Page 3 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.20 2022-23

Emma Brownlie and Courtney McAvoy have collected the
January 2022-23 Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL)
Player of the Month awards.
Brownlie becomes the first Heart of Midlothian player
to win the award since February 2019. Rachel Walkingshaw
was the winner when Hearts were in SWPL 2.
The defender started in all three matches in January
where they faced Rangers, Aberdeen, and Celtic. The Jambos
picked up four points including an impressive 0-0 draw at
home to Rangers and a 1-0 away win against Aberdeen.
Brownlie’s well placed free kick was the difference at the
Balmoral Stadium.
Brownlie has been a key part of Hearts’ success this
season at the back, conceding just 18 goals from 18 games. In
comparison, the Jambos conceded 66 goals in 27 games last
season.
In SWPL 2, Courtney McAvoy becomes the first ever
Boroughmuir Thistle winner of the award. Two players have
been nominated in the past for the club, Tegan Browning
(November 2020) and Samantha Duncan (September 2021).
McAvoy had scored four goals before January, adding
five goals to her season tally in the month alone. This included
the only goal in their 2-1 loss to Kilmarnock, the equaliser in
their 2-2 draw away to East Fife, and a hat-trick in their 3-2 win
over Montrose.
With McAvoy’s goals, Boroughmuir Thistle picked up
seven points from a possible 12 including victories over the
current top two sides in Montrose and Gartcairn.
The nominees for the January SWPL award were Amy
Gallacher (Celtic), Danni McGinley (Dundee United), and Hannah Stewart (Aberdeen) and for
the SWPL 2 award the nominees were Abby Robinson (Kilmarnock) and Morgan Steedman (St
Johnstone).
Photos - SWPL/Malcolm McKenzie

The Football Association of Wales has announced that it has received confirmation from UEFA
that Professor Laura McAllister is standing unopposed to join the UEFA Executive Committee as
its designated female member. This will be the first time that a representative from Wales is
elected to a position on European football's governing body.
It was revealed that Laura McAllister’s candidacy for the female member post on the UEFA
Executive Committee is unopposed after the deadline for nominations passed on 5 February. The
ballot for the Executive Committee positions will be held on 5April at the UEFA congress in
Lisbon where it is anticipated that Laura will be officially elected to the position on the board.
Noel Mooney, FAW Chief Executive, said: “The FAW strategy ‘Our Wales’ commits to
having our voice at the top tables of European and world football. When Laura’s position on the
UEFA Executive Committee is formally confirmed in April, we will have achieved yet another
huge milestone in our strategy, with Laura becoming the first ever person from Cymru on a UEFA
or FIFA Board in the history of the Football Association of Wales.
The election of the UEFA Executive Committee is scheduled to take place on 5th April
2023 at the 47th Ordinary Congress in Lisbon, where it is expected that Professor McAllister’s
position will be officially confirmed.
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