Scotland success inspiring more girls to take up football with Dumbarton United

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The success of the Scotland national team is helping attract more girls into grassroots football.That’s according to Gerry Gallacher, head coach of Dumbarton United girls, who now have more than 100 local youngsters playing every week for the club – which was founded three years ago when Gerry, of Clydebank, and Kenny McInnes of United, merged their teams to form a girls club for the whole of West Dunbartonshire.Since then the club have gone from strength to strength, whilst women’s football continues to grow in stature nationally – with the national team now attracting sizable crowds to Hampden for matches.And Gerry believes that their success, and the rise of prominent role models like Erin Cuthbert and Caroline Weir, is helping to drive the grassroots game.He told the Lennox: “Women’s football has grown wonderfully well.“I feel like Scottish Women’s Football (SWF) who are affiliated with the Scottish FA have focused a lot on the elite game, as regards money, facilities and support services.“But the success of the national team has paid dividends.

It means more media time for women’s football, which means more exposure and that gets down to us at the grassroots level. More people see it and want to join.“In my opinion the policy has worked.“With my cynical head on me you could say there’s not a lot of support for the grassroots level.

But I don’t look at it that way.“You really need role models, either within your own club or within the national team. Role models they see on the side of the bus, or on the TV who young players want to be.“We can see the bigger picture, so the SFA deserve a lot of credit for what they have done.”This year DU will run teams at under-10s, U12s, U14s, U16s and U18s age groups, and Gerry