Newly-formed Huntly FC Women aim to shoot through SWF league system aided by support from local community
THE formation of Huntly FC Women has given young girls and women in the community new hope of one day lacing up their boots and pulling on the Black and Gold at Christie Park.
The newly-formed club will provide a new group of idols and a team for young girls to support and dream of emulating.
For manager Raymond Henderson, who moved to the club after seven years with Aberdeen's under 18s, giving young, local, girls a platform to showcase their talent is vitally important.
"I'm very much of the thinking that we should be as integrated in the community as possible," he said. "I want to see the young kids at schools and get them along to our matches.
"We want to build a pathway right through from youngsters to the first team. That will take time and volunteers but it's something we should aspire to."
The newly-formed women's team will start in the regional fifth division of Scottish Women's Football, but have big ambitions to push up the pyramid system quickly.
"I want to get as high up the women's footballing ladder as we can go and don't want to languish in the fifth division for any length of time," Henderson added.
"We have a squad that can get out of the league, although it'll be difficult because there are experienced sides and only one promotion space so we have to win the league.
"We have an exciting, young, talented squad and hopefully we can get them playing exciting football that people want to come and watch."
Henderson's experience gained with Aberdeen is sure to help assemble a squad worthy of a title challenge, with 18 players having already put pen to paper ahead of the season kicking off in the new year.
The squad are already in training – twice a week – with friendlies, including one at the astroturf in Huntly against Buckie Ladies on January 29, already set up.
In addition, coaching staff Doug Graham, Craig Flockhart and Derek Taylor have been brought in to assist Henderson.
Huntly chairman Gordon Carter explained that the formation of the club has been years in the making – and comes after the stabilising of the men's first team by manager Allan Hale and assistant Stefan Laird.
"When we appointed Allan we were in difficult financial times and one of the main tasks was to establish stability," he said.
"We wanted to survive long-term, set up a development team, bring the next generation through and work with the boys' and girls' leagues and Allan has done that well.
"He also wanted to make sure there were opportunities for girls and women and that remained one of the main factors we hadn't achieved.
"It's now realistic that a young girl good at her sport can progress through. It's really exciting and a great opportunity for the community, who have bought into it and supported us brilliantly.
"We want to establish ourselves as the team in the area and form a development squad for the women, but that will come in time."
Huntly Women will play at Christie Park on Sundays, and weekends that Huntly Men are scheduled to have an away match.