Swieqi United have embarked on a historic project in women’s football in Malta after announcing a collaboration with Scottish giants Glasgow City in the interest of promoting and help growing this movement.
Championing women’s football together is the slogan that will be headlining this partnership between two clubs that besides sharing the same colour, orange, have their commitment and dedication towards women’s game in common as well.
“The partnership with Glasgow City FC is a historic one for Swieqi United FC, primarily because it is the first official collaboration signed with a European club at senior and academy level,” Swieqi president Justin Fenech said in an official statement.
“Having said that, the reason why this collaboration is priceless is primarily because it is being entered into by two like-minded clubs, who share common values and who both provide women and girls with a football-centred education both on and off the pitch.”
Since their introduction to women’s football back in 2015, Swieqi have been one of the main clubs to strive and progress in the domestic game.
Testament to this is their third-place finish in the 2019-20 top-flight campaign – their best ever finish.
In addition, they placed second in the U-19s league and were crowned U-15s champions.
Glasgow, on their part, are club who is used to winning, hence their champions mentality, will enhance Swieqi’s progress as a club.
They are the most successful women’s club in Scotland, having won 14 Women’s Premier League titles – a record 13 in a row – and are the all-time Scottish Cup winners.
Glasgow’s dynasty is now being threatened by the introductions of big spenders Celtic and Rangers who want to replicate their success in men’s football into the women’s side as well.
Swieqi’s collaboration with Glasgow will help raise their profile as a club that continuously work to create pathways for their players.
Their partnership with the Scottish club will enable them to thrive in this aspect while helping open channels of opportunities both ways.
Revolutionary club
“Glasgow City are delighted to announce a formal partnership with Maltese side Swieqi United,” said a statement on the Scottish club’s official channels.
“Joining the Maltese women’s league in 2014/15, Swieqi are a community club growing with title ambitions and most importantly a club championing opportunity for women and girls.
“The partnership will set up player pathways, coach development and campaigns around empowerment and equality for women and girls.”
Founded in 1998 by Laura Montgomery, a leading advocate for women’s football in Scotland, Glasgow is a women’s club run by volunteers even nowadays.
The club helped change the landscape of this movement in Scotland.
Commenting on the partnership, Montgomery, who is also the club manager, said: “This is the first of a number of important developments we have been working on for some time at the club.
“I feel we can deliver great benefit to Swieqi. Both Glasgow and Swieqi United have similar values in what we want to do off the field as well as on it and that was the most important driver in this relationship.
“We look forward to many years of successful partnership working together.
“At the heart of everything we do are our values – I feel we can deliver great benefit to Swieqi and similarly with them to ourselves.”
In Europe, Glasgow defied the odds when in 2008 they became the first Scottish side to ever progress from the qualifying group stage and since then have gone from strength to strength including reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League twice.
Scotland reached its first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in 2019, with five current and six former Glasgow City players as part of the squad as the team continue to help shape the game in their native country time and again.
