Celtic to make Scottish Women’s Football History

Celtic are to become the first Scottish club to field a full-time professional women’s team.

The Hoops, who currently play in the amateur Scottish Women’s Premier League, have decided to make a major investment in 2019.

Following Scotland’s qualification to their first World Cup finals in France next summer, the news comes as a further boost for women’s football in the country.

The Parkhead club had previously given the women’s team their own ground at K Park in East Kilbride and, back in July, they recruited former all-conquering Glasgow City boss Eddie Wolecki.

Celtic Women will mirror the training sessions of Brendan Rodger’s men.

They now hope that going full-time, which will see them mirror the training sessions of Brendan Rodgers’ men’s team, will see them challenge Glasgow City, who have won the league title 12 years in a row.

Elsewhere, Hearts have announced they will back their women with an annual six-figure sum, while Rangers have committed to tripling their investment.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen Ladies will be taken over by a new in-house team that has been brought into the club.

On the developments, Scottish Women’s Football chair Vivienne MacLaren told the BBC: “It’s a very exciting time in the growth of the women’s game, not only in Scotland but the UK.”

Members of the Scotland Women’s squad, managed by Shelley Kerr, will go full-time before the World Cup, where they will face England in their opening group game.