“Pressure? – What Pressure?”

While most St Andrews students were enjoying the final stretch of summer, the Women’s 1s football team was hard at work at University Park, diving into an intense pre-season training regime. With the academic calendar commencing a week later this year, the reigning Queens of the North were allocated an extra week of preparation for the long campaign ahead. Last season's Premier North title victory has granted this team their reputation as the one to beat. So how does the team plan to ensure that by season’s end, they’ll leave everyone — including Alan Shearer — asking, “Pressure? What pressure?” 

Preseason kicked off on a typically dismal Scottish day, but the weather did nothing to dampen the energy of the team's training. 

“We’ve worked really hard,” said the Director of Footballl and Women’s 1st team head coach Stuart Milne. “We’ve been able to integrate quite a few new players into the group, just to keep it fresh and give that competition for places, which is good.” 

As most sports clubs were making their way home from the 601 in the early hours of 12 September, the freshly updated squad embraced the 5:30am wake-up, preparing to embark on a six-hour, multi-transport journey to Ulster for a pre-season friendly, forgoing the chaos of the first Sinners to stay focused and prepare for the game ahead. 

Milne highlighted the importance of this road trip: “There’s a number of benefits. To get the players used to travelling. The benefits of how to prepare meals and sleep patterns. The team building aspect of being able to take the players away and integrate the new ones was really important.” 

The sacrifice paid off, with the team putting three goals past Ulster, while only conceding one. First-year students Elahe Sherrell and Regan Harkins both found the back of the net, while a dramatic Ulster own goal made it three. Experienced third-year striker Auburn Brenner then kicked it up to four, securing the victory.

With last year’s great achievement comes inevitable expectation and added pressure. However, the squad has adopted a mature and professional approach to managing it. Third-year Lily Mandel-Mueller stated: “We don’t deserve anything in this league. So, I think we have to take that pressure and understand that it’s a privilege to have that pressure.” 

The squad is poised to handle the watchful eyes by focusing on mental and physical resilience preparation, a sentiment that Milne alluded to, saying, “With the success comes a wee bit of expectation and pressure. But they’re in a good place for it.” 

The squad emphasised that the pressure is not overwhelming, as their focus is not on winning titles but on their love for the journey and the game. Moreover, the unity in the team allows them to rise above any stress they face. The Women’s 1s goalie, third-year Rowan Blacklock, related to this sentiment: “We’re not playing for the title; we’re playing for each other. I work every day for my team, and I know they’re working for me. No matter how bleak it looks, we’re always going to come back stronger because we want to do it for each other.” 

The team also acknowledged the launch of the WSL (Women’s Super League) on September 20th. As the league embarks on its first campaign since splitting from the FA, the new CEO, Nikki Doucet, has emphasised the need for the media, investors, and players to collectively change the language around women’s football to enhance its visibility and prestige. This sentiment — advocating for both men’s and women’s football to be regarded simply as ‘football’ — resonates strongly with these players.

A member of the team, third-year Olivia Boscaccy believes that this language shift is positive and that it can help break the stigma, saying:, “I definitely like changing the language. It was an issue back in high school as well. We were the Lady Dragons instead of just Dragons Soccer. I genuinely think as soon as people see that, there’s a stigma behind it. I think changing the language will automatically change how you view it.”

Blacklock also likes this language shift of the media but believes that the basis of change comes from the grassroots level of mutual camaraderie between men’s and women’s teams. “I think the media has a really important role. But, I think more than anything, it comes from the players themselves. It comes from us coming to the men’s games and the men coming to our games.” 

Doucet is not only advocating for a language shift around women’s football, but is also urging major corporations to invest in the game to elevate its prestige. She highlights that sponsorship and investment can do more than provide financial backing — they can reshape public perception of the league. While Doucet acknowledges the capital risk profile of investing in women’s football, she firmly believes that investment must come before revenue. Historically, women’s sports have been severely underfunded, and reversing that trend requires bold, forward-thinking investment. 

Boscaccy feels that the sponsors are holding back. She stated, “It’s always women tailor sponsors for women. Why can’t we have a big corporation? And it not be Tampax sponsoring us. It kind of downgrades us again.” 

ASAW ("All Saints Are We") is more than just a motto for the St Andrews Women’s 1s football club; it’s a reflection of their spirit, unity, and resilience. As the team heads into the long Premier North League campaign, it is this unity that will silence the noise and defy outside expectations. The growing support for women’s sports will only continue to fuel these players. Pressure? No pressure!

Image from Zefang Chen