It went largely unnoticed yesterday, but Celtic offered something brand new with the season ticket for 21-22.
Although the offering has been met with a fair deal of opprobrium, and it’s up to you whether that’s fair, the club offering a free Celtic FC Women match at Paradise is a big deal. It’s part of a number of “benefits” offered to those who are willing to part with their cash for 21-22 [Celtic FC].
The last time Celtic FC Women played at Parkhead, the Ghirls beat Rangers 1-0, with Mariah Lee scoring a Samaras-esque goal. It had major league ramifications, and formed part of an ongoing unbeaten run. At the time, an ecstatic Fran Alonso patrolling the touchline, and a post-match Huddle, made for great scenes. It also had many of us asking why it wasn’t something that happened more often.
Alonso, clearly, is excited by the prospect. He told the club’s in-house media [Celtic FC]:
“Wow! What a feeling it will be. It’s fantastic that they come and get to see us play and also that we’re going to play the match at Celtic Park. It’s great news and I can’t wait for the day when we play the game in front of our fans at Celtic Park.”
Is Dominic McKay helping to increase the popularity of Celtic FC Women?
Given his investment into women’s rugby [Scotsman], it should be little surprise that incoming CEO Dominic McKay sees an opportunity with Fran Alonso’s team.
Of course, it helps that the side are attracting top talent and winning matches. Beyond that, though, we’ve seen genuine and passionate enthusiasm for the women’s team this season, in particular. Access to matches has improved during the pandemic, and players like Jodie Bartle, Kelly Clark and Sarah Ewens are becoming household names.
While it would be beyond even the club’s expectations for Paradise to sell out, a significant attendance could be a watershed moment for the women’s team. After all, this is an entertaining and successful side, and Covid allowing, it would be an excellent evening out for supporters of the club. It’d also be interesting to see, if circumstances allow, whether the proposed match would be on general sale.
While TV and radio are all fine and well, it’s in person that so many supporters fall in love with a team. Speaking personally, seeing Tom Boyd and Henrik Larsson in the flesh for the first time made me a lifelong supporter of the club. Now, it’s an opportunity for a generation of kids to see women in the Hoops in real life for the first time, and building a lasting bond with the team.
This is a huge opportunity, not a sideshow. Celtic need to grasp it with both hands.
READ MORE: A cheeky hint from Odsonne Edouard…?
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
