Central Girls football team has scored vital new equipment for its youth players after being nominated for a prize giveaway from SWPL Principal Partner ScottishPower by Queen’s Park defender Rachael O’Neill and midfielder Megan Quigley.

The leading renewable energy company became the exclusive Principal Partner for Scottish Women’s Football and the Scottish Women’s Premier League at the start of last season and is dedicated to supporting the women’s game from grassroots to elite.
To celebrate its partnership, the firm is providing 6 x kit packages to grassroots clubs featuring bibs, cones, water bottles and Puma football boots and footballs (sized for U14s).

It asked the captains of SWPL sides to nominate a community club they value for their work to further developing girls’ youth football.
Rachael O’Neill nominated Central Girls, who’s coach Iain Dibdin received the new equipment at the team’s training ground at Inchyra Park, from both players and Craig Arthur, ScottishPower Distribution Director.

Rachael said: “As a grassroots club, Central have a great set-up and we’re delighted to be able to handover the kit donation. Our former captain at Queen’s Park came through the ranks here and helped us win the league so it’s great to be able to give the club something back.

“People might not realise the effect not having the right kit or having wrong-fitting kit can have on young players so I’m really pleased to see the girls at Central being able to just focus on their football, which is what really matters anyway.”

Megan Quigley added: “I remember growing up and playing in hand-me-down kits from boys teams and we never had access to enough balls or cones and bibs so training was always cut short. It’s great to come down to see Central Girls benefitting from kit from ScottishPower and to see how it’s really going to benefit them as they push on in their own development and growth in the game.”

Central Girls lead coach Iain Dibdin said: “Grassroots football is incredibly important. There’s no greater satisfaction for us as coaches to see a player move all the way through the levels on their footballing journey. At Central we’ve had lots of success stories, we’ve former youth players now playing with clubs in the Premier League, abroad and the likes of Sam Kerr and Leah Eddie – both ex-Central players – now playing for the Scotland national team too.

“The kit giveaway we’ve received from ScottishPower is very valuable to a grassroots club like us. I always tell the other coaches that every pound is a prisoner, we have to make the budget we have go as far as possible to support the development of the players – everyone starts in grassroots football after all. We always need equipment, balls, bibs and everything. To have this donated for free today is a fantastic boost for us.”

The kit giveaway comes as ScottishPower works closely with both SWF and the SWPL to invest in supporting the continued growth of the women’s game.

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of ScottishPower, said: “We want to energise women’s football for both current and future generations and build a community of players that inspire even more people to play and enjoy the game.

“That means working with our partners at SWF and the SWPL to help clubs and players overcome barriers to their growth and operation.

“By providing training kit and asking those players at the top of the game to nominate a community club to receive it, we’re making sure that everyone can benefit from this partnership, whether at the elite end of the game or those all-essential grassroots.”

ScottishPower is at the heart of communities across the country, whether it’s through the thousands of green jobs being created, the renewable power it generates or the secure, stable electricity it supplies - keeping the lights on from power to plug.

It is also a major employer in Scotland with a key focus on encouraging more women to consider STEM careers.

ScottishPower’s partnership joins parent company, Iberdrola, which has been promoting equality through sport since 2016, through competitions and federations in Spain and Brazil.

It supports more than 100 competitions, 32 of them as Iberdrola leagues, reaching an estimated 600,000 female athletes.