ScottishPower and Celtic star Morgan Cross provide new equipment to Dunfermline U14s  | OneFootball

Dunfermline Athletic Community Club Girls U14s has scored vital new equipment after being nominated for a prize giveaway from SWPL Principal Partner ScottishPower by Celtic star Morgan Cross.

This follows Buchan Girls U14s who received the similar equipment from ScottishPower in its aim to empower the future generations.

ScottishPower, the leading renewable energy company sponsors both Scottish Women’s Football and the Scottish Women’s Premier League.

To help community clubs thrive, the firm is providing six kit packages to grassroots clubs featuring bibs, cones, water bottles and Puma footballs. It is also providing 10 pairs of brand new Puma football boots to help clubs support players with any financial barriers to participation.

It asked the SWPL1 and SWPL2 players who’d come through the grassroots pyramid to come along and support a community club they value for their work to further the develop the game.

Morgan Cross on the growth of women’s football in Fife

Kirkcaldy-born forward Morgan Cross, who grew up playing for Dunfermline U13s and U15s, chose the club to receive the vital equipment. She has since signed for Celtic, and during her visit to the community club, Cross provided the U14s with tickets to watch a future Celtic match.

She visited a Dunfermline training session at Pitreavie Sports & Soccer Centre to handover the kit alongside Cheryl Blenkinsop from ScottishPower.

“The growth of women’s football in Fife has been huge. Obviously, we’ve got local role models like Caroline Weir. I’ve great memories from playing with Dunfermline. From my first 11-a-side game to my first league win and Scotland call-up, I really enjoyed my time here.

“Being back at Pitreavie where I used to play but seeing the new astro pitches, better facilities, it’s all brilliant for the girls and hopefully it continues to grow and grow.

“It’s great that ScottishPower are providing kit for the girls, sometimes for girls getting into the game they don’t have access to the same kind of kit as others so the more investment to support them the better.”

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‘The girls are thrilled’

Tom Milne, Football Development Officer with Dunfermline Athletic Community Club, said: “We’ve got over 150 girls playing within our club. If girls are keen to play, we’ve got an option for them regardless of age or ability, which is really important.

“The girls are thrilled with the kit but also being able to go and see Morgan play. It gives them something to aspire to and shows that a career in football is a real possibility.”

ScottishPower’s partnership joins parent company, Iberdrola, which has been promoting equality through sport since 2016, through competitions and federations in Spain and Brazil.

It supports more than 100 competitions, 32 of them as Iberdrola leagues, reaching an estimated 600,000 female athletes.

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