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Fireworks, Unbeaten in the league and defence of our Sky Sports Cup Continues
December 2nd 2023
Fireworks, Unbeaten in the league and defence of our Sky Sports Cup Continues:
November Roundup – Round 12 – 14 of SWPL Review and Sky Sports Quarter Final Review
By Graeme Middleton, December 2023
SWPL Round 12: Rangers vs Spartans (5th November 2023)
So, after a 2-week international break, we return to league duties and with a third of the league fixtures now completed after our last match in Round 11, today marks the start of the next round of fixtures. We return to Broadwood for the first time since mid-September to face Spartans.
It is worth noting that for this match Brogan Hay got a special mention and framed top to mark her 100th appearance for the club, presented on the pitch by Jo Potter, it was a nice touch from the club.
Congratulations to Brogan for this amazing achievement!
Spartans after a difficult start to their SWPL Campaign are now gaining points and causing teams difficulty, their last match ended Spartans 3-4 Hearts, it is worth noting that they were beating Hearts 3-1 until the 78th minute until Hearts somehow managed an unbelievable turnaround to win the game 3-4, this sets the scene for what could be a difficult afternoon ahead for us.
Spartans did prove hard to break down during this match, however after 26 minutes Brogan Hay off the back of her 100th appearance scores an incredible goal to give us a 1-0 lead, we then had a goal from Michelle Colson to make it 2-0, however after 67 minutes Spartans had scored through an own goal from Jenna Fife, it was a pass back that was very unfortunate to go in, this then made it a nervy end to the match, however after coming on as a late substitute Megan Bell scored in the 89th minute to make the score more comfortable and the match result finished: Rangers 3-1 Spartans.
League action now pauses at this point for 2 weeks as we look towards our next fixture, home to Boroughmuir Thistle in the Sky Sports League Cup Quarter Final at Broadwood, a chance for us to go a step closer to retaining our trophy!
Scottish Cup Draw: 8th November 2023
During the week, we learned who our opponents for the Scottish Cup 3rd Round are, we were drawn away to Inverness, the game is scheduled to be played in Inverness on Sunday January 7th, 2024, with a kick off time of 1PM, this game will be played at the Caledonian Stadium.
Sky Sports League Cup Quarter Final: Rangers vs Boroughmuir Thistle (12th November 2023)
We now turn our attention away from the league this week to focus on continuation of the defence of our league cup which we started successfully back in October against Hearts.
Before the match started, it is worth noting that we had a presentation on the pitch, this time it was our club Captain Nicola Docherty who has also joined Brogan Hay in making 100 appearances for Rangers, the presentation was done by Jo Potter who gave Nic a framed top to mark this milestone.
Congratulations Captain on this amazing achievement!
So, after the presentation it was down to cup action, we didn’t need to wait long for the first goal, this came after 1 minute and 17 seconds on the board and was scored by Tessel Middag! However after this the visitors made sure that this was by no means an easy game for Rangers, they dug in and their goalkeeper made some really amazing saves, also worth adding we hit the bar a few times as well, however after 25 minutes Megan Bell after a flash of magic scored the 2nd goal and then not long later Rio Hardy made it 3-0 to Rangers going into Half Time.
The second half there were some substitutions made and it didn’t take long for Rangers to get the 4th goal with a fantastic finish from Rio Hardy (Rios 2nd of the game), Kirsty Howat made it 5-0 not long later, Laura Berry who was not long on as substitute scored a cracking goal as well to make it 6-0, the scoring was not to be finished just yet, up steps Eilidh Austin to score an amazing goal to make it 7-0 to Rangers, but also add that this is Eilidh’s first competitive goal for her childhood club she grew up supporting, can only imagine that goal would be pretty special!
Congratulations to Eilidh on this achievement and hopefully the first of many.
The full-time score ended Rangers 7-0 Boroughmuir Thistle.
With the semi-final berth successfully booked and a further step forward to retaining our trophy, we now turn our attention back to the league, our next opponents are Glasgow City away.
Sky Sports Semi-Final Draw: 16th November 2023
During the week after our last fixture, the draw for the Sky Sports semi-final draw was conducted, we were drawn away to Celtic, the game is scheduled to be played on Sunday January 21st, 2024, with kick off time to be announced in due course.
SWPL Round 13: Glasgow City vs Rangers (19th November 2023)
Round 13 seen the team travel through to Petershill Park to face Glasgow City, who themselves reminded everyone in attendance pre-match that they are the current champions by displaying the league trophy on a raised stand in the middle of the pitch in front of the crowd, they also had a remote control car that was to drive the match ball to the referee, lets just say the cars performance summed up how the home team went onto play.
Most of the first half could be summed up by Glasgow City trying to win various fouls from the referee and trying to stop Rangers from playing.
Rangers though as we have seen already this season had a steely determination to win this game despite what Glasgow City were trying to do.
This paid off after 44 minutes when there was a clear penalty award given, the 3 words we all love to hear “Penalty to Rangers”, the referee was a bit hesitant to give it at first but eventually did, then up steps Rio Hardy to take it and slotted it home perfectly, the goalkeeper had no chance, this took it to the break with Rangers 1-0 up and deservedly so.
During the second half, Glasgow City offered nothing going forward and were still reverting to the same tactics in the first half. Rangers however were creating chances but couldn’t find a second goal, the game was still 1-0 to Rangers after 90 minutes, the board went up to advise +7 minutes of added on time, we were still pushing for the 2nd and on the 90 + 4 mark, Rachel Rowe threads a lovely ball from midfield to the left where Rio was running down, Rio takes a shot, it comes back off the keeper and then manages on the 2nd attempt to fire it into the goal to make it 2-0, now suddenly Glasgow City were in the mood to try and play, the game went onto +11 minutes but in the end it was a very comfortable win for Rangers, the full time result was Glasgow City 0-2 Rangers.
This was a massive win to put a marker down for the season, with 3 points on the board, it is now back to Broadwood for our final league game before the 2-week international break against Montrose.
SWPL Round 14: Rangers vs Montrose (26th November 2023)
Round 14 seen the team back to Broadwood for the final fixture before the international break, to face our opponents Montrose in a cold and damp evening under the winter lights.
It is worth noting that since we played Montrose earlier in this season they were coming into the fixture on the back of some decent results, so this test was going to be different to the one we had up in Montrose.
However, it did not take long for Rangers to get the first goal, this was from Tessel Middag in the 12th minute, followed by a goal from Kirsty Howat on the 27th minute to make it 2-0. After 39 minutes Rachel Rowe got her very first Rangers career goal since she joined the club in the summer to make it 3-0 to Rangers going into half time.
In the 2nd Half we were treated to more goals, this time on the 56th Minute from Kirsty Howat to net her second goal of the game to make it 4-0, then we had a goal from super sub Lizzie Arnot to make it 5-0 and within a minute of this we had our other super sub Sarah Ewens score her very first Rangers career goal as well since she joined in the summer to make it 6-0. Rio Hardy who can’t stop scoring scored in the 88th minute to seal the victory and add another 3 points to the board.
It finished at Full Time: Rangers 7-0 Montrose
This leaves Rangers 1 point ahead of Celtic after 14 games played and 8 points ahead of last season’s champions Glasgow City, with 8 games remaining now until the split.
Not only that we have now gone 12 games in a row winning (including cup competition), if you take the cup games out we have won 10 games in a row in the league since our draw against Glasgow City back in August, which we now have matched the record Celtic had until we beat them in October, we can smash that record in December when the league action resumes on December 10th!
December Fixtures:
Our next fixtures before the league Winter break in December are as follows:
Motherwell vs Rangers – December 10th, kick off 4PM at K-Park stadium (League)
Rangers vs Hamilton – December 17th, kick off 4pm at Broadwood Stadium (League)
(Fixture date and times are subject to change)
New Season, New Manager: Season Review so far
November 5th 2023
New Season, New Manager: Summer 2023 to Round 11 of SWPL Review
By Graeme Middleton, November 2023
It was the end of the 2022/23 season in the run up to the Scottish Cup final that we learned that the Rangers Women’s Manager Malky Thomson announced he was leaving his role after 3 seasons following the cup final which ended up in a defeat at Hampden Park. During his tenure he won the SWPL Title in season 2021/22 and won the Sky Sports League Cup in season 2022/23.
Summer 2023 arrived and in late June an announcement was made by the club, Rangers announced Jo Potter as the new permanent Rangers Women’s Manager and would take her first training session in July once players had returned back from the summer break, we had one player who was unavailable during the summer and that was Victoria Esson who was proudly representing her national team the New Zealand Football Ferns in her home country New Zealand as part of the Australia / New Zealand World Cup, Victoria would go on to do her country proud only conceding 1 goal during 3 group games, winning one against one of the pre-tournament favourites Norway causing the first major shock of the tournament and winning the hearts of her fellow kiwis.
Between Malky leaving the team in late May to Jo Potter starting with us in July we had learned of a few departures from our team, Sam Kerr left to join Bayern Munich, Emma Watson joined WSL team Manchester United, other players to leave were Maddie Nolf, Jenny Danielsson and Hannah Davison.
Once Jo had joined us, we had another announcement from Rangers this time we learned that Jay Bradford would be joining Jo as her permanent assistant manager.
With the new management team in place and pre-season training starting to take shape, there were of course announcements of new players joining our team, we had Michelle Colson, Rachel Rowe, Rio Hardy, Sarah Ewans all joining on permanent transfers with Libby Bance joining us for the rest of the season from Brighton on loan later in the window, with all complimenting the current team that was in place.
At this point in the season we had a number of injuries and of course our World Cup star Vic was away on international duty, this meant that we were down to low numbers in the squad at this point in the year and not to mention a late announcement that we were to play in the Glasgow Cup late July as well as playing in Spain in a training camp for a week before the season started proper in early August.
Pre-Season Glasgow Cup & Spain Training Camp:
We had our first pre-season game early on into the new management reign and it was a semi-final in the Glasgow Cup which is a pre-season cup, and our first opponents were Queens Park, this ended in a very comfortable 11-0 victory which meant we qualified for the final which was against Celtic.
We played Celtic and on the 90th Minute Celtic were winning 1-0 with one hand on the trophy at this point, the clock went up to advise +5 minutes of added on time, the team did not look at this as a negative, in fact you could already see in a short space of time with Jo and Jay there was a belief in the team that they could do this and within these added on minutes, the team turned the tie on its head and won 2-1, it was celebration time, Rangers had won the Glasgow Cup!
With that cup in the bag and first win over Celtic, the team flew out to Spain for a week’s training camp, and they played Levante as part of pre-season training in the Pinatar Arena and won this game 1-0, with that done, it was time to jet home to Glasgow to prepare for our first competitive match after a successful pre-season done.
SWPL Round 1: Spartans vs Rangers (13th August 2023)
So, the SWPL campaign Round 1 kicked off on 13th August and we headed for an away game to Spartans at Ainsle Park, goals came from Jodi McLeary x 2, Rio Hardy, Chelsea Cornet x 2 and Laura Berry, the hosts did score as well but the final score after a comfortable afternoon seen the full-time score as Spartans 1-6 Rangers. Vic returned from international duty at this point.
It is worth noting that Jodi McLeary took the title as the first women’s player to score in the new season of the SWPL, history maker and well-done Jodi!
SWPL Round 2: Rangers vs Aberdeen (20th August 2023)
So, after a successful start, we had our next fixture a home match at Broadwood, our first home match under our new management team as well and a chance for our newer players to experience our home stadium for the first time. The fixture was against Aberdeen, we had goals from Chelsea Cornet, Mia McAulay x 2, Rio Hardy and Kathy Hill, the visitors scored a consolation goal to make it Rangers 5-1 Aberdeen. This made it 2 wins from 2 and a great start to the season!
SWPL Round 3: Hearts vs Rangers (23rd August 2023)
We had our first away trip to the Oriam where we played Hearts, this was a tough match as both teams were on great form going into this, in the end we seen goals from Chelsea Cornet and Rio Hardy, however the hosts scored in the 70th Minute which lead to a nervy end to the game, with that said the team stood strong and seen the game out and gained 3 valuable points to make it 3 wins from 3. The Full-Time score was Hearts 1-2 Rangers.
SWPL Round 4: Rangers vs Glasgow City (27th August 2023)
Going into this match both teams had full 100% win records, this was our first test against the current reigning Champions, Rangers scored through a brilliant team goal with an excellent finish from Mia McAulay, however this lead would only last 4 minutes as the visitors scored an equaliser though Brenna Lovera, with that said the team did everything they possibly could to get the winner and even neutral fans agree that it should have been a Rangers win. The game ended full time Rangers 1-1 Glasgow City, our first dropped points of the season putting us in 2nd place.
SWPL Round 5: Rangers vs Partick Thistle (3rd September 2023)
We returned to Broadwood for our next home match against Partick Thistle who themselves were having an excellent start to the season, Kirsty Howat scored in the 20th Minute for Rangers, however it was a very close game, however ultimately Rangers held on and gained another what could be valuable 3 points in the title race. Full Time score Rangers 1-0 Partick Thistle
SWPL Round 6: Dundee Utd vs Rangers (10th September 2023)
Our 6th game in the SWPL saw us travel up to Dundee to face Dundee United, this was a high scoring game with hat-tricks from both Kirsty Howat and Rio Hardy! As well as a goal each for both Tess Middag and Kirsty Maclean, with a consolation goal from the hosts, however it was a nervy start as the hosts had scored first before a fantastic comeback and again showing the belief that both Jo and Jay have brought to the team with the game finishing Dundee United 1-8 Rangers.
SWPL Round 7: Rangers vs Motherwell (13th September 2023)
We returned to Broadwood mid-week after a quick turnaround to face Motherwell, this was a comfortable game for Rangers, however Motherwell battled hard, we had goals from Kirsty Maclean, Rio Hardy, Rachel McLauchlan, and Kirsty Howat sealed the win, however Motherwell did score on the 84th Minute but this was merely a consolation goal for the visitors, the game finished Rangers 4-1 Motherwell, another 3 points on the board.
SWPL Round 8: Montrose vs Rangers (17th September 2023)
Round 8 seen the team travel back up north to Montrose this time, this fixture was the final game before the 2-week international break, this would be the 3rd game in 7 days for the team, which is a lot of football in a week for the players. Montrose at this point were bottom of the table going into this fixture, however winning is not a foregone conclusion as we all know in football. In this fixture, we seen goals from Megan Bell and Tess Middag, as well as 2 each for Mia McAulay and for her first start since joining the club on loan from Brighton which was just days before Libby Bance, as well as Kirsty Howat, Rio Hardy got 4 goals. This was not a bad way to end a gruelling week for the team going into the international break and finishing off the first 8 rounds in the SWPL on a high. The full-time result was Montrose 0-12 Rangers.
Sky Sports League Cup Round 2: Hearts vs Rangers (1st October 2023)
So the international break at this point is now over and we are into October, this means we have the 2nd round of the Sky Sports League cup to play, the cup which the team won successfully in December 2022 in Tynecastle, for anyone new to the team last season 2022/23 was the very first time the team won the sky sports cup so it is important as current cup holders we get off to a good start, though an away tie against Hearts is not an easy tie to start it off. Despite the windy conditions we started off very brightly and grew into the game, it was very comfortable win, a particular highlight being Mia McAulay’s goal the full-time result was Hearts 1-4 Rangers which meant that we have booked a Quarter Final tie who will be Boroughmuir Thistle at Home in Broadwood in November which gets us a step closer to retaining our trophy.
SWPL Round 9: Hamilton vs Rangers (8th October 2023)
After successfully qualifying for the Sky Sports Quarter Final, it was back to league action this time against Hamilton away in the SuperSeal Stadium, Rachel Rowe had an outstanding performance and was instrumental in everything we did and brought the pace of the game up, even when our subs came on and Rachel was subbed off our subs raised the intensity of the game further, it was like everything that Jo and Jay and the entire team have been training for was all clicking together, not that it wasn’t previously, should also note that this was the first game since the management team came in that most of our injured players have returned except still a few exceptions, but this is especially pleasing as we are closing in on the first round of league fixtures and almost a 3rd way in the league. In this game we have 2 Own Goals, goals from Kathy Hill, Kirsty Howat, Rio Hardy (penalty) and an absolute world class goal from our captain Nic Doc. The match finished Hamilton 0-6 Rangers.
SWPL Round 10: Rangers vs Hibs (15th October 2023)
This match was played at Ibrox Stadium, and it was a special match to commemorate Wear it Pink to raise awareness of Breast Cancer. Kathy Hill normally wears a pink wristband to pay tribute to her mum, on this occasion the entire team wore them to help raise awareness and for this special occasion. It may have taken 30 minutes for the team to get into the groove for this game, but it was worth the wait as we were treated to amazing goals from Rio Hardy, Megan Bell, Kathy Hill and 4 goals from Kirsty Howat! The Full-time result was Rangers 7-0 Hibs, another 3 points on the board and still unbeaten in the league before our next fixture, the Old Firm!
SWPL Round 11: Celtic vs Rangers (22nd October 2023)
Going into this match Celtic were boasting how they had won 10 games in a row with a 100% record, but with respect to the other teams in the league, nobody had really tested them until this point in time. The first half was a bit cagey with neither side really going for it. However, the 2nd half turned out to be where all the action was at, we just didn’t know it yet! After 53 minutes Celtic had scored via a corner, which seems to be the only way they play in the league. However, did this deter our team who has come back in previous games mentioned above? No, it seemed to spur them on and they looked determined to put it right, after 60 minutes we seen Kirsty Howat lay a stunning pass to Kirsty Maclean (Ini) who struck the ball so well and made it look so easy, but when you see the replay you can actually see it was far from easy and deserves all the praise for that goal! Then at 1-1 the team still did not give up, Lizzie Arnot not long on and also add not long back from injury waltzes down the wing and sends a cracking ball into the box where Rio Hardy looks like she is diving out of an aeroplane determined to hit it, gets her head on the ball and scores an amazing goal to make it 2-1, the game was turned around! Rangers seen the game out as the clock was ticking and it ended at full time, Celtic 1-2 Rangers. Rangers for the first time this season are top of the table, 1 point ahead of Celtic after 11 games going into the 2-week international break!
November Fixtures:
Our next block of fixtures before the next international break in November are as follows:
Rangers vs Spartans – November 5th, Kick off 2pm at Broadwood Stadium (League)
Rangers vs Boroughmuir Thistle – November 12th, Kick off 2pm at Broadwood Stadium (Sky Sports Quarter Final)
Glasgow City vs Rangers – November 19th, Kick off 2.10pm at Petershill Park (League)
Rangers v Montrose – November 26th, Kick off 4pm at Broadwood Stadium
(Fixture times subject to change)
Getting to know Jo
24th June 2023
Laura spoke to Jay Bradford who worked with Jo Potter at Coventry to ask her what we could expect from Jo as the new Rangers Women Head Coach. Here’s what she had to say:
—
Q - What can we expect from Jo?
In particular as she moves from an assistant coach role to head coach?
A - I think you can expect a very organised team with a clear identity that is underpinned by hard work. In regards to Jo's transition it will be seamless, Jo has been in football a long time and has all the tools to be a top Head coach.
Q - What would you say her coaching style is?
A - Jo's coaching is very direct, she has a clear way of seeing the game and her talent is bringing all players on board very quickly.
Q - She seems very popular within the football community, what is she like with the teams she coaches?
A- Not only is Jo a great coach but she's a great person. She cares deeply about her players and will go above and beyond to make sure the environment is one where the players can thrive.
Thanks to Jay Bradford for answering our questions and good luck to her for the season ahead.
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We also reached out to the Birmingham City Women Supporters Group
Ellie from the Birmingham City Women Supporters Group answered our questions:
Q. What can we expect from Jo?
In particular as she moves from assistant to head coach?
A. Dedication and determination. Jo's got a lot of coaching experience after being on the coaching staff at Coventry United (now Rugby Borough) for a few years and then Birmingham Women's assistant coach for the past year, so she is more than prepared for stepping up to head coach. Our players had a lot of respect for her and really enjoyed her style of coaching and I'm sure that will be the same for the Rangers players.
Q. What would you say her coaching style is?
A. I would say making sure players enjoy the game more than anything. Since Jo joined the Blues as assistant head coach we saw a lot more forward movement and flowing passing. Jo always read the game very well as a player and the same goes for her coaching.
Q. She seems very popular within the football community, what was she like at Birmingham with the team and fans?
A. Jo is a very down to earth person, she always had a lot of time for Birmingham fans over her three spells at the club as a player (I even wore her 2015 World Cup Bronze medal once!). She is a legend of the club in the eyes of Bluenoses and we were very happy to have her back at the club, and we're all gutted she's moved on but couldn't be happier for Jo that she's in a head coach role as it's thoroughly deserved.
——
Another Birmingham City Women’s fan Barry Ross had the following to say on Jo:
Q. What can we expect from Jo in particular on her move from assistant to head coach?
A. I have no doubt that Jo will make a success of this. She has already had success as a head coach at Coventry Utd where she successfully saved them from relegation after a season where the club went in to administration, had points deducted, new owners and survived on the last day.
Q. What is Jo's Coaching style? – Jo was always very vocal from the touchline encouraging players but also showing her displeasure if they did something wrong. It looked like she kicked every ball on the pitch during a game. I believe that Jo is attack minded from her midfield days and also has defensive experience of playing as a centre back. It was difficult to know who the main coach was at Blues with Darren Carter but they made a great team together – and no, Rangers can’t have Darren as well!
Q. Tell us about Jo's popularity with the team and fans
A. Jo appeared popular with the players and I’m sure some were influenced in joining us by Jo being here. I’m sure many of our players will miss her. I never heard any of them moaning about her.
Jo was good with the fans and often came over after the game, especially away games, to talk to us and was willing to share information as much as she could. She will be sadly missed by us.
Thanks once again to those who answered the questions, your insight has been really helpful.
Let us know what you think, we’d love to hear from you.
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Featured Articles
New Season, New Manager: Season Review so far
November 5th 2023
New Season, New Manager: Summer 2023 to Round 11 of SWPL Review
By Graeme Middleton, November 2023
It was the end of the 2022/23 season in the run up to the Scottish Cup final that we learned that the Rangers Women’s Manager Malky Thomson announced he was leaving his role after 3 seasons following the cup final which ended up in a defeat at Hampden Park. During his tenure he won the SWPL Title in season 2021/22 and won the Sky Sports League Cup in season 2022/23.
Summer 2023 arrived and in late June an announcement was made by the club, Rangers announced Jo Potter as the new permanent Rangers Women’s Manager and would take her first training session in July once players had returned back from the summer break, we had one player who was unavailable during the summer and that was Victoria Esson who was proudly representing her national team the New Zealand Football Ferns in her home country New Zealand as part of the Australia / New Zealand World Cup, Victoria would go on to do her country proud only conceding 1 goal during 3 group games, winning one against one of the pre-tournament favourites Norway causing the first major shock of the tournament and winning the hearts of her fellow kiwis.
Between Malky leaving the team in late May to Jo Potter starting with us in July we had learned of a few departures from our team, Sam Kerr left to join Bayern Munich, Emma Watson joined WSL team Manchester United, other players to leave were Maddie Nolf, Jenny Danielsson and Hannah Davison.
Once Jo had joined us, we had another announcement from Rangers this time we learned that Jay Bradford would be joining Jo as her permanent assistant manager.
With the new management team in place and pre-season training starting to take shape, there were of course announcements of new players joining our team, we had Michelle Colson, Rachel Rowe, Rio Hardy, Sarah Ewans all joining on permanent transfers with Libby Bance joining us for the rest of the season from Brighton on loan later in the window, with all complimenting the current team that was in place.
At this point in the season we had a number of injuries and of course our World Cup star Vic was away on international duty, this meant that we were down to low numbers in the squad at this point in the year and not to mention a late announcement that we were to play in the Glasgow Cup late July as well as playing in Spain in a training camp for a week before the season started proper in early August.
Pre-Season Glasgow Cup & Spain Training Camp:
We had our first pre-season game early on into the new management reign and it was a semi-final in the Glasgow Cup which is a pre-season cup, and our first opponents were Queens Park, this ended in a very comfortable 11-0 victory which meant we qualified for the final which was against Celtic.
We played Celtic and on the 90th Minute Celtic were winning 1-0 with one hand on the trophy at this point, the clock went up to advise +5 minutes of added on time, the team did not look at this as a negative, in fact you could already see in a short space of time with Jo and Jay there was a belief in the team that they could do this and within these added on minutes, the team turned the tie on its head and won 2-1, it was celebration time, Rangers had won the Glasgow Cup!
With that cup in the bag and first win over Celtic, the team flew out to Spain for a week’s training camp, and they played Levante as part of pre-season training in the Pinatar Arena and won this game 1-0, with that done, it was time to jet home to Glasgow to prepare for our first competitive match after a successful pre-season done.
SWPL Round 1: Spartans vs Rangers (13th August 2023)
So, the SWPL campaign Round 1 kicked off on 13th August and we headed for an away game to Spartans at Ainsle Park, goals came from Jodi McLeary x 2, Rio Hardy, Chelsea Cornet x 2 and Laura Berry, the hosts did score as well but the final score after a comfortable afternoon seen the full-time score as Spartans 1-6 Rangers. Vic returned from international duty at this point.
It is worth noting that Jodi McLeary took the title as the first women’s player to score in the new season of the SWPL, history maker and well-done Jodi!
SWPL Round 2: Rangers vs Aberdeen (20th August 2023)
So, after a successful start, we had our next fixture a home match at Broadwood, our first home match under our new management team as well and a chance for our newer players to experience our home stadium for the first time. The fixture was against Aberdeen, we had goals from Chelsea Cornet, Mia McAulay x 2, Rio Hardy and Kathy Hill, the visitors scored a consolation goal to make it Rangers 5-1 Aberdeen. This made it 2 wins from 2 and a great start to the season!
SWPL Round 3: Hearts vs Rangers (23rd August 2023)
We had our first away trip to the Oriam where we played Hearts, this was a tough match as both teams were on great form going into this, in the end we seen goals from Chelsea Cornet and Rio Hardy, however the hosts scored in the 70th Minute which lead to a nervy end to the game, with that said the team stood strong and seen the game out and gained 3 valuable points to make it 3 wins from 3. The Full-Time score was Hearts 1-2 Rangers.
SWPL Round 4: Rangers vs Glasgow City (27th August 2023)
Going into this match both teams had full 100% win records, this was our first test against the current reigning Champions, Rangers scored through a brilliant team goal with an excellent finish from Mia McAulay, however this lead would only last 4 minutes as the visitors scored an equaliser though Brenna Lovera, with that said the team did everything they possibly could to get the winner and even neutral fans agree that it should have been a Rangers win. The game ended full time Rangers 1-1 Glasgow City, our first dropped points of the season putting us in 2nd place.
SWPL Round 5: Rangers vs Partick Thistle (3rd September 2023)
We returned to Broadwood for our next home match against Partick Thistle who themselves were having an excellent start to the season, Kirsty Howat scored in the 20th Minute for Rangers, however it was a very close game, however ultimately Rangers held on and gained another what could be valuable 3 points in the title race. Full Time score Rangers 1-0 Partick Thistle
SWPL Round 6: Dundee Utd vs Rangers (10th September 2023)
Our 6th game in the SWPL saw us travel up to Dundee to face Dundee United, this was a high scoring game with hat-tricks from both Kirsty Howat and Rio Hardy! As well as a goal each for both Tess Middag and Kirsty Maclean, with a consolation goal from the hosts, however it was a nervy start as the hosts had scored first before a fantastic comeback and again showing the belief that both Jo and Jay have brought to the team with the game finishing Dundee United 1-8 Rangers.
SWPL Round 7: Rangers vs Motherwell (13th September 2023)
We returned to Broadwood mid-week after a quick turnaround to face Motherwell, this was a comfortable game for Rangers, however Motherwell battled hard, we had goals from Kirsty Maclean, Rio Hardy, Rachel McLauchlan, and Kirsty Howat sealed the win, however Motherwell did score on the 84th Minute but this was merely a consolation goal for the visitors, the game finished Rangers 4-1 Motherwell, another 3 points on the board.
SWPL Round 8: Montrose vs Rangers (17th September 2023)
Round 8 seen the team travel back up north to Montrose this time, this fixture was the final game before the 2-week international break, this would be the 3rd game in 7 days for the team, which is a lot of football in a week for the players. Montrose at this point were bottom of the table going into this fixture, however winning is not a foregone conclusion as we all know in football. In this fixture, we seen goals from Megan Bell and Tess Middag, as well as 2 each for Mia McAulay and for her first start since joining the club on loan from Brighton which was just days before Libby Bance, as well as Kirsty Howat, Rio Hardy got 4 goals. This was not a bad way to end a gruelling week for the team going into the international break and finishing off the first 8 rounds in the SWPL on a high. The full-time result was Montrose 0-12 Rangers.
Sky Sports League Cup Round 2: Hearts vs Rangers (1st October 2023)
So the international break at this point is now over and we are into October, this means we have the 2nd round of the Sky Sports League cup to play, the cup which the team won successfully in December 2022 in Tynecastle, for anyone new to the team last season 2022/23 was the very first time the team won the sky sports cup so it is important as current cup holders we get off to a good start, though an away tie against Hearts is not an easy tie to start it off. Despite the windy conditions we started off very brightly and grew into the game, it was very comfortable win, a particular highlight being Mia McAulay’s goal the full-time result was Hearts 1-4 Rangers which meant that we have booked a Quarter Final tie who will be Boroughmuir Thistle at Home in Broadwood in November which gets us a step closer to retaining our trophy.
SWPL Round 9: Hamilton vs Rangers (8th October 2023)
After successfully qualifying for the Sky Sports Quarter Final, it was back to league action this time against Hamilton away in the SuperSeal Stadium, Rachel Rowe had an outstanding performance and was instrumental in everything we did and brought the pace of the game up, even when our subs came on and Rachel was subbed off our subs raised the intensity of the game further, it was like everything that Jo and Jay and the entire team have been training for was all clicking together, not that it wasn’t previously, should also note that this was the first game since the management team came in that most of our injured players have returned except still a few exceptions, but this is especially pleasing as we are closing in on the first round of league fixtures and almost a 3rd way in the league. In this game we have 2 Own Goals, goals from Kathy Hill, Kirsty Howat, Rio Hardy (penalty) and an absolute world class goal from our captain Nic Doc. The match finished Hamilton 0-6 Rangers.
SWPL Round 10: Rangers vs Hibs (15th October 2023)
This match was played at Ibrox Stadium, and it was a special match to commemorate Wear it Pink to raise awareness of Breast Cancer. Kathy Hill normally wears a pink wristband to pay tribute to her mum, on this occasion the entire team wore them to help raise awareness and for this special occasion. It may have taken 30 minutes for the team to get into the groove for this game, but it was worth the wait as we were treated to amazing goals from Rio Hardy, Megan Bell, Kathy Hill and 4 goals from Kirsty Howat! The Full-time result was Rangers 7-0 Hibs, another 3 points on the board and still unbeaten in the league before our next fixture, the Old Firm!
SWPL Round 11: Celtic vs Rangers (22nd October 2023)
Going into this match Celtic were boasting how they had won 10 games in a row with a 100% record, but with respect to the other teams in the league, nobody had really tested them until this point in time. The first half was a bit cagey with neither side really going for it. However, the 2nd half turned out to be where all the action was at, we just didn’t know it yet! After 53 minutes Celtic had scored via a corner, which seems to be the only way they play in the league. However, did this deter our team who has come back in previous games mentioned above? No, it seemed to spur them on and they looked determined to put it right, after 60 minutes we seen Kirsty Howat lay a stunning pass to Kirsty Maclean (Ini) who struck the ball so well and made it look so easy, but when you see the replay you can actually see it was far from easy and deserves all the praise for that goal! Then at 1-1 the team still did not give up, Lizzie Arnot not long on and also add not long back from injury waltzes down the wing and sends a cracking ball into the box where Rio Hardy looks like she is diving out of an aeroplane determined to hit it, gets her head on the ball and scores an amazing goal to make it 2-1, the game was turned around! Rangers seen the game out as the clock was ticking and it ended at full time, Celtic 1-2 Rangers. Rangers for the first time this season are top of the table, 1 point ahead of Celtic after 11 games going into the 2-week international break!
November Fixtures:
Our next block of fixtures before the next international break in November are as follows:
Rangers vs Spartans – November 5th, Kick off 2pm at Broadwood Stadium (League)
Rangers vs Boroughmuir Thistle – November 12th, Kick off 2pm at Broadwood Stadium (Sky Sports Quarter Final)
Glasgow City vs Rangers – November 19th, Kick off 2.10pm at Petershill Park (League)
Rangers v Montrose – November 26th, Kick off 4pm at Broadwood Stadium
(Fixture times subject to change)
Getting to know Jo
24th June 2023
Laura spoke to Jay Bradford who worked with Jo Potter at Coventry to ask her what we could expect from Jo as the new Rangers Women Head Coach. Here’s what she had to say:
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Q - What can we expect from Jo?
In particular as she moves from an assistant coach role to head coach?
A - I think you can expect a very organised team with a clear identity that is underpinned by hard work. In regards to Jo's transition it will be seamless, Jo has been in football a long time and has all the tools to be a top Head coach.
Q - What would you say her coaching style is?
A - Jo's coaching is very direct, she has a clear way of seeing the game and her talent is bringing all players on board very quickly.
Q - She seems very popular within the football community, what is she like with the teams she coaches?
A- Not only is Jo a great coach but she's a great person. She cares deeply about her players and will go above and beyond to make sure the environment is one where the players can thrive.
Thanks to Jay Bradford for answering our questions and good luck to her for the season ahead.
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We also reached out to the Birmingham City Women Supporters Group
Ellie from the Birmingham City Women Supporters Group answered our questions:
Q. What can we expect from Jo?
In particular as she moves from assistant to head coach?
A. Dedication and determination. Jo's got a lot of coaching experience after being on the coaching staff at Coventry United (now Rugby Borough) for a few years and then Birmingham Women's assistant coach for the past year, so she is more than prepared for stepping up to head coach. Our players had a lot of respect for her and really enjoyed her style of coaching and I'm sure that will be the same for the Rangers players.
Q. What would you say her coaching style is?
A. I would say making sure players enjoy the game more than anything. Since Jo joined the Blues as assistant head coach we saw a lot more forward movement and flowing passing. Jo always read the game very well as a player and the same goes for her coaching.
Q. She seems very popular within the football community, what was she like at Birmingham with the team and fans?
A. Jo is a very down to earth person, she always had a lot of time for Birmingham fans over her three spells at the club as a player (I even wore her 2015 World Cup Bronze medal once!). She is a legend of the club in the eyes of Bluenoses and we were very happy to have her back at the club, and we're all gutted she's moved on but couldn't be happier for Jo that she's in a head coach role as it's thoroughly deserved.
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Another Birmingham City Women’s fan Barry Ross had the following to say on Jo:
Q. What can we expect from Jo in particular on her move from assistant to head coach?
A. I have no doubt that Jo will make a success of this. She has already had success as a head coach at Coventry Utd where she successfully saved them from relegation after a season where the club went in to administration, had points deducted, new owners and survived on the last day.
Q. What is Jo's Coaching style? – Jo was always very vocal from the touchline encouraging players but also showing her displeasure if they did something wrong. It looked like she kicked every ball on the pitch during a game. I believe that Jo is attack minded from her midfield days and also has defensive experience of playing as a centre back. It was difficult to know who the main coach was at Blues with Darren Carter but they made a great team together – and no, Rangers can’t have Darren as well!
Q. Tell us about Jo's popularity with the team and fans
A. Jo appeared popular with the players and I’m sure some were influenced in joining us by Jo being here. I’m sure many of our players will miss her. I never heard any of them moaning about her.
Jo was good with the fans and often came over after the game, especially away games, to talk to us and was willing to share information as much as she could. She will be sadly missed by us.
Thanks once again to those who answered the questions, your insight has been really helpful.
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