| Event: Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh Date: Sunday, May 29 Kick off: 16:10 BST |
| Roof: Watch it on BBC Alba, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app |
Head coach Eileen Gleeson says it would be “huge” for “trailblazers” Glasgow City to beat Celtic in the Scottish Women’s Cup final on Sunday and avoid a first trophy-less season in 17 years.
Rangers ended City’s 14-year reign as league champions and were beaten by Celtic in the League Cup final.
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But Gleeson says other clubs have City to thank for being able to challenge.
“What you need is competition and that breeds success and development,” he told BBC Scotland.
“That is the legacy of the city of Glasgow and its innovation and its constant pushing boundaries and standards. That meant that other clubs had to follow or fall and that is exactly what happened.
In Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers’ second season as professional teams, City finished runners-up, seven points behind the latter in SWPL1, although their only defeat came against the new champions.
Celtic were another 10 points behind, but it was Fran Alonso’s side who won 1-0 in December to lift the SWPL Cup and secure their first silver medal since 2010.
“We had the disappointment of not winning the league this year, but this is a totally separate competition, so all those pressures are there and the realization that we didn’t win the league,” Gleeson said.
“It should be an amazing game. Since my time here we have played Celtic three times and the games have been tight, close and competitive.
Win or lose, Gleeson, who won six trophies in eight years with Peamount United in the Republic of Ireland, is looking forward to his first pre-season with City next year as his arrival was delayed until November due to commitments as assistant manager. your national team. .
“Maybe it has its challenges with being late and trying to catch up and get to know the players very quickly,” he said.
“They are a great set of players and it would be a lovely way to finish off with a bit of a trophy and show that they really are champions and have a strong winning mentality.”
Following a 2-2 draw at Celtic in September, City won their next two league games (2-0 in February and 2-1 in March, both at home) and that leaves midfielder Hayley Lauder hopeful of recover the League Cup. overcome.
The 31-year-old, capped 103 times by Scotland, says victory over a “great team with some of the best players” at Tynecastle would ensure her club, who are cup holders after the pandemic postponed it for two seasons, remained “synonymous” with winning cutlery.
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