-1 Chertanovo (6-1) Fortuna 2-0 Vllznia (3-0) Bayern Munich 0-1 Goteborg (2-2) Brondby 1-1 Pitea IF (2-1) Twente 1-2 Polten (5-4) Barcelona 2-1 Juventus (4-1) Sparta Praha 0-1 Breidablik (4-2) Arsenal 2-0 Fiorentina (6-0) BIIK Kazygurt 2-0 Anderlecht (3-1) Atletico Madrid 1-1 Subotica (4-3) Manchester City 4-0 Lugano (11-1) Paris St Germain 0-0 Braga (7-0)

MATCH ACTION

43

FORFAR FARMINGTON

I

t has been a tough season thus far for the most Northern side in the SWPL's top division. Fighting a relation battle against Stirling University, points have been a rare commodity and with only five points on the board they sit firmly within striking distance of the bottom side but with a marginally better goal difference.

Recent form has not been good with Farmington's only point since the summer break coming against Stirling University at home. However they will undoubtedly feel performances have improved with late goals in recent matches against Rangers and Motherwell denying them a precious point in their survival bid.

With a showdown against Stirling University

44

at Ochilview pencilled in for Friday October 25th, Forfar Farmington will be keen to steal a point from elsewhere to put daylight between themselves and their hosts before what could be the pivotal fixture remaining on the SWPL1 calendar.

The club has gone through a major transition since Hibernian made the trip to Station Park earlier this season. Nathan Flight has stepped into the role of manager following the departure of Stevie Baxter. Flight has been with Forfar Farmington for some time having been assistant to Baxter and also Head of Youth Development so will bring familiarity to the role. The reshuffle was not limited to the coaching staff as media man Lee Smith also departed following the summer break.

THE OPPOSITION - FORFAR FARMINGTON

17 CASSIE COWPER

Defender joined from Aberdeen at the start of the 2018 season.

10 NICOLA DAVIDSON

Club captain has spent her entire senior career at Farmington. The midfielder joined all the way back in 1993 and has over 600 appearances.

Has an eye for a goal and a set piece.

11 ALANA BRUCE

Speedy full back has been with Forfar almost all her career,

8 HANNAH STEWART

Attacker returned to club after playing for Glasgow City.

13 NATHAN FLIGHT

The gaffer assumed control of first team duties in the summer when Stevie Baxter stepped down as manager, Flight has been with the club over the long term as assistant to Baxter and as Head of Youth. His background also extends to SFA regional squads and a previous role with Abertay University

FIONA MCNICOLL

The ever reliable goalkeeper has been at Forfar Farmington for her entire senior career. She was also involved in the Scotland national team setup in the late 00's.

5 DONNA PATERSON Defender who has been with Aberdeen and Glasgow City.

19 KATIE HASSETT

Young defender stepped up from the youth squad this season.

LAST MEETING FORFAR FARMINGTON 0 HIBERNIAN 8

The only meeting between the two sides this season came at Station Park where Hibernian displayed devastating form in front of goals to hit the hosts for eight.

Jamie-Lee Napier opened the scoring after 15 minutes and went on to net a hat-trick with almost the last kick of the game. In between Kirsty Morrison helped herself to a double and there were goals for Chelsea Cornet, Colette Cavanagh and Kirsten Reilly as Hibernian put in one of their best performances of the season thus far.

45

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STATISTICS

SQUAD STATISTICS LEAGUE PLAYER ADAMS, EILIDH AITCHISON, HOLLY BOYLE, RACHAEL CAVANAGH, COLETTE CORNET, CHELSEA CURRIE, JENI DAVIDSON, LAUREN EDDIE, LEAH FIFE, JENNA FISH, ASHLEY GALLACHER, AMY GIBB, CALEY HIGGINS, SIOBHAN HUNTER, SIOBHAN JOHNSTON, CARI LEISHMAN, SHANNON MCCAFFERTY, RIA MCDONALD, ABBI MCGREGOR, SHANNON MENZIES, JADE MICHIE, CAILIN MORRISON, KIRSTY MUIR, AMY MURRAY, JOELLE NAPIER, JAMIE-LEE NOTLEY, ELLIS REILLY, KIRSTEN TWEEDIE, LIA WILLIAMSON, CLARE

SWPL CUP

SCOT CUP

UWCL

TOTAL

APS

GLS

APS

GLS

APS

GLS

APS

GLS

APS

GLS

0 (0) 0 (2) 12 (0) 9 (6) 14 (1) 0 (1) 4 (5) 1 (0) 16 (0) 0 (1) 9 (4) 0 (2) 0 (5) 13 (2) 0 (1) 5 (8) 0 (1) 0 (0) 7 (3) 0 (1) 15 (0) 6 (5) 2 (1) 13 (1) 16 (0) 13 (2) 12 (0) 6 (3) 3 (4)

0 0 5 3 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 5 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 6 0 0 10 1 5 3 0

0 (0) 0 (0) 3 (1) 3 (1) 4 (0) 1 (0) 1 (1) 0 (0) 3 (0) 0 (2) 3 (1) 0 (0) 0 (0) 4 (0) 0 (0) 0 (2) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (1) 0 (0) 4 (0) 3 (1) 0 (0) 4 (0) 4 (0) 1 (2) 4 (0) 1 (3) 1 (3)

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 1 0

0 (1) 0 (0) 3 (0) 2 (1) 2 (0) 0 (0) 1 (2) 0 (0) 3 (0) 0 (0) 2 (1) 0 (0) 1 (2) 3 (0) 0 (0) 1 (2) 0 (0) 0 (1) 1 (2) 0 (0) 1 (1) 1 (0) 1 (1) 3 (0) 3 (0) 3 (0) 2 (0) 0 (1) 0 (0)

0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

0 (0) 0 (0) 5 (0) 2 (3) 5 (0) 0 (0) 1 (3) 0 (0) 5 (0) 0 (0) 4 (0) 0 (0) 1 (2) 4 (0) 0 (0) 1 (2) 0 (0) 0 (0) 4 (1) 0 (0) 4 (0) 0 (1) 2 (1) 5 (0) 5 (0) 4 (0) 2 (1) 0 (1) 1 (0)

0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0

0 (1) 0 (2) 23 (1) 16 (11) 25 (1) 1 (1) 7 (11) 1 (0) 27 (0) 0 (3) 18 (6) 0 (2) 2 (9) 24 (2) 0 (1) 7 (14) 0 (1) 0 (1) 12 (7) 0 (1) 24 (1) 10 (7) 5 (3) 25 (1) 28 (0) 21 (4) 20 (1) 7 (8) 5 (7)

0 0 6 7 2 0 4 0 0 1 5 0 0 13 0 3 0 0 1 0 2 6 0 2 15 2 6 4 0

SWPL 1 LEAGUE TABLE HOME

AWAY

TEAM

P

W

D

L

F

A

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1 2 3 4 5

Glasgow City Hibernian Celtic Rangers Motherwell

16 16 16 15 15

10 6 6 3 3

0 0 1 0 2

0 1 1 3 3

54 21 24 9 9

5 4 3 17 12

6 6 5 4 2

0 1 0 1 1

0 2 3 4 4

22 29 20 16 9

1 5 12 24 22

70 41 29 -16 -16

48 37 34 22 18

6

Spartans

15

3

1

4

9

16

2

1

4

7

14

-14

17

7 8

Forfar Farmington Stirling University

16 17

1 0

1 1

6 7

8 4

27 27

0 0

1 1

7 8

4 4

29 31

-44 -50

5 2

47

FIXTURES & RESULTS

DATE

OPPOSITION

RES

STARTING XI

FEBRUARY 2019 10th

SPARTANS

0-0

FIFE

WILLIAMSON

NAPIER

HUNTER

MICHIE

TWEEDIE

17th

CELTIC

2-1

FIFE

24th

HEARTS

1-0

FIFE

NAPIER

EDDIE

MICHIE

CAVANAGH

GALLACHER

NAPIER

HUNTER

MICHIE

CAVANAGH

GALLACHER

MARCH 2019 10th

MOTHERWELL

0-4

FIFE

NAPIER

HUNTER

TWEEDIE

DAVIDSON !

LEISHMAN

17th

RANGERS

4-0

FIFE

NAPIER

HUNTER !

MICHIE

TWEEDIE !!!

DAVIDSON

24th

STIRLING UNIVERSITY

0-6

CURRIE

WILLIAMSON

NAPIER !

HUNTER !

MICHIE

TWEEDIE

29TH

GLASGOW CITY

0-1

FIFE

NAPIER

HUNTER

MICHIE

TWEEDIE

CAVANAGH

HUNTER

MICHIE

CAVANAGH

DAVIDSON !

APRIL 2019 14th

SPARTANS

0-3

FIFE

NAPIER !

21st

FORFAR FARMINGTON

0-8

FIFE

NAPIER !!!

MICHIE

CAVANAGH !

GALLACHER

NOTLEY

24th

STIRLING UNIVERSITY

3-0

FIFE

WILLIAMSON

NAPIER

HUNTER

MICHIE !

TWEEDIE

28th

SPARTANS

2-1

FIFE

NAPIER !

HUNTER !

MICHIE

CAVANAGH

GALLACHER

MAY 2019 5th

CELTIC

3-0

FIFE

NAPIER

HUNTER

MICHIE

TWEEDIE

CAVANAGH

10th

GLASGOW CITY

0-0

FIFE

NAPIER

HUNTER

MICHIE

CAVANAGH

GALLACHER

16th

MOTHERWELL

7-1

FIFE

WILLIAMSON

NAPIER !

HUNTER

MICHIE

MCGREGOR !

19th

RANGERS

0-6

FIFE

NAPIER !

HUNTER !

MICHIE !

MCGREGOR

CAVANAGH

(4-2 PKS)

AUGUST 2019 4th

GLASGOW CITY

2-1

FIFE

MUIR

HUNTER

NAPIER !

MICHIE

MCGREGOR

18th

STIRLING UNIVERSITY

0-4

FIFE

MUIR

NAPIER !!

MICHIE

MCGREGOR

CAVANAGH

21st

STIRLING UNIVERSITY

5-0

FIFE

HUNTER !

NAPIER

CAVANAGH !!

LEISHMAN

NOTLEY !

25th

HEARTS

1-7

FIFE

MUIR

HUNTER !!!

NAPIER

CAVANAGH !

GALLACHER

SEPTEMBER 2019 8th

SPARTANS

0-4

FIFE

HUNTER !!

NAPIER

MICHIE

MCGREGOR

CAVANAGH

15th

HAMILTON ACADEMICAL

3-0

FIFE

HUNTER !!

NAPIER

MICHIE

MCGREGOR

DAVIDSON

22nd

CELTIC

3-0

FIFE

HUNTER

NAPIER !

MICHIE

MCGREGOR

LEISHMAN

29th

MOTHERWELL

0-2

FIFE

HUNTER

NAPIER

MICHIE

MCGREGOR

CAVANAGH !

OCTOBER 2019 8th

FORFAR FARMINGTON

19:45

13th

MOTHERWELL

15:30

20th

RANGERS

16:00

27th

GLASGOW CITY

16:00

NOVEMBER 2019 3rd

STIRLING UNIVERSITY

17th

FORFAR FARMINGTON

24th

SSE SCOTTISH CUP F

48

13:00

FIXTURES & RESULTS

KEY: HOME FIXTURE, AWAY FIXTURE, ! GOAL, SUB PLAYED

SUBS ROBSON, CAVANAGH, EDDIE, NOTLEY, MORRISON, LEISHMAN, DAVIDSON

GALLACHER

MURRAY

CORNET

SMALL

REILLY

NOTLEY

MURRAY

CORNET

MORRISON

REILLY !!

NOTLEY

MURRAY

CORNET

MORRISON

REILLY !

CURRIE, SMALL, WILLIAMSON, FISH, LEISHMAN, DAVIDSON, TWEEDIE

NOTLEY

MURRAY

CORNET

SMALL !!

REILLY !

CURRIE, CAVANAGH, FISH, MORRISON, GALLACHER, WILLIAMSON, MICHIE

NOTLEY

MURRAY

CORNET

SMALL

REILLY

GALLACHER

MURRAY !

CORNET

SMALL

REILLY

GALLACHER

MURRAY

CORNET

SMALL

REILLY

MURRAY

CORNET

SMALL

MORRISON

REILLY

CURRIE, HUNTER, LEISHMAN, SMALL, DAVIDSON, TWEEDIE, WILLIAMSON

CURRIE, CAVANAGH, LEISHMAN, GALLACHER, MORRISON, WILLIAMSON FIFE, FISH !, CAVANAGH, DAVIDSON, LEISHMAN, MORRISON, NOTLEY CURRIE, MORRISON, LEISHMAN, DAVIDSON, FISH, NOTLEY, WILLIAMSON CURRIE, WILLIAMSON, NOTLEY, LEISHMAN, TWEEDIE !, MCGREGOR, GALLACHER CURRIE, WILLIAMSON, LEISHMAN, TWEEDIE, MCGREGOR, HUNTER CURRIE, MCGREGOR, AITCHISON, MENZIES, MCCAFFERTY, LEISHMAN, CAVANAGH !

CURRIE, WILLIAMSON, TWEEDIE, MCGREGOR, MURRAY, LEISHMAN

MURRAY

CORNET !

SMALL

MORRISON !!

REILLY !

GALLACHER

NOTLEY

MURRAY

SMALL

REILLY !

NOTLEY

CORNET

SMALL

MORRISON

REILLY

LEISHMAN

NOTLEY

CORNET

MORRISON

REILLY

CURRIE, MCGREGOR, WILLIAMSON, MURRAY, JOHNSTON

MURRAY

CORNET

SMALL

MORRISON

REILLY

CURRIE, MCGREGOR, WILLIAMSON, NOTLEY, TWEEDIE, LEISHMAN, DAVIDSON

NOTLEY !

MURRAY

CORNET

SMALL !

MORRISON !!

NOTLEY

MURRAY

CORNET

MORRISON !

REILLY

CURRIE, DAVIDSON, TWEEDIE, LEISHMAN !, GALLACHER !, GIBB, WILLIAMSON

DAVIDSON

MURRAY

CORNET

BOYLE

REILLY

CURRIE, TWEEDIE, GALLACHER, CAVANAGH, NOTLEY, HIGGINS, WILLIAMSON

DAVIDSON

GALLACHER !

NOTLEY

MURRAY

REILLY

MURRAY

CORNET

BOYLE

MORRISON

REILLY

NOTLEY

MURRAY

CORNET

BOYLE !

REILLY

LEISHMAN

GALLACHER

NOTLEY

CORNET

BOYLE !

GALLACHER !

NOTLEY

MURRAY

HIGGINS

BOYLE

GALLACHER

NOTLEY

MURRAY

CORNET

BOYLE !

LEISHMAN

NOTLEY

MURRAY

CORNET !

BOYLE

CURRIE, TWEEDIE, GALLACHER, GIBB, AITCHISON, LEISHMAN

CURRIE, WILLIAMSON, HIGGINS, MORRISON !, LEISHMAN, CORNET CURRIE, MUIR, MICHIE, MCGREGOR, DAVIDSON, GALLACHER, HIGGINS CURRIE, MICHIE, MCGREGOR, HIGGINS, LEISHMAN !!, MORRISON, DAVIDSON

YATES, DAVIDSON !, MURRAY, HIGGINS CURRIE, CAVANAGH, ADAMS, MCDONALD, LEISHMAN, TWEEDIE CURRIE, CAVANAGH, HIGGINS, DAVIDSON CURRIE, MUIR, HIGGINS, TWEEDIE, DAVIDSON

49

PLAYER SPONSORS

THE

FIRST TEAM OUR FIRST TEAM PLAYERS AND STAFF WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A WARM WELCOME TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS THIS SEASON.

50

PLAYER SPONSORS

WANT TO JOIN OUR TEAM? BECOME A SPONSOR TODAY AND BE A PART OF HIBERNIAN'S FUTURE There is still time to be a part of Hibernian Ladies 2019 season by sponsoring one of our players for the second half of the season.

Player sponsorship is open to both individuals and businesses looking for a unique opportunity to invest in Scottish Women's Football at a time where the profile of the sport has never been bigger. By sponsoring a Hibernian player you can invest in the future of that player by ensuring they have access to the best equipment, training methods and support staff to enhance their development both on and off the pitch.

Our player sponsorship package includes the following: 2x Season Tickets for entry to all remaining homes matches.

2x End of Season Hibernian Ladies awards evening tickets.

A signed Hibernian shirt from your sponsored player.

Social media recognition on our Twitter feed.

Your name or business name added to the website profile of the player.

10% for family members at Hibernian Foundation camps.

Want to know more? Contact Karen McEwan on 0131 656 7062 or at kmcewan@hibernian. ommunityfoundation.org.uk

51

ACADEMY - UNDER 23 SWFL 1 SOUTH LEAGUE TABLE POS

UNDER

23

WORDS BY CRAIG DOYLE

W

hile the senior squad has seen a busy schedule in recent weeks with mid-week fixtures in the UWCL and Scottish Cup, the U23 squad has had limited action. The potential to catch-up on the previously cancelled fixture at home to Queens Park from before the summer break fell through as the Glasgow based side made it to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup. The away fixture which has also been postponed has now been scheduled for Sunday 27th October but a date is yet to be announced for the home tie at Hibernian Training Centre.

As the senior squad took on Celtic at Ainslie Park, the U23s faced Celtic Academy over at Hibernian Training Centre. An impressive squad performance saw the young Hibernian side come away with a point in a tough fought battle against the SWFL League Cup winners. With

52

chances at a premium it was a pair of scrappy goals at either end which decided the outcome with Celtic taking the lead from a corner. An in-swinging delivery clearing the first Hibs defender only to take a wicked deflection off the shoulder of the second defender, looping up over the outstretched hand of Yates in the Hibernian goal.

Fortune turned to Hibernian's side as they netted a late equaliser.

Nicola Jameison tried her luck from outside the penalty area. What looked like a routine catch straight at the Celtic keeper turned into delight as she misread the flight of the ball and fumbled it into the far corner of the net to bring Hibs level.

Manager Dean Gibson expressed his delight at how well his Hibernian side competed highlighting the benefit of having a strong squad at his disposal once again.

"It was two talented

TEAM

PL PTS

1

GLASGOW CITY DEV

19

54

2

CELTIC ACADEMY

18

44

3

HIBERNIAN U23

19

42

4

RANGERS DEVELOPMENT

19

37

5

QUEENS PARK

19

32

6

BOROUGHMUIR THISTLE

19

29

7

RENFREW LADIES

17

29

8

SPARTANS DEVELOPMENT

20

27

9

BLACKBURN UNITED

20

19

10

HAMILTON U23

20

14

11

KILMARNOCK U23

20

6

12

AYR UNITED

20

3

FIXTURES & RESULTS 10/2

SPARTANS DEV

H

1-0

24/2

BLACKBURN UNITED

A

1-1

6/3

GLASGOW CITY DEV

A

1-2

10/3

AYR UNITED

H

14-1

17/3

GLASGOW CITY DEV

A

2-0

31/3

BOROUGHMUIR

H

4-0

14/4

RENFREW

A

1-4

17/4

EAST FIFE

A

1-2

21/4

CELTIC ACADEMY

H

1-2

30/4

HAMILTON U23

H

4-0

12/5

CELTIC ACADEMY

A

2-1

19/5

KILMARNOCK U23

H

7-1

26/5

RANGERS DEV

A

3-4

9/6

QUEENS PARK

H

P-P

16/6

SPARTANS DEV

H

3-0

23/6

BLACKBURN UNITED

H

7-0

4/8

AYR UNITED

A

0-5

18/8

GLASGOW CITY DEV

H

0-1

25/8

BOROUGHMUIR

A

0-0

1/9

RENFREW

H

7-0

8/9

HAMILTON U23

A

0-5

22/9

CELTIC ACADEMY

H

1-1

29/9

KILMARNOCK U23

A

1-4

6/10

RANGERS DEV

H

27/10 QUEENS PARK

A

TOP SCORERS CARI JOHNSTON

17

HOLLY AITCHISON

10

AMY HAY

9

53

ACADEMY - UNDER 23

teams going at it.

Two different styles.

Both teams cancelled themselves out but both teams can say they had a great game. Was a draw a fair result? I would say it was but I think both teams would have believed they could have won it but it was a good game to watch."

"I think the biggest thing we spoke about this week was that we had a bigger squad so we could out more energy into games.

We are able to go after opponents from the first whistle and when the players are tiring after 65 minutes we can bring players on. Squad size

54

has really killed us this season and we know that."

Last weekend the squad made the trip over to the West coast to play Kilmarnock U23s with Allan Todd taking charge of the team in the absence of coach Dean Gibson. In a match that was marred by constant stoppages in play, the girls battled hard to earn a 4-1 victory.

Eilidh Adams netted twice, with Turner adding to the goal tally before Jamie-Lee Smith scored the pick of the bunch dribbling by two defenders then

unleashing a thunderbolt to complete the scoring.

The result was made all the more pleasing for stand-in coach Allan Todd as the young Hibernian side found themselves with only two subs which were both used up before the hour mark to replace injuries.

Finally a special mention goes out to U23s manager Dean Gibson on his marriage to Lynsey Maguire last week.

Congratulations from everyone at Hibernian Ladies, we wish you both many years of happiness together.

55

56

THE LAST WORD

THE

LAST WORD SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER DAVID RONNEY LIFTS THE LID ON WHAT IT TAKES TO PRODUCE THE MEDIA COVERAGE AT THE CLUB.

I

t’s the 10th of May as the rain pours down in Airdrie. Hibernian have retained the SWPL Cup and I had just completed my first day on the job for the winners.

With most jobs the usual means of gaining one is to write to someone or apply.

However, in my case it was slightly more unpredictable.

Whilst gaining research for my dissertation for university, I happened to discover an opening with the women’s side when speaking to a member of the media team at Hibernian. I offered to help and here I am five months later.

You may have either seen, heard or read some of my work but I’m often the man you seen with the microphone in hand after a match-day quizzing the squad about the result. While I’m one of the newer additions to the team I’ve been made to feel right at home amongst the staff and players.

women’s football for university opened my eyes to this world of football that was fantastic, yet not enough people were talking about.

I suppose that’s where the media coverage comes in. Personally, when it comes to the output for Hibernian Ladies’ social accounts, I often look "THE WAY I SEE IT elsewhere to see what other clubs are doing. Not just for IS IF YOU TREAT women’s teams but for the THE CONTENT IN men’s as well and I think ‘okay A PROFESSIONAL that’s good but how can we do it better?’

MANNER THEN

YOUR AUDIENCE WILL REACT TO IT IN THE SAME WAY. LIVE UPDATES ACROSS TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM ARE VITAL TO HELP PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THE WOMEN’S GAME."

For my final years at university, I was intrigued by the women’s game. There was potential, a growing fan base and a competitive edge that while different from the men’s scene, it was unique in its own way. As such, producing a short video documentary on Scottish

A great example of this I would say was when myself and the team flew out to Prague recently for the Champions League. I was able to shoot and edit travel montage clips, interviews and go live pitch-side at SK Slavia Praha’s stomping ground to deliver a preview with Grant Scott.

To single out the live stream in particular, the team over at Sky Sports have done this over on their Scottish account after broadcasted matches. The viewership and interaction they get from this made it a no brainer to try this out on our social channels.

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THE MANAGER

The way I see it is if you treat the content in a professional manner then your audience will react to it in the same way.

Live updates across Twitter and Instagram are vital to help promote awareness of the women’s game. Giving the players a platform to voice their thoughts on a result is just as important for them as the fans listening in.

It’s important to say as well that I couldn’t do this alone. The editor of the programme and match photographer, Craig Doyle captures fantastic images that help a plain text tweet pop with an image. Of course, it goes without saying as well that no images mean no Instagram or no programme either. Our newest media recruits, Jack and Struan are helping expand our media coverage too, exploring match commentary and more content building up to kick off. The media staff over on the men’s side do a great job too, helping push our content out on their channels.

Success should be covered, and Hibernian Ladies know a thing or two about that at the moment.

I’m grateful I can continue help tell their story the best I can, and long may it continue.

David Ronney

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LINE UPS

HIBERNIAN FORFAR Manager: Grant Scott

JENNA FIFE 1 ¨ AMY MUIR 3 ¨ SIOBHAN HUNTER 4 ¨ LEAH EDDIE 6 ¨ JAMIE-LEE NAPIER 7 ¨ CAILIN MICHIE 8 ¨ LIA TWEEDIE 9 ¨ SHANNON MCGREGOR 10 ¨ COLETTE CAVANAGH 11 ¨ LAUREN DAVIDSON 12 ¨ JENI CURRIE 13 ¨ SHANNON LEISHMAN 14 ¨ AMY GALLACHER 15 ¨ ELLIS NOTLEY 16 ¨ JOELLE MURRAY 17 ¨ CHELSEA CORNET 19 ¨ SIOBHAN HIGGINS 20 ¨

RACHAEL BOYLE 23 ¨ EILIDH ADAMS 28 ¨ KIRSTY MORRISON 29 ¨

ABBI MCDONALD 31 ¨

Manager: Nathan Flight

¨ 3 ¨ 4 ¨ 5 ¨ 7 ¨ 8 ¨ 10 ¨ 11 ¨ 12 ¨ 13 ¨ 15 ¨ 17 ¨ 18 ¨ 19 ¨ 22 ¨ 25 ¨ 26 ¨ 27 ¨ 31 ¨ 34 ¨ 35

LEAH WHITE ERIN CATTANACH DONNA PATERSON KAYLEIGH NOBLE HANNAH STEWART NICOLA DAVIDSON ALANA BRUCE NATALIE CROMAR FIONA MCNICOLL CHERYL KILCOYNE CASSIE COWPER ALISON DEBIO KATIE HASSETT PHILLIPPA WEBER MEGAN ROBB BETH MCPHERSON LOTTE DEUBEL KATE WILLIAMSON KAYLEIGH BROUGH REBECCA DEMPSTER

NEXT AWAY FIXTURE HIBERNIAN VS MOTHERWELL, SSE SCOTTISH CUP SEMI-FINAL, 13th OCTOBER 2019 NEXT HOME FIXTURE HIBERNIAN VS RANGERS, SWPL 1, 20th OCTOBER 2019