02-05-2025
White shorts are still a bloody nightmare for Scottish Women's football
There is a huge issue in the women's game that has still not been properly addressed by clubs
RED WARNING White shorts are still a bloody nightmare for Scottish Women's football
TILLY GALVIN has won the News Scotland/Scottish Football Supporters Association Young Sportswriter 2025 award.
Below is her winning article.
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IT often goes unsaid that women have periods; this is a fact that we all know.
So, why does it come as a surprise to Scottish football clubs that the possibility of female footballers wearing white shorts could feel risky to them?
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Nicola Docherty wears dark coloured shorts for Scotland
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
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But Nicola still wears white shorts for her club Rangers
Credit: Rex
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Celtic's Maria McAneny wearing white shorts this season
Credit: SNS
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Tilly Galvin with her award
Credit: Steve Welsh
Back in 2023, Scottish fullback Nicola Docherty brought forward the issue of female footballers wearing white shorts during their menstrual cycle.
She argued: 'If only one woman feels uncomfortable, then that's enough for us to change it.'
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Now, wearing white shorts is no longer an issue for Scottish international players.
It is intriguing, however, that this change has not transcended to club football.
Celtic and Rangers, despite being two of the biggest clubs in Scottish football, still seem slow to keep up with the trends, with both teams still, this season, playing in white shorts.
This comes in stark contrast to the women's game in England, where their efforts to make a change have been significant, with the Lionesses and Wimbledon examples of period-concern kit changes.
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The Lionesses are now able to play worry-free in navy shorts and
Wimbledon athletes compete with black undershorts beneath their traditional all-white outfits.
The constant fear of 'bleeding through' should not be on the minds of athletes, especially at a professional level.
Periods are experienced by almost every woman on the planet, so the consistent ignorance of the issue is just not a justifiable argument anymore.
Thankfully, some Scottish clubs have awareness, with a pertinent example being Livingston FC's Natasha Frew.
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Back in 2022, Frew advocated for a change of kit. With Livingston's strip previously being all-white, she argued for a change to black shorts.
The Livingston skipper told the BBC how this
will 'allow us to focus more on our game".
Obviously, the prospect of leaking on live television mid-match should not need to be a concern for players because it is, quite frankly, humiliating, distracting and easily solved.
So, why, despite the progress made in 2022/23, are we in 2025, and this is still a pressing issue?
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Until there is an introduction of a mandatory kit guideline by the SWPL for clubs, conversations will still need to be had.
Clearly, some Scottish clubs remain strangely unaware of the issue of white shorts clashing with a player's time of the month, with more pressure from players for a kit change clearly required.
The introduction of a kit policy change in the SWPL would be a significant progression in Scottish women's football.
If the first step is taken at a professional level, then grassroots
teams will likely follow suit.
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The issue of female athletes bleeding once a month isn't going anywhere.
So, Scottish clubs and leagues need to work together to enforce change to kits and rules, because without people such as Docherty and Frew progress will never happen.
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