Game of Two Halves event hits record numbers
Female footballers from across Scotland gathered at the nation’s most iconic sporting venue as Hampden Park played host to a trailblazing day of competition and career inspiration.
Organised by ScottishPower, Principal Partner of Scottish Women’s Football (SWF), and fronted by acclaimed sports broadcaster Eilidh Barbour, the event welcomed over 50 players from Stirling Albion Juniors, East Fife, Murieston United and Holytown Colts.
They were joined by leading SWPL player, Rachel Donaldson, who spent the day connecting with the next generation both on and off the pitch.
Overlooking the historic Hampden turf, players took part in an immersive careers workshop designed to spark interest in STEM pathways.
Led by SWF Chief Executive Aileen Campbell and ScottishPower’s recruitment specialists Paula Irvine, Stevie Faulds and Fraser Wilson, the session gave young athletes a hands-on look at future careers in engineering, technology and energy.
The afternoon then saw a fiercely-contested football session at nearby Toryglen Regional Football Centre with girls from the grassroots game being cheered on by their SWPL heroes.
The Hampden gathering marked the latest stop in ScottishPower’s nationwide “Game of Two Halves” initiative, now in its third year.
Previous events in Dumfries, Glasgow and Edinburgh have already helped hundreds of girls connect the dots between football and future careers – spotlighting transferrable skills such as leadership, teamwork and problem-solving.
Julie Keough, Brand Director at ScottishPower, said: “We’re now three years into supporting women’s and girls’ football across Scotland, and the growth has been nothing short of remarkable. Football teaches confidence, resilience and leadership – skills that matter both on the pitch and in the workplace.
“As a major employer in Scotland, we’re passionate about helping girls see the breadth of opportunities available to them, especially in STEM. The energy and ambition they bring to these sessions is inspiring, and it shows exactly why this programme matters.”
TV presenter Eilidh Barbour was on hand to talk careers with the girls too.
She said: “Days like this at Hampden show just how powerful football can be in opening doors. The girls I met today have the talent, drive and teamwork you see at the top level of the game and those same strengths can take them into brilliant careers in STEM too. I really hope everyone who took part leaves with something positive from the day, whether it’s a new confidence boost, a fresh ambition, or simply a clearer sense of the opportunities out there beyond the pitch”
ScottishPower, a leading renewable energy company, is the exclusive Principal Partner for Scottish Women’s Football and the Scottish Women’s Premier League and is dedicated to supporting the women’s game from grassroots to elite.
The company 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.
ScottishPower’s partnership aligns with 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.
