Grampian Ladies and Girls FC are the new kids on the block in women’s football in Aberdeen, but have already established a successful players pathway from girls to the senior women’s team.
Grampian was founded last year by George Duncan as he sought to create opportunities for local girls and women to play football in Aberdeen City. Duncan has been involved in women’s football for many years after founding Dee Ladies eight years ago.
Grampian’s senior side currently play in the SWF Championship North alongside other local teams Westdyke, Stonehaven, Buchan and Inverness Caley Thistle.
Despite only playing three league games so far, Duncan insists his side are good enough to compete with the Championship’s top sides East Fife, Montrose and Dunfermline.
The club is a family affair as Duncan’s daughter and wife not only play for the side, but also help to coach and run the committee.
Grampian has ambitions to be playing in SWPL1 with the next three to four years and also hope to create youth national performance squads in the years to come.
While their league ambitions are high, the club’s priority is to make sure that all teams are enjoying their football.
The Chairman said, “My main aim at Grampian is to compete to the best of our ability at as high of a league as possible.
“Whether it’s our under 7’s or right through to our ladies team, if that’s done with smiles on faces that’s the best we can ask.
“Having local girls playing in a local team is what we strive towards. Offering girls and women of all ages and ability a platform and a place to play.”
Final score Grampian 6-3 @buchanladiesfc
Thanks to today's mascot Summer Allan-Barrie from our 13s team ❤🖤 pic.twitter.com/fc8K0WsIR4
— Grampian Ladies and Girls FC (@FcGrampian) September 12, 2021
Duncan believes that his side does not need the financial backing of a men’s team to be successful. The club has a successful partnership with Banks O’Dee as well as local sponsors the Grampian Bar, Abbotswell Pharmacy, StagTIC, MSK Sports Therapy, Forrest Training, Steadfast Scotland, Tam International and Jelly Penguin Graphics.
The club also received £3,846 after an anonymous benefactor donated £100,000 to Scottish Women’s Football.
He said, “I don’t think a team needs to have a men’s side to be a success. Glasgow City doesn’t have a men’s team and look what they achieve.
“We have lots of local businesses backing us and Banks O’Dee have been great.”
A complete player pathway
Tommy Russo had previously been a coach at Cove Youth FC, but joined the club as Vice Chair as he became concerned about the lack of opportunities for girls to progress into senior football.
Russo also coaches the under 17’s and helped to develop the complete player pathway from under 7’s to the women’s senior squad. The club currently has over 150 registered players with teams in every youth age group.
He said: “Cove Rangers Women subsequently folded in 2020 and I started having concerns that there was no pathway in place for my girls to get into women’s football.
“At the end of season 20/21 I quit Cove Youth FC and the proposal was that I would establish an U15’s team, however Grampian’s plan’s where bigger than this, they wanted teams at every age group to give a complete player pathway within the club.
“So, after many late nights, hard work by the Grampian committee we managed to affiliate teams at all age groups before the cutoff date of December 2021. We are now one of only two teams within Aberdeen City that has a complete player pathway.”
Grampian’s pathway has already seen success with six under 17’s players having already featured for the women’s senior side with one young player becoming a regular starter.
Kirsty McBain is the current captain of Grampian’s senior squad and believes the club’s commitment to their youth players is one of the team’s best qualities.
She said: “It’s been great to get back to some sort of normality and back on the pitch playing competitive football.
“We haven’t had the best start to a season with one win and a couple defeats however there are so many positives to take from the start of this season as a club.
“We’ve had a real youth presence in all three of our games with girls coming up from 17’s to join up with the Ladies and all three girls have been excellent when they’ve played.”
Youth development
Grampian has ambitions to develop their youth set-up even more.
Head of Youth Development, Darren Scott, said: “Over the next 5 years we want to be able to offer girls of all ages the opportunity to play football in the North East through a pathway from grassroots to first team football.
“Our aim for next year is to introduce a development squad for the progression of those coming up from U17 and also for those players at Ladies who are looking to step down a level or require further development to allow them to progress into the Ladies first team.
“With designated coaches at all levels and having them qualified to the appropriate badge for coaching at these levels over that period, will also improve the delivery of coaching to enhance the performance and development of all girls under the Grampian banner.”
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