Aberdeen Women co-manager Gavin Beith believes his side have earned the right to play at Pittodrie, and will be looking to put on a good show when they welcome Rangers tonight.
The Dons host Rangers at Pittodrie this evening in what is the third meeting between the two sides this season – and the first ever time the women’s team will play at the club stadium.
Aberdeen come into the game off the back of two wins in SWPL 1 – and are in decent form having won seven out of their last nine matches in all competitions.
Their form currently has the Reds in fifth place, with eyes potentially on a top-four finish – an impressive outlook for their first season back in the top-flight.
Beith, who joined the club as co-boss in the summer, believes the chance to play at Pittodrie is just reward for the hard work that the players have put in – this season and years prior.
He said: “The girls work so hard all the time, and have done so for years.
“It’s a bit of recognition to where they are at.
“You need to earn the right for these big occasions and they’ve done that.
“They’ve progressed well with Emma over the last two years, and have had a really good season to date in SWPL 1.
“It’s going to be a fantastic occasion for us as coaches and staff, and for the players to go out and embrace those moments.”
And Beith knows that the occasion is not just important for the club, but for women’s football in the north and north-east.
He explained: “The game is a good opportunity for Aberdeen to go and express themselves as the women’s team.
“But it’s also an opportunity to show everyone in the north-east what women’s football is all about.
“We’re bringing one of the best teams in Scotland, if not the best team right now, to Pittodrie.
“As much as it’s a home game for Aberdeen and it is about us – you have to look at the bigger picture and what it means for the women’s game as well.”
A good performance for the fans
Aberdeen’s biggest attendance so far this season was on the opening day of the season against Celtic when 480 fans were at Balmoral Stadium.
There could be almost ten times that at Pittodrie this evening, with Beith hoping his side can repay the fans support by putting in a good performance on the pitch.
He said: “It’ll be fantastic having so many people in the ground.
“It will really spur us on, when there was around 500 at Balmoral against Celtic it really helped us.
“Hopefully we can go out and be competitive, and put on a good show for the people that come and support us.
“We want to entertain them and for the fans to be part of the occasion.”