While most of the attention relating to Celtic this week has focused on Ange Postecoglou and his squad’s training camp in Wales the Celtic FC Women’s team also got down to work as they entertained Huddersfield Town in their first pre-season friendly this afternoon at K-Park.
The Celts emerged with a hard fought 2-1 win having taken a 29th minute lead before being pegged back three minutes later by our Women’s National League opponents. Celtic however sealed the win with only three minutes left in East Kilbride to give the Hoops a confidence building start to pre-season preparations.
There have been some changes since Alonso and his charges ensured they qualified for Champions League football with a runners-up spot in last season’s SWPL1 title race, one that went down to the final day after the Celts went on a 13-game unbeaten run to see out the season.
Town are narrowly defeated by the Scottish Champions League outfit after a close hard fought second half. #htwfc #htafc pic.twitter.com/qV4i3Gy0Fp
— Huddersfield Town Women (@HTAFCWomen) July 11, 2021
Irish international Keeva Keenan announced she was leaving the team and has since signed on at Shelbourne and next month the highly promising youngster Kate Nicholson will also be moving onto a fresh challenge with the incredible opportunity to combine both football and education in the United States.
There is no better place to develop women’s football than the U.S.A and Nicholson who showed a great deal of potential last season can only benefit from an opportunity like the one she’s heading for in August. Maybe one day we’ll see the fruits of those endeavours back at Celtic. Never say never.
Anna Filbey who was on loan from Tottenham Hotspur last season and was a vital component in Celtic’s late surge to European qualification has also decided she’s moving to pastures new. This was a massive blow but with no announcement yet on a new team for Filbey, could there still be hope the talented Welsh midfielder could still return? Wishful thinking probably.
Yet Celtic haven’t rested on their laurels in finding a midfield replacement as 19 year old Irish international midfielder Tyler Toland has become Fran Alonso’s first summer signing and with and education gained at Manchester City and time spent on loan at Glasgow City last season, where she made her debut as City defeated her new teammates, it looks like Celtic have got a talented player with local knowledge and in an area of the pitch that certainly needed reinforcements after Filbey’s departure, particularly as there is still no news as to whether long-term injury victim Natalie Ross is near to making a full recovery.
Our first Summer signing!📥 pic.twitter.com/OTi1pumQGr
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) July 10, 2021
There will be further change, or at least we believe so, in terms of where Alonso’s European hopefuls will play their football next year. The club have indicated there will be further opportunity to play on occasion at Celtic Park, something they experienced last season when a late Mariah Lee grabbed part two of Celtic’s green and whitewash over theRangers, but there is also an expected and overdue ground shift from K-Park in East Kilbride this season, though that has yet to be confirmed it is expected and would be welcomed.
New matchday threads😍
All ready for our first behind closed doors friendly of the season 🙋♀️ pic.twitter.com/lGD6px534e
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) July 11, 2021
Celtic do know however where they will begin their first ever foray into Champions league football, that will be in Norway where they’ll play Spanish side Levante in Trondheim on 18th August and if successful face the winners of FC Minsk and Rosenborg for a place in the European Group stages. It will be no easy task to face a Levante side who finished third in the Spanish top flight last season but this is no ordinary group of players, and with our own meticulous Spaniard in charge the Celts will be nothing if not fully prepared for the sort of test we all craved last season.
Whether we’ll be able to watch the games from Trondheim however we don’t yet know. DAZN and YouTube have the rights to show all Champions League games live online, however that seems to only be confirmed from the Group stages forward. We can but hope someone will pick up the rights to the games and we can all watch a momentous moment for Celtic, time will tell.
The season ahead, only Celtic’s second as a professional club already has an exciting feel to it. The Hoops took the league title to the final day last season and will be looking to build on that success and the Champions League qualification is a historic moment for the club as well as a financial shot in the arm should the team qualify for the group stages.
Total Toland💥
First look at our new number 1⃣6⃣! 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/YvnRAjoxi9
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) July 10, 2021
Celtic have already signed one new face in Tyler Toland but with changes already in place at both Glasgow City and theRangers it is clear our rivals aren’t hanging around.
Today’s win over Huddersfield is a good start to pre-season but the club will have to back Fran Alonso in the transfer market this summer. Celtic need competition for places in full back areas and on the wings at the very least alongside an experienced striker to support Sarah Ewens. I’m certain Fran Alonso would like such additions made quickly so he can integrate the players to the squad prior to the competitive action getting under way, particularly when it looks like last year’s rivals are doing just that.
Celtic are off to a welcome winning start today, to ensure that is maintained into the real thing Celtic need to back their man. It would be foolish in the extreme to take him for granted.
Niall J
