THE time is long overdue for another woman to join Rose Reilly in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame. Could Julie Fleeting, who has scored 121 international goals in 116 games, be the one?
The striker had hoped to crown her career by being recalled to Scotland’s squad for Euro 2017. Indeed, it was one of the reasons why the mother of two chose to continue playing at a high level.
Now, after two seasons with Glasgow City when her appearances were limited by a persistent calf injury, pregnancy means a major championship appearance can no longer be the signing-off flourish on her distinguished CV.
When the striker, who will be 36 this month, does decide to retire, she will become eligible for admission to the Hall of Fame. It’s a rather depressing indictment of that institution that there are as many Scotland men’s team doctors – Stewart Hillis – in it as there are women.
Reilly, who was inducted in 2007, is the only female among more than 100 men. As a World Cup winner with Italy, they could hardly leave her out.
For people who want to see more women in the Hall of Fame, they must take a few points into consideration.
First, all candidates must be nominated by the public.
Second, these candidates are placed on a shortlist and their merits debated by the Scottish Football Hall of Fame’s committee. There are about a dozen or so people on this august body and it won’t astonish anyone that they are all men.
The third point is that successful candidates often benefit from having an organised campaign behind them. If hundreds of people are backing a particular candidate, that can influence the committee.
The lesson from this is that it would be counter-productive to nominate four or five deserving women in the same year. Better by far to focus on one.
Fleeting is far from the only credible candidate. Reilly’s former team-mate and fellow traveller to France and Italy, the late Edna Nellis, has been on a recent shortlist but not made final selection.
Any of the retired Scotland players who, like Fleeting, have more than 100 caps are obvious potential nominees. As is Sheila Begbie, another former internationalist who has done so much to promote women’s football in this country.
Shelley Kerr, the first woman to manage a UK senior men’s club, is another who springs to mind. As does Anna Signeul, who has led Scotland to a first major championship.
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