MANAGER’S NOTES BRIAN GRAHAM
I’d like to begin my notes today by wishing all the players, staff, fans and sponsors a very happy new year and all the best for 2022. I’d like to welcome Paul Brownlie and everyone at Motherwell WFC to Petershill Park for this afternoon’s match. It’ll be good to get back to games after almost a month off for the winter break and this afternoon’s cup game is a great way to get started again. Speaking from personal experience, I always enjoy playing in cup competitions and I think having done pretty well in the SWPL Cup earlier this season the squad will be keen to do well here too. This is going to be a tough game though against Motherwell. We beat them earlier in the season but it was a very hard-fought game which we won late on and since then they’ve had a few very impressive results against teams in the bottom half of the SWPL 1 table. I reckon this will be a tie that both teams will feel they can win so hopefully it makes for a good game of football. Looking back for a moment, 2021 was a massive year for the club in a number of ways and we were relatively happy with the way that it ended. Obviously, we were disappointed to lose to Rangers and Glasgow City in those final two games but I think the way we competed with two of the top teams in the country showed a lot of growth, even just from the start of the season to now. Then, heading into the winter break, it probably came at a good time for us. We’ve had loads of injury problems so far this season for players who are a very important part of our team so the break just gave them a bit more recovery time and when we do get them back it’ll be a big boost. For now though, we’re just looking to kick-off the second part of the season with a win today to set us up nicely for the return to league action next weekend. Enjoy the game,
Date
2021/22 FIXTURES
Venue
Opposition
Compeition
Score
08.08.21
Home
Celtic
SWPL Cup
1-3
15.08.21
Away
St Johnstone
SWPL Cup
4-0
29.08.21
Away
Hearts
SWPL Cup
0-0
12.09.21
Home
Aberdeen
SWPL1
0-2
19.09.21
Home
Motherwell
SWPL1
3-2
30.09.21
Away
Glasgow City
SWPL1
1-3
03.10.21
Away
Celtic
SWPL1
0-6
06.10.21
Away
Rangers
SWPL1
1-7
10.10.21
Home
Hibernian
SWPL1
3-2
17.10.21
Home
Hamilton
SWPL1
2-2
31.10.21
Away
Glasgow City
SWPL Cup
0-5
03.11.21
Away
Spartans
SWPL1
0-0
07.11.21
Home
Hearts
SWPL1
2-3
21.11.21
Home
Rangers
SWPL1
0-1
28.11.21
Away
Aberdeen
SWPL1
P-P
12.12.21
Home
Glasgow City
SWPL1
0-2
09.01.22
Home
Motherwell
Scot Cuo
16.01.22
Away
Motherwell
SWPL1
23.01.22
Home
Celtic
SWPL1
30.01.22
Away
Hibernian
SWPL1
06.02.22
Away
Hamilton
SWPL1
20.02.22
Home
Spartans
SWPL1
27.02.22
Away
Hearts
SWPL1
06.03.22
Away
Rangers
SWPL1
13.03.22
Home
Aberdeen
SWPL1
20.03.22
Away
Glasgow City
SWPL1
27.03.22
Away
Motherwell
SWPL1
17.04.22
Home
Celtic
SWPL1
24.04.22
Home
Hibernian
SWPL1
08.05.22
Home
Hamilton
SWPL1
11.05.22
Home
Spartans
SWPL1
15.05.22
Away
Hearts
SWPL!
PLAYER Dionne Brown
2021/22 STATS APPS
GOALS
(4)
Amy Bulloch
10(2)
2
Summer Christie
3(3)
Emma Craig
3(1)
Danica Dalziel
6(4)
1
Clare Docherty
10(1)
1
Demi Falconer
15
Colette Fleming
3(1)
Jade Gallon
3
Lauren Grant
2
Jade Greenshields
2(2)
1
Freya MacDonald
13(2)
1
Cara McBrearty
12(1)
3
Teigan McCann
9
3
Cheryl McCulloch
11
Taylor McGlashan
4(2)
Rebecca McGowan
11
Lauren McGregor
9(1)
Kim Murphy
7(1)
Eva Payne
(3)
Sophie Payne
1(2)
London Pollard
6
2
Cheryl Rigden
8(5)
1
Rosie Slater
10(2)
Eleanor Smith
5(7)
Ellie Vernal
2(1)
2
CHERYL RIGDEN PLAYER INFO
PLAYER INTERVIEW
Name: Cheryl Rigden Date of Birth: 19/09/1991 Position: Midfield/Forward Joined Thistle: February 8th 2019 Previous Club(s): Monifieth Athletic, Panmure FC, Dundee United, Forfar Farmington, Jeanfield Swifts, Melbourne University SC Vic Thistle Debut: v Glasgow Women, February 10th 2019 First Thistle Goal: v Dundee United, March 17th 2019 Thistle Appearances and Goals: Apps: 37(11), Gls 12
After a tough first part of the season. How was the winter break for you and the rest of the squad?
together too. I think most teams thought we would be sitting bottom all season but I think we have shown we can compete. Our team has a lot of heart and desire because we’re all mates too which helps massively because we’re willing to help each other out when times get tough! Mon the jags! It’s been a challenging season but despite all those challenges how have you enjoyed the season so far? It’s been very challenging to say the least but we’re all in it together and I try do my bit to help the team in what’s a difficult season.
I think the winter break came at the right time for us as a squad.
If I said I have loved every minute of it I would be lying, but that’s the highs and lows of football that I’m sure every footballer experiences
We had a week to turn around time to go from preparing for a SWPL2 campaign to a SWPL1 one so that brought all its own challenges the first part of the season for us.
I’m looking forward to see how we can push on from here and hopefully creep up the table in the second part of the season.
We were unlucky and picked up something like 9 injuries on top of that so for us the break was welcomed and it gave our injured players that extra time they needed to get back too. We were sent programmes through out the break which kept us ticking over so hopefully we can hit the ground running!
You come to every training session and match with a smile on your face, just how much do you enjoy being at this club?
The team can be proud of the first half of the season, how important is it now we use that to build for the next part? The team should be really proud, it wasn’t an easy start to the season for us it was an uphill battle. We also made a few signings so we needed time for the team to properly gel
I actually love being at this club. From the players, management and background staff I’m surrounded by a lot great people. I like to think we are a nurturing club (probably because alot of us are old foggies now) but we create an environment where younger players can develop and express themselves and it’s great to see their confidence growing on and off the pitch too. That’s what it’s about for me at this stage anyway!
PLAYER SPONSORS 1. Lauren McGregor
Pauline and Elaine
2, Rosie Slater
Dr Wilma Hogg
Dr Wilma Hogg
3. Kim Murphy
Alex Tulloch Joiners
41 Sports Media
4. Cheryl McCulloch 5. Demi Falconer
Morag & Graham Elrick
Dr Wilma Hogg Catriona Tucker
CL Flooring
6. Colette Fleming
Dunmuir Coachworks
7. Teigan McCann
True Potential Wealth
Randle Wilson
Donald DIngwall
8. Clare Docherty
Ivy, Etta & Amos
PTFC Nomads
JM Mobile Valeting
9. Taylor McGlashan
Drumchapel United
10. Emma Craig 11. Cara McBrearty
Gordon McClure Cairnhill Structures
The Mayes Family
13. Ellie Vernal
Watson Towers W Munro (Rehab) Ltd
14. Sophie Gallacher 15. Jade Gallon 16. Rebecca McGowan
LA Travel Greg Robertson
Dean Robertson Joinery
Teng Tools UK
The Welsh Family
Allied Interiors
17. Sophie Payne 18. Danica Dalziel 19. Cheryl Rigden 20. Freya MacDonald
41 Sports Media Cobie O’Neil
Cobie O’Neil
Cobie O’Neil
Dogs Without Border Scotland
Greenhill Tyres & Exhaust
Euan Grant
23. Dionne Brown
The Music Room
L’Perfection
P.L.R. Groundworks
24. Amy Bulloch
Maureen Thomas
Billy & Dawn
21. Lauren Grant 22. Eleanor Smith
25. Summer Christie 26. Eva Payne
OUR SPONSORS THANK YOU
WE GO AGAIN TOM HOSIE
Next to no time seems to have elapsed since we brought the curtain down on an eventful first half of the 2021-2022 season with defeat against Glasgow City, but here we are about to kick things off once again. The first half of the season was something of a journey into the unknown for us. Nobody was quite sure how we would cope with such a late step up to SWPL1. Were we ready? Would be able to be competitive? The answer to the first question was probably not but how could we turn down the opportunity given to us? The answer to the second question, however, was an emphatic Yes. Right from the offset the girls tackled the challenge that they were handed with relish and helped make history for our Club along the way . The visit of Motherwell this afternoon throws up memories of that historic afternoon back in September when after Jade Greenshields scored our very first SWPL1 goal we went on to win 3-2 and record our very first victory at this level. Incidentally, Jade moved on from Thistle during the winter break and we wish her well for the future. She will forever have a place in the history of Partick Thistle Women’s FC. What the first half of the season has taught us is that having sampled life in the top flight we are in no hurry to relinquish that place. We want our SWPL1 adventure to not just be a prolonged one but a permanent one. To do that we must continue to grow on and off the pitch. You can read elsewhere in this programme how you can help support us in those endeavours. There are a number of highly attractive sponsorship opportunities open to anyone who wishes to take them up. As a club we can’t afford to stand still. We must always be striving to improve and to that end everyone has been working extremely hard to make the right kind of additions to the playing squad. The kind of additions that will supplement the talent we already have at our disposal and increase our chances of remaining in this league come the end of the season. We’ve already added Linzi Taylor, who had been playing professionally in Iceland prior to returning to Scotland, to the squad and work is ongoing to try and make further additions as we prepare for a second half of the league season that promises to be even more exciting than the first half. Before all that though we have the small matter of starting what we hope will be a prolonged Scottish Cup campaign. In being paired against a fellow SWPL1 side the draw could have been kinder to us. Like us, I suspect that Motherwell would rather have faced opposition from out with our own division at this stage of the competition but it is an intriguing tie all the same. One that sets things up nicely for the return to league action next Sunday. Remind me who we are due to play next week!
MATCH REPORT
PARTICK THISTLE 0 v 2 GLASGOW CITY
Thistle reached the midway point in the league season with a home game against title contenders Glasgow City and while there were a number of positives to take from yet another incredibly hardworking Thistle display, there was the disappointment of a further defeat against one of the league’s top sides. It was an afternoon in which Lauren McGregor in the Thistle goal demonstrated her undoubted class between the sticks and she was called into action as early as the 5th minute when she saved a long range Farrelly effort. That save was a routine one but her save to deny Kats, McGregor making a great stop low to her right, was straight out of the top drawer. While the dominant direction of the game was towards the Thistle goal, a well organised and disciplined Thistle side were able to restrict the number of clear-cut opportunities that Glasgow City had. The Thistle defensive resistance, however, was broken after 27 minutes when City scored a contentious opener. Thistle felt that a foul had been committed in the lead up to City winning a corner and it was from Lauder’s corner that followed that Clark was able to head home. McGregor was beaten again after 37 minutes but this time Murphy was well placed to clear Davidson’s effort off the line. With half-time four minutes away Glasgow City spurned an excellent opportunity when Clark headed wide after her late run had allowed her to evade her marker at a corner. The second half followed a similar pattern to that of the first but while the score remained at just 1-0 there was always a chance that Thistle could sneak an equaliser and the best chance of that came Docherty’s way after 63 minutes but her shot drifted wide of goal. At the other end, McGowan became the next Thistle player to clear off the line and McGregor made another excellent stop to this time deny Colvill. There were just five minutes of the game remaining when Glasgow City scored the goal that clinched the points and there was a touch of good fortune surrounding this one. Colvill rather scuffing her shot but getting just enough on the ball to get it past McGregor and into the net via the inside of the Thistle post. Although that completed the scoring for the afternoon there was still time for McGregor to make another impressive save, this time denying Colvill at point blank range. Team: McGregor, Slater, Murphy, Falconer, Docherty, McGowan, Dalziel (Magilton), MacDonald (Craig), Smith, Bulloch, Christie (Brown)
OUR VISITORS MOTHERWELL
We are about to get very well acquainted with Motherwell over the course of the next couple of weeks. After today’s Scottish Cup tie we make the short trip across to Alliance Park next Sunday when we return to SWPL action. We have, of course, already met on SWPL duty this season and the September date proved to be an historic one for Thistle as we collected our very fist SWPL1 three-point haul after a thrilling five goal encounter. Thistle took the lead through Jade Greenshields after 10 minutes after Pollard had harried the Motherwell defence into an error. Despite taking that early lead it was Motherwell though that led at the break. Lori Gardner headed Motherwell level just six minutes after Greenshields opener and Kaela McDonald-Nguah thumped the visitors into the lead eight minutes later. It was a stirring second half comeback that secured that historic first win for Thistle. Just five minutes after the restart Thistle were level when Cara McBrearty deftly steered the ball beyond Ramsay in the Motherwell goal. Both sides had chances to win the game, but it was Thistle that snatched a winner with just two minutes of the 90 remaining. Rosie Slater lofted a ball into the Motherwell box that was collected by Freya MacDonald and her shot flew high into the net sparking scenes of wild celebration around Petershill Park. Since that September meeting, Motherwell manager Paul Brownlie has made a number of impressive additions to his squad not least London Pollard who is very well known round these parts having spent the first months of the current season at Petershill Park while on loan from Celtic. Pollard has now completed a permanent move from Celtic to Motherwell and has already demonstrated her undoubted talents in a claret and amber jersey. Pollard isn’t the only significant addition that Brownlie has been able to make to his group of players. Carla Boyce, previously with Glasgow City, Rangers and Hibs, has also significantly boosted the attacking options open to Brownlie and Boyce underlined the quality she adds to the Motherwell team with a double in an impressive 4-3 win over Aberdeen. Katie Rice, who joined Hibs from Motherwell in January last year, has re-joined the Motherwell fold and Murron Cunningham who was previously with Glasgow City and Hearts has also been added to an increasingly impressive looking Motherwell squad. Defender Paige McAlllister, who was previously on loan from Celtic, has now made her switch to Motherwell a permanent one. The most recent addition to Paul Brownlie’s squad saw goalkeeper, and Scotland under 16 cap, Ciara Duff make the switch from SWPL2 side Boroughmuir Thistle to Motherwell. Duff, 17, was capped twice for Scotland under 16s keeping clean sheets in wins over Malta and Gibraltar in February 2020 where she was squad mates with both Rosie Slater and Summer Christie. Given the additions that Brownlie has made to his squad there is every reason to think that Motherwell will be looking upwards rather than downwards in the second half of the season.
OUR VISITORS MOTHERWELL
LAST 10 MATCHES Date
Competition
Opposition
Score
12/12/21
SWPL1
Away v Celtic
L 0-7
21/11/21
SWPL1
Home v Glasgow City
L 1-5
07/11/21
SWPL1
Home v Aberdeen
W 4-3
03/11/21
SWPL1
Away v Rangers
L 0-5
17/10/21
SWPL1
Home v Hearts
W 2-0
10/10/21
SWPL1
Away v Spartans
D 0-0
03/10/21
SWPL1
Home v Hamilton
W 3-0
29/09/21
SWPL1
Home v Celtic
L 0-4
12/09/21
SWPL1
Home v Hibs
L 0-4
05/09/21
SWPL1
Away v Glasgow City
L 0-6
TOP SCORERS Player
Goals
Chelsie Watson
3
Own Goals
3
Carla Boyce
2
Leanne Crichton
2
Claire Crosbie
2
Lori Gardner
2
Kaela McDonald-Nguah
2
THISTLE IN THE SCOTTISH CUP The Scottish Women’s Cup makes a welcome return to the women’s football calendar in Scotland this season after a period in abeyance because of Covid-19. The competition dates back to season 1970-1971 when Stewarton Thistle defeated the quaintly named Aberdeen Prima Donnas 4-2 in the Final. The Women’s game in Scotland has made tremendous advances in terms of professionalism and overall levels of organisation since those bygone years of over 50 years ago, most of those advances coming across the course of the last decade or so. Our own advances are reflective of the overall changes in the game in Scotland. We pride ourselves on our continuing growing levels of professionalism, but definitive details of our earliest days are often frustratingly incomplete. None more so when looking back at our record in the Scottish Cup. Our first documented Scottish Cup tie was in the Second Round of the 2015 competition when we went down to a 3-0 defeat away to Aberdeen 2nd XI. Our interest in the 2017 competition ended at the Preliminary Stage when we were defeated 2-0 away to Queen’s Park. Goals from Ashley McKeown and Ceara MacIntyre helped Queens establish a two-goal lead and although Loran Christie pulled a goal back after 65 minutes, Thistle were unable to find an equaliser. Team: Dewis, Robertson, Richardson, Addie, Hawksworth (Cameron), Todd (Shankley), Corr, Donaghy, Bisland, MacTaggart, Christie. We had a bit more success the following season. Thistle were paired with St Mirren in the Preliminary Round and recorded an emphatic 5-0 win. Valentina Mazzoni opened the scoring after 23 minutes with Mhairi Hawksworth doubling that lead after 31 minutes. Hawksworth netted her second goal after 67 minutes before completing a hat-trick with two minutes of the 90 remaining. There was still time, however, for a further Thistle goal with Yasmin Boyce adding a fifth in the last minute. Team: Andrews, Addie, Gillan, Lawton, Mallon, Campbell, Hawksworth, MacTaggart, Richardson (Hughes), Boyce, Mazzoni. That win set Thistle up with another home tie, this time against Airdrie Ladies and again Thistle were able to record a comprehensive victory. After her hat-trick in the previous round, Mhairi Hawksworth opened the scoring in a game that would finish in a 4-1 Thistle win, after 14 minutes. Danielle O’Neill did equalise 5 minutes later, but Yasmin Boyce restored the Thistle lead midway through the first half with Emma Lawton adding a third Thistle goal before half-time. Yasmin Boyce scored her second goal after 66 minutes to complete the scoring. Team: Dewis, Lawton, Donaghy, Addie, Hawksworth, Gillan, Mallon, Campbell, Boyce, MacTaggart, Mazzoni (Christie). Thistle’ s interest in the 2019 Scottish Cup ended in the next round when they were defeated 7-0 by Hibernian. Our last Scottish Cup tie came against today’s Scottish Cup opponents in August 2019. Thistle, now a SWPL side, entered the tournament at the thirdround stage but would progress no further although they did take Motherwell to extra-time before exiting the tournament. After a goalless 90 minutes, goals from Katie Rice and Chelsea McEachran early in the first period of the extra 30 minutes were enough to secure them a 2-0 win. Team: Robson, Ross (Jaycock), Jackson, McGlashan (Hawksworth), Lawton, McLeod, Lyle, Mallon, Rigden, Paterson (Bisland), Morris (Christie).
TEAM LISTS PARTICK THISTLE 1. Lauren McGregor 2. Rosie Slater 3. Kim Murphy 4. Cheryl McCulloch 5. Demi Falconer 6. Colette Fleming 7. Teigan McCann 8. Clare Docherty 9. Taylor McGlashan 10. Emma Craig 11. Cara McBrearty 13. Ellie Vernal 14. Sophie Gallaher 15. Jade Gallon 16. Rebecca McGowan 17. Sophie Payne 18. Danica Dalziel 19. Cheryl Rigden 20. Freya Macdonald 21. Lauren Grant 22. Eleanor Smith 23. Dionne Brown 24. Amy Bulloch 25. Summer Christie 26. Eva Payne
MOTHERWELL 1. Khym Ramsay 3. Claire Crosbie 4. Chelsie Watson 5. Jo Addie 6. Amy Anderson 7. Kodie Hay 8. Claire Adams 9. Carla Boyce 11. Lori Gardner 12. Eilidh Martin 14. Gill Inglis 16. Olivia Potter 17. Kaela McDonald-Nguah 18. Leanne Crichton 19. Holly Napier 20. Katie Rice 22. Jordan McLintock 23. Georgie Rafferty 24. Abby Skelton 25. Lauren Doran-Barr 26. Laura McCartney 27. Jemma Hughes 28. Murron Cunningham 30. Courtney Whyte 35. Ciara Duff 40. London Pollard 66. Paige McAllister