Grassroots football club Giffnock SC scores new training gear thanks to Rangers and Scotland star and ScottishPower

Giffnock SC has scored vital new equipment for its youth players after being nominated for a prize giveaway from SWPL Principal Partner ScottishPower by Rangers and Scotland defender Nicola Docherty.

The leading renewable energy company became the exclusive Principal Partner for Scottish Women’s Football and the Scottish Women’s Premier League at the start of last season and is dedicated to supporting the women’s game from grassroots to elite.

To celebrate its partnership, the firm is providing 6 x kit packages to grassroots clubs featuring bibs, cones, water bottles and Puma footballs (sized for U14s). It asked the captains of each of the top 6 SWPL sides to nominate a community club they value for their work to further developing girls’ youth football.

Nicola Docherty, Rangers club captain, nominated Giffnock, who’s coach received the new equipment at a training session at Eastwood Park.

She said: “I think what they’ve done at the club is fantastic, the number of girls who are participating in football here is great to see. It’s really important that the girls have access to the right kit and proper equipment to support them in becoming better footballers, so it’s a great club to be able to support with ScottishPower.”

She added: “My advice to younger players is to always just enjoy it. I probably didn’t appreciate that as much when I was younger. But also, if you have a dream just go and believe in it. I think there’s a lot of challenges in football but if you believe in yourself to go and chase it, you can achieve anything.”

The kit giveaway comes as ScottishPower works closely with both SWF and the SWPL to invest in supporting the continued growth of the women’s game.

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of ScottishPower, said: “We want to energise women’s football for both current and future generations and build a community of players that inspire even more people to play and enjoy the game.

“That means working with our partners at SWF and the SWPL to help clubs and players overcome barriers to their growth and operation.

“By providing training kit and asking those players at the top of the game to nominate a community club to receive it, we’re making sure that everyone can benefit from this partnership, whether at the elite end of the game or those all-essential grassroots.”

ScottishPower is at the heart of communities across the country, whether it’s through the thousands of green jobs being created, the renewable power it generates or the secure, stable electricity it supplies - keeping the lights on from power to plug.

It is also a major employer in Scotland with a key focus on encouraging more women to consider STEM careers.

ScottishPower’s partnership joins parent company, Iberdrola, which has been promoting equality through sport since 2016, through competitions and federations in Spain and Brazil.

It supports more than 100 competitions, 32 of them as Iberdrola leagues, reaching an estimated 600,000 female athletes.