Latest news with #ScottishWomensPremierLeague
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Graham stands down as Partick Thistle Women boss
Partick Thistle have announced that Brian Graham is stepping down as the manager of their women's team - the morning after his men's team were beaten in the Scottish Premiership Play-off semi-final by Friday's second-leg defeat, Graham told BBC Scotland that, if he and interim co-manager Mark Wilson do not stay in their positions on a permanent basis, he is not sure if he can stay at the Championship 37-year-old Graham was appointed boss of the Scottish Women's Premier League team in 2020 while the striker was continuing to play for the men's team - and added the men's management role when Kris Doolan left in told Thistle's website: "I made the decision in January that this would be my last season in charge of the girls. I've loved every minute of it, but I felt it was the right time. "I'm immensely proud of everything we have achieved as a club."Asked about his future with the men's team after Friday's 2-0 defeat in West Lothian, Graham had told BBC Scotland: "We were up for the job since day one. I knew stepping out that changing room, I couldn't go back to it."So, if I don't get the job, can I honestly be at the club? I don't know. "There's a lot of questions need to be asked. I've loved my time at the football club. I don't know what the future holds."Graham was full of praise for his players, who finished the season in fourth place but then defeated third-top Ayr United in their quarter-final play-off before losing 4-0 on aggregate to runners-up Livingston."We didn't do enough in the first leg," he said. "I thought we were probably the better side [in the second leg].The boys were a credit to the football club, the way they played."Co-manager Wilson admitted is also keen to take the manager's job at Firhill."A manager needs to be appointed and it's a big decision," he will take charge of the women's team for the last time when they face Spartans at Ainslie Park on his time as manager, he has overseen promotion to the top flight and had two top-six finishes, reached the Scottish Cup semi-final and the Sky Sports Cup final.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Will 'excited but scared' Hibs edge closer to title?
Scottish Women's Premier League: Hibernian v CelticVenue: Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Wednesday 14 May Kick-off: 18:00 BSTCoverage: Watch on BBC Alba, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app It is understandable Hibernian head coach Grant Scott's nerves are jangling as the Scottish Women's Premier League appears destined to go down to yet another final-day two games to go, Hibs sit top - three points ahead of treble-hunters Rangers and 16-time record winners Glasgow City. For each of the past two campaigns since the SWPL split was introduced, managing director Fiona McIntyre has spent the last day of the season in car with the trophy, pulling the odd U-turn as the drama 'big three' of Celtic, Rangers and Glasgow City have all been involved, but this year, the surprise package from the east are in the driving were the bridesmaid seven times during City's 14-year stranglehold of the SWPL and have not won the league since two more victories - against Celtic on Wednesday and Rangers on Sunday at Ibrox, no less - and they will have pulled off the unthinkable. How does Scott feel about that? "Excited, incredibly proud, but also really scared," he replied. Can Hibs make dreams come true? Hibs have timed their run to the summit perfectly, first moving level on points with City on 2 March. Since then, they have not been could have had an even comfier cushion heading into the penultimate round of fixtures but drew with Leanne Ross' City in the capital on could yet prove to be a precious point as it is one that keeps their fate in their own hands on Wednesday, at Hibs host Celtic - who they are undefeated against this campaign - second-placed Rangers travel to Heart of Midlothian, with City at both chasers suffer unlikely defeats, and Hibs get the job done against the deposed champions, the Leith side could be announced champions on the night. Grant, though, insists he has "not at all" thought of that possibility."Two 90 minutes of football determines where we finish, that's the simplicity and beauty of the game," Grant told BBC Scotland. "That gives you the nervous fear that hopefully gives you the right energy to keep performing."We're all dreaming about what could be, we're just trying to ground ourselves, but it's getting harder and harder the closer it gets."For weeks, Scott and his players have batted away the suggestion they could cause a stir and secure the title. Now he is asking them to soak it all in."Honestly, this week, whatever happens, it goes to the last day of the season and that's just mega exciting," he said. "I just hope the players soak up the privilege of being in that position because they've worked so hard to get there and, as long as we turn up, I'll be happy."Happy he might be, but how will Scott cope in the run up to Sunday's showdown?"Truthfully, I don't know," he replied. "I don't know how I'll sleep, how I'll recover the players, how I'll keep a lid on it all, I have no idea." What are the challengers saying? Rangers head coach Jo Potter already has one trophy in the bag this season after her side thrashed Hibs 5-0 in the SWPL Cup final. With Potter's team also facing City in this month's Women's Scottish Cup final, a domestic treble is still on, something she regards as "crazy" considering she thinks her side are "fortunate" to be back in the title either Hibs or City had won their game on Sunday, Rangers would have been needing favours from elsewhere, but now they know, thanks to their superior goal difference, that two consecutive wins will be enough to secure the title they narrowly lost to Celtic last season. "It's better than it was last year because we lost out on goal difference," she said. "We said from very early doors that we don't want to feel that feeling again and we've got ourselves in a really healthy position. That's comforting for us."Sunday's 1-0 win away to reigning champions Celtic was a potential banana skin survived, but Potter pointed out that her side "must turn up to Hearts first" - a side who recently beat Hibs on their own patch - before thinking of a potential title showdown against the current she prepared to face former side Motherwell, City assistant Leanne Crichton, who was a serial title winner with her club as a player, expects the title race to go down to the final day."There's a reason why Hibs are still at the top of the table - because they're a good side, they've got experienced players, they've got quality, they've got a good manager," she told BBC Scotland's Behind the Goals podcast."There's still so much to play for. The Champions League spots as well are absolutely massive. "Ultimately, if you cannot win the league, the next big thing is European football. The three teams at the top have still got it all to play for. It feels like it could be another final-day drama."
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Watch Sunday's SWPL bottom-six highlights
Watch the best of Sunday's action in the bottom six of the Scottish Women's Premier League, including a victory that secured Aberdeen's safety from relegation as well as important wins for Montrose and Spartans.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Watch Sunday's SWPL top-six highlights
Watch the best of Sunday's action in the top six of the Scottish Women's Premier League, including a draw between top two Hibernian and Glasgow City - and a crucial derby victory for Rangers.
