It is difficult to think of a more ham-fisted approach to positive PR than Hamilton Accies’ handling of events across the last week.
Clearly irked that the women’s team have opted to act as an independent entity as they prepare for life back in the SWPL, Accies promptly set out to make life as awkward as possible for Bobby Watson’s newly-promoted side.
Accies men’s will not be playing games at New Douglas Park this season as they head to Broadwood following a dispute with the stadium owner, but an agreement had been reached to lease the stadium for the women’s team usage.
Celtic’s women also use the stadium for their home games.
In a cease and desist legal letter that was delivered last Friday evening from Hamilton Academical's board of directors, the women's side were told to stop using the intellectual property of the men's club, who have been relegated to Scottish League 1.
Hamilton Academical FC have announced their intention to form a new women's side and academy set-up - ending their affiliation with the current women's team.
The problem here is that the existing Accies women side believe they have a legally binding In Perpetuity agreement with the former club owners which entitles them to the use of the club badge and name.
Their place in the SWPL for next season is also assured regardless of whether this survives a challenge to it or not, but the mess appears to be entirely unnecessary.
With Accies women the only Hamilton side that will be turning out with regularity in the stadium this season, there ought to have been an embracing of the fact that they are a community based club that people within the area can still get along to see; if you live in Hamilton and have grown-up around the club, Accies women can offer to fill the void that will be left as the men head to Cumbernauld.
In a league where they are going to be seriously up against it this season as the top flight shrinks to a ten-team league, their part-time status and lack of resources will be tested to the max as they look to compete and keep their place.
This summer was always going to be an arduous one as Watson dons various hats as he tries to build a team to compete in a league where the chasm between the professional and part-time sides yawns ever wider while also trying to rally sponsorship to financially sustain the club through the season that lies ahead.
The off-field issues add another layer of pressure to what is already a challenging set of circumstances.
Accies have earned the right to go back into the top flight and have a crack at testing themselves against the best teams in the country this season.
The current mess surrounding the intellectual property of the club and who owns it is difficult to be regarded as anything other than self-defeating.
Yesterday’s fixtures which shows Hamilton at Broadwood and Clyde at New Douglas Park shines a light on the absurdity of what has happened across recent months.
A fanbase and their wishes has been overlooked – the least they could be offered is access to see the women’s team represent them.
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AND ANOTHER THING
Sheila Begbie is the latest to benefit from the SFA’s Trailblazers initiative as she was induced into the Hall of Fame.
She was one of four players who were honoured at Hampden before Melissa Andreatta’s first game as Scotland manager – Josie Cameron, Gerry Chalmers and Marion Leith were the others.
These players represented Scotland at international level but were never in the position of receiving an official cap for their efforts.
It says much about how women’s football – and women – were perceived at such a time that this was allowed to happen.
It is impossible to conceive of the idea that players could be involved at international level and represent their country without any recognition.
The hurt and frustration for those women will still linger but there is a strong step in the right direction to try and correct those wrongs.
Female players who sported the colours of their country between 1972 and 1997 – and 1997 really doesn’t seem like all that long ago – were not given an official cap with the SFA now keen to rectify that.
More than 30 players have received retrospective caps in the Trailblazers initiative but there will be more to follow.
It is only fitting that they are given their place and their moment, regardless of how late the recognition is in coming.
If you or someone you know played for Scotland without being capped, please contact the SFA’s research partner Dr Karen Fraser and allow those who slipped through the net to take their moment. She can be reached at karen.grunwell1@stir.ac.uk
Better late than never.
AND FINALLY
Revelations this week that England players are funding family friends to Switzerland for the start of the European Championships may not seem all that big a deal.
Families of the players heading out to defend their title receive the same access to tickets and the same financial help from the English FA as the men do.
The big difference, of course, is that they earn a fraction of the salaries.
While women’s football has taken enormous strides forward, particularly south of the border, there are still reminders of just how enormous the gap remains – and how much there is still to do.
