Scottish football was hit by controversy recently and interestingly, this time around, it surrounded the Women’s game. With the international break going on, there was quite a lot of focus on the Glasgow Derby between the women’s teams of Celtic and the Rangers. It was a thrilling contest which ended in a 1-1 draw. But all the talk after the match was about what happened in the aftermath.
Rangers Women’s coach, Craig McPherson, appeared to aim what looked like a ‘headbutt’ on Celtic manager, Fran Alonso. It would be safe to say that there is no place for such actions in the game of football.
Coaches should be there to set a positive example for the players but on this occasion, it turned out to be the complete opposite. Investigations are believed to be going on regarding the incident and it remains to be seen what actions are taken after that.
McPherson has issued an apology for his actions on the night. The Rangers Women account tweeted out:
An apology from @RangersWFC coach Craig McPherson. pic.twitter.com/QSeuArBGj9
— Rangers Women (@RangersWFC) April 1, 2023
Rangers coach finally releases statement for his actions vs Celtic
It is good to see that the Rangers coach has had a conversation with Alonso after the incident and that the Celtic Women’s manager has accepted the apology. That is the right direction to move in.
Now, it remains to be seen what comes out of the investigations and what the Scottish FA decide to do about the matter. One thing that has to be said is that there is no place for actions like this and hopefully appropriate steps will be taken.
That being said, it might be time to move on from the matter and concentrate on what is coming on the pitch. The Celtic Women’s team have improved since last season without doubt but they sit at second in the league table, 8 points behind Glasgow City.