Donald Gillies: The Focus Is On A Strong Start

NOW, with just over three weeks until the competitive action returns, Donald Gillies says Rangers will be in a better position to get off to a fast start.

The Light Blues will contest the Champions League second qualifying round on home soil, before the SPWPL recommences on August 16, with a trip to Montrose up first for Leanne Crichton’s side.

Speaking to the club’s official website ahead of the new campaign getting underway, he said: “I think if the season's gone by has taught us anything, there will be ups and downs; I think that is probably the best way to view it.

“You don’t get a league that has been won by five different clubs in the last five years without swings and roundabouts involved in that.

“It was disappointing to lose Mia and Leah and others amongst that, but I think we always go into the new season with that squad that we have assembled in the off-season feeling like we are in a better place.

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060726 Kirsty Smith Signing 08

“Now there is maybe a little bit more experience; the average age of the squad is maybe three or four months older than what it was.

“The younger players are older than what they were; they have gone through bad experiences.

“Having experienced incredible highs like the semi-final of the League Cup and then incredible lows like the Petershill experience.

“If we can minimise the amount of lows that exist, hopefully we can come out on top.

“Montrose will be a tough start to the season; they were incredibly unfortunate not to be top-six last year.

“Craig [Feroz] and Barry [O'Neill] and the guys up there run a great club.

“Investment in their facilities continues to improve; they have recruited from loan clubs in the past as well, and I am sure they will be saying the exact thing that we are saying: what a great opportunity to start the season and lay a marker down.

“That is what Leanne and the team will be looking to do as well.”

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290626 Gry Boe Thrysoe Signing 23

Around this time last year, the club announced that there would be more women’s fixtures than ever before played at Ibrox, having experimented with the opportunity to play in the iconic venue on occasion; the Women’s and Girls’ Managing Director has given an update on the home ground for the campaign ahead.

He added: “The home stadium is Broadwood for the coming year. Not because the players didn't enjoy playing at one of the most iconic stadiums in world football.

“I think when we went into the start of last season there was a concept that we wanted to explore.

“We wanted to see whether or not we could grow attendance, grow audience, create a meaningful experience.

“Broadwood obviously sits in Cumbernauld, which is in North Lanarkshire outside of Glasgow, further away from our home base. Broadwood is an excellent stadium; the turf has been re-laid, which I know the players are looking forward to experiencing.

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030726 Mijke Roelfsema Signing 17

“It is a smaller stadium, which creates a better atmosphere. North Lanarkshire Council are fantastic with us coming and going and when we can and can't get it, but we wanted to give Ibrox a good crack.

“We have seen clubs across the world try to make the club stadium, if you like, the women's and men's home stadium and do it successfully, but there are probably specific reasons why it has worked for them and really hasn't worked for us.

“It didn't really work for us because we couldn't confirm the games far enough out, which we thought we would be able to.

“Then of course our leadership changed internally quite quickly within the season starting, and then new leadership might have a different idea of consistencies of what they want at the right place in time, which is absolutely the prerogative of the club as a whole to make that decision.

“Going into the next year, we will still play at Ibrox; we will have some games at Ibrox that we think are the right games at the right point at the right time, but Broadwood is our home for next season.

“We are thankful that it is looking better than ever and we are looking forward to playing there.”

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290626 Bailley Collins Signing 07