Following a short summer break, Queen’s Park Women are finally back in action with their first competitive match of the 2021/22 season. The Spiders are set to face Rangers on Sunday, 8th August 2021 at the Rangers Training Centre in Milngavie, with the match kicking off at 4:00 PM.
As only a limited number of spectators is allowed into the RTC due to COVID-19 restrictions, supporters can follow the team on Twitter (at @QueensParkLFC) and Facebook (at facebook.com/QueensParkWFC) for team news, photos and match updates throughout the day.
THE SWPL CUP
Queen’s Park have been drawn in Group A of the SWPL Cup, alongside Rangers (SWPL 1), Hamilton Academical (SWPL 1), Motherwell (SWPL 1) and Boroughmuir Thistle (SWPL 2). Following the season opener against Rangers, the Spiders will face Aberdeen (15th August) and Motherwell (29th August) at home and Boroughmuir Thistle (22nd August) in Edinburgh.
Newly-appointed Head Coach Barry Rodgers explains that the SWPL Cup is a good opportunity for the players to test themselves against top-quality opposition. “We want to go and be as competitive as we can in these four games,” he said. “With in mind the bigger picture of, you know, we’re still coming together as a team and we’re still looking to develop our way of playing, our playing style”.
A list of the full fixtures can be found HERE.
THE OPPOSITION
Last season (2020/21), Rangers finished in third place in the SWPL 1, with 16 wins and 5 losses, scoring 76 goals and conceding just 10. This summer, they have already strengthened their squad with the additions of Dutch midfielder Tessel Middag from Fiorentina, Jamaican forward Kayla McCoy from Houston Dash, and SWNT striker Jane Ross from Manchester United.
The last meeting between the two sides took place on Thursday, 27th February 2020, in the group stage of the SWPL Cup competition. A 2nd-minute Megan Bell penalty and second-half goals from Brogan Hay and Daïna Bourma secured a 3–0 win for the hosts over the Spiders at the Rangers Training Centre in Milngavie. The 2020 season was later declared null and void by SWF due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
“The first game is against Rangers, which should be good for us, because we are looking to test ourselves, test everybody, and Rangers will pose one of the biggest tests that you could have in domestic football, so we are excited and looking forward to it”, said Barry Rodgers. “The players are really positive, they’re keen to do their best, so the SWPL Cup is going to be a good challenge for us”.
The interview with Barry Rodgers can be read in full HERE.