Queen’s Park Women will be hoping to start their league campaign with three points when they take on Partick Thistle on Sunday, 18th October in the first match of the 2020/21 SWPL 2 season. Spectators are not permitted under current government guidelines.
THE LEAGUE
This weekend, Glasgow Women kick-off their season against Stirling University at their new home of New Tinto Park; meanwhile, Dundee United travel to Cormack Park to play Aberdeen, Hamilton Academical host Boroughmuir Thistle, while St Johnstone’s match against Kilmarnock has been postponed due to Covid-19. A list of the full fixtures can be found here.
TRANSFER NEWS
On Monday, 12nd October, Queen’s Park announced the signing of Hong Kong international Ho Wan Tung (Toni) from Kitchee F.C., subject to international clearance. “I actually came to Scotland earlier this year, and I love this place,” the defender said about her decision to come to Glasgow. “People here are nice and welcoming, and the Highlands are really an amazing place to visit. It is very different from Hong Kong.” She then added: “I am looking forward to the coming season. I am not very familiar with the formation and the tactics right now, but I think that our main goal is to stay in the league and hopefully we can finish even higher than that.” Ho has always wanted to play overseas, and she becomes the third Hong Kong-born player to sign with an SWPL 2 side: two of her national team teammates, Chung Pui Ki and Chun Ching Hang, played for Kilmarnock last season. “They said that this league [the SWPL 2] is very competitive, and this is what I want.” Unfortunately, the defender will not be available for selection on Sunday against Partick Thistle.
On Friday, 16th October, the club announced the signings of winger Demi Potts and centre-forward Sophie McGoldrick from Glasgow City U19s. This brings the number of new signings to nine: Chloe Docherty (midfielder, from Glasgow Women), Emily Shearer (midfielder, from Glasgow Women), and Louisa Boyes (midfielder, from Murray State College) all joined the club in August, while Samantha McManus (striker, from Motherwell) signed with the club in September. Katie Andrews (goalkeeper, from Glasgow City) and Rachael Caddell (goalkeeper, from Gartcairn) both joined the Spiders in October.
SQUAD NUMBERS
Our updated 2020/21 squad numbers can be found here.
THE OPPOSITION
The most recent meeting between the two sides came in the now-defunct SWFL 1 South on Sunday, 30th September 2018. The match ended 2–0 to Queen’s Park, with Helen McLeod and Cara McBrearty on the scoresheet for the Spiders.
Last season (2019, as the 2020 season was declared null and void by SWF due to Covid-19), Partick Thistle finished in fifth place, with 8 wins, 6 draws and 7 losses; they scored 44 goals (the second worst attacking record in the SWPL 2) and conceded 27 (the third best defensive record in the SWPL 2).
Partick Thistle have recently announced the appointment of men’s team player Brian Graham as their new Head Coach.