It’s getting stronger – but it is not as strong as it could be: Hibs chief Leeann Dempster calls on the SFA to do more for the women’s game

Leeann Dempster will be an enthusiastic supporter of Scotland at the World Cup Finals and, in particular, of manager Shelley Kerr.

As chief executive of Hibernian, Dempster is one of the leading lights in the men’s game, who just happens to be a woman.

In her time at Easter Road, and while fulfilling the same role for Motherwell prior to that, she has shown herself to be adept at steering a club in the right direction and boosting season-ticket sales and attendances.

She has watched the growth of the women’s game with interest, and was pleasantly surprised with the 18,555 attendance at Hampden for Scotland’s final warm-up game with Jamaica last Tuesday.

However, while Dempster expects Scotland’s participation in the World Cup to lead to an upsurge of interest in the women’s game – at all levels – she warns of the necessity of getting the infrastructure right to capitalise on it.

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“The women’s game is getting stronger, but that doesn’t mean it is as strong as it could be or is as strong as it needs to be,” she said.

“I think there is definitely a lot of development potential, and discussions with clubs and the Scottish FA – looking at things such as sponsorship – to be had.

“How do we fund the women’s game? How do we bring it the commercial rewards it deserves? I think those are the key questions.

“The fundamental challenge is how do we grow the women’s game?

“First of all in the UK, and then secondly in Scotland, we are always going to be facing some of the same issues the men’s game has to deal with.

“How do you compete with bigger clubs in England, who are richer and better financed than those women’s teams associated with Scottish clubs? That is always going to make it difficult.

“Like everything else, it is not just about money – but money is a big factor.

“Our women’s team could come and play a game at Easter Road Stadium. Of course, that would make it attractive as people will want to come to the stadium.

“There isn’t a cost issue, and there is not an issue with using the pitch, and so on.

“The issue for me, though, is how do we grow the game?

“Who takes the bigger responsibility for the game in Scotland? Where does it sit? Who takes the lead?

“In the men’s game, the role of the SPFL is quite clear. The role of the national association is clear.

“I think it is less clear in the women’s game to a novice like me.

“Don’t point at a club and say, ‘You should do this, and you should do that.

“You should say, ‘How do we work to grow the women’s game?’

“Other associations and leagues across the world have done, and are doing, better than us.

“But then you look at the achievements of Shelley and her team in qualifying for the World Cup, even with some of the issues we are talking about.

“That perhaps makes the Scotland women’s team’s achievement all the better and more surprising.”

© Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

With the game against England just round the corner, hopefully the surprises aren’t finished yet.

Dempster admits: “It has been a long time since I have felt that excitement about watching Scotland in a competition.

“It is magnificent that the women have qualified for the World Cup.

“It is a spectacle, a global event, a massive competition – and Scotland are participating in it.

“I think we only need to look at Steve Clarke’s recent comments to show the impact it has had.

“It is really exciting for people to be looking forward to a summer of football where we have a concern.

“I am unsure about how competitive we might be because, truth be told, I don’t know enough about the wider women’s game.

“But, like everyone else, I will go into the games hoping we do really, really well and get as far in the competition as we can.

“If anyone can do it, Shelley Kerr can. I know her reasonably well. I think she is an impressive person, and absolutely the right person to lead the Scottish women’s team.

“I think it was right that the role of managing the Scottish Women’s National Team should go to a woman.

“You are talking positive discrimination.

“She has all the qualifications her equivalent male colleagues have.”

Men outnumber women coaches at the Finals by 15 to 9, so the Hibs chief’s mention of wishing for positive discrimination in the appointment of the Scotland women’s coach is significant.

Normally, her policy is that the only thing that matters is an individual’s ability to do the job.

“We all love football and want it to be open to everybody,” she said.

“If you are the right person for the job, and if you show the right energy and commitment, determination and want to come and work for us, then that is all that really matters.

“If you look at the stands in the men’s’ game on a Saturday, the old-fashioned demographics don’t apply.

“There is a good split between men, women and families.

“A lot of women and girls come to Easter Road. They make up a strong proportion of season-ticket holders and pay at the gate, so why shouldn’t they be represented at all levels?

“As it is, there are definitely more women working in the game across the board.

“I’ve been at Hibs for five years. Before that, I was at Motherwell for six.

“Then you have Kirsten Callaghan, Kilmarnock’s chief executive.

“She has worked there for a long time and has grown at that club and is doing brilliantly.

“There are a lot more women working at a high level, and leading clubs in the UK.

“But hopefully my position at Easter Road is not the most interesting thing about me as an individual.

“It is not the most usual thing, so it is something people tend to focus upon.

“I look forward to the time where it is very normal, and I am just one of the people in sport who have the privilege of leading their clubs.

“Football is so diverse. There are so many different elements to a club.

“There is the business side, medical, illustration, communications, marketing, sales. So there are opportunities for men and women.

“Certainly, within Hibs, there is not a prerequisite to gender balance. We openly recruit people who have the capabilities and energy to perform in the required roles.

“Scotland is an open society. It has some of the most progressive laws and family laws in the world.

“So it follows you would like to make sure you act on that.

“I am a female. It is well publicised that I am gay. So there are a number of pigeon holes you can put me in. If I am able to break through that, great.

“It is incumbent on people who have the opportunity – and a bit of visibility – to be in some small way an inspiration for people, and to let them know there are opportunities out there for them.”

Shelley Kerr and Scotland – over to you.