Rangers women’s cup double and Celtic women’s league title could be a huge warning for soccer in Scotland

The Scottish women’s soccer season drew to a close on Sunday as Rangers completed a historic cup win at Hampden. It was the Glasgow club’s women’s side who secured a cup double this season. Their men’s side failed in their attempt the previous day. 

Rangers women had already beaten Partick Thistle back in March to win the Scottish Women's Premier League Cup, currently known as the Sky Sports Cup. Sunday saw them run out convincing winners over Hearts to pick up the Scottish Gas Women’s Scottish Cup trophy. They hit real disappointment last year losing to Celtic in the final. Then last weekend had another tough time as city rivals Celtic pipped them in a close run SWPL league title race. They will have been delighted to put all that behind them and enjoy the celebrations on Sunday.

Apart from completing an elusive double, it was also Rangers first-ever Scottish Cup trophy. That fact, combined with Celtic's first two Scottish Cup wins in the prior two seasons, shows a new dynamic in the women's game in Scotland. Those two clubs with their significantly higher financial base have been dominating men’s soccer. Is this the early years of a similar scenario in the women's game? 

Quite possibly, though teams like Glasgow City and today's defeated finalists Hearts will continue to try and prove otherwise. It was always a tough ask for Hearts to take anything from today's final though. Rangers had been a powerful side all season, had a trophy already in the cabinet and although still shaking off that league title disappointment they ran very close and only lost the title on goal difference. 

Rangers women dominant in second cup win this season

Although Hearts battled hard today Rangers were by far the better side. One measure of the difference between the two sides was a superbly struck shot from Rangers Rachel McLauchlan for the opening goal in the 24th minute. McLauchan was well outside the penalty box but hit the ball so well that Hearts keeper Charlotte Parker-Smith had no chance to save.

Despite the Glasgow side’s dominance and depth of resources, Hearts kept the scoreline right. It took a very late goal after 86 minutes from Lizzie Arnot to kill off any remaining hopes Hearts players may still have had. At 2-0 the cup, the double and the celebrations were all Rangers. 

Hearts should be proud of their players and of reaching the final. But that in itself brings us back to that question of resources and dominance in the women's game in Scotland. Is the future for the majority of the clubs now about playing for runners-up and cup final places? Hopefully not!