🔥 “Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History” Inside Glasgow City's night of European glory
What happens when the club you work for do something truly extraordinary? City's comms exec Sophie Goodwin takes you behind the scenes of last week's thrilling victory over HB Køge
Sophie Goodwin is a communications executive at Glasgow City FC, having previously worked at Chelsea FC and as a sports journalist with DC Thomson. Today, she writes exclusively for Nutmeg FC on yet another historic European night for the club
By Sophie Goodwin
Walking out onto the pitch at Petershill Park last Wednesday night, with my head in my hands, I could not find the words to describe what I had just witnessed.
From the stand, in my role as communications executive, I had just watched Glasgow City beat HB Køge 5-3 — 6-5 on aggregate — securing our place in the inaugural UEFA Women’s Europa Cup round of 16 against Sporting Clube de Portugal.
My reaction was not down to disbelief, but more to a whirlwind of emotions.
For anyone who has followed Glasgow City — a standalone club who were formed by two women three decades ago and who are two-time Champions League quarter-finalists — in Europe, another historic night would come as no surprise.
The way last Wednesday played out against Danish outfit HB Køge, coming back from 2-1 down on aggregate and 1-0 down inside two minutes in the second leg to then score twice in injury time, made it even sweeter.
The team walked out in front of a banner adorned with the phrase, “Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History”. The same words which are printed across the back of our home shirts. The banner was held up by the future stars of the Glasgow City Academy as close as possible to the players of today. One club walking out together.
Those are not just words to us at City. It is a call to action, and one that is at the forefront of everything we do. Last Wednesday night was the perfect evidence of that.
And nothing epitomises this club more than one of our own scoring the injury-time winner: Lisa Forrest. Academy graduate. City through and through.
Her reaction on the pitch reverberated around the Peasy. The 500-strong crowd on their feet. Those on the bench running onto the pitch. Me at my desk at the back of the stadium, my hands shaking with excitement, trying to post on our socials what the hell had just happened in the dying minutes when I could barely make sense of it.
From the touchline to the stands, there was a shared sense that we had just seen something special; not just a win, but a comeback that captured everything this club stands for: resilience, unity and belief.
Working at this club, when something like the events of last week happen, it is not only about the 90 minutes of football that have just played out. It is seeing the dedicated people, the squad and the staff who you become so invested in, the ones you see giving everything they have, day in and day out, create their own bit of history.
Whether it be the performance staff or those whose work takes place behind a laptop, hours of hard graft turn into days and then months. The reward comes on nights like that at the Peasy. Even if that reward keeps you up until 2am and has you awake at dawn replaying every moment over and over again.
I have only been with City for just short of eight months, but the fabric of this club and what it stands for gets you hooked almost immediately. And that probably comes down to the fact that at this club, there is no us and them. Nobody is above another. Everyone is considered to have played their part in getting this club to where it is.
Everyone knows everyone here. Having recently moved to the same area as one of the players, she has taken the time to give me recommendations of things to do, places to go and what to look out for. The same player also makes a great effort with every single person at this club, finding out more about them and building those bonds which help make City what it is.
Alongside the relief, pride and anticipation of reaching the next round, soon came the realisation that we had to do it all over again.
Many see the glamour of football, but only a few understand the real graft. From our operations manager arranging flights, hotels, meals and training facilities for a travelling party of 40, to those across several departments working to ensure the biggest-possible crowd at Petershill.
No sooner had the round-of-16 draw — which we watched together as club staff and players — been confirmed than I saw colleagues scouring options for flights to Lisbon, while our coaching staff were already digging out match footage of the Portuguese giants.
As an independent club we may be small in stature, but not in our story.
Formed 27 years ago by two women who just wanted to play football (they are still at the club having given countless opportunities to hundreds of women and girls), to still be performing at the highest level in a landscape of women’s football that is night and day compared to what it once was, is nothing short of remarkable.
City have a rich history in Europe, and have so often flown the flag for the women’s game in Scotland. This season has been no different as we remain this country’s sole representative on one of club football’s biggest stages.
So, with another famous European night behind us, you can be assured we will be ready to do it again next month. And in typical City fashion, we’ll meet the challenge head on, together.
Buy tickets for Glasgow City v Sporting CP, November 12, 7:35pm KO, Petershill Park
