The women who kicked sexism in football into touch and created Glasgow City FC

As a girl, Cas Stewart never wheeled a toy around in her toy pram – only ever a football.

Cas Stewart and Laura Montgomery in the 1990s ahead of the creation of Glasgow City FC. PIC: Contributed/purpleTV.

Always mad for the game, she could never understand why she was never allowed to play at either primary or secondary school.

“I actually rememer thinking, when I go to university I will be allowed to play football, because its a university..surely its will be allowed. I just remember thinking, I’ve got to change it, I have just got to change it. I have have just got to do something to make it possible,” said Cas, now 53.

Glasgow City FC founders Laura Montgomery and Cas Stewart pictured in 2020 for new BBC Alba documentary on the rise of the club. PIC: purpleTV.

On the other side of Glasgow, Laura Montgomery, a sports-mad teenager, was on the same train of thought.

“It was increasingly frustrating. I couldn’t understand why the boys got to go outside and play football, and also rugby, and us girls had to stay in and do... dance.

“We challenged the teachers. We were told that girls just wouldn’t be allowed to do football,” Laura, now 44, remembered.

The club's UEFA squad which made the quarter finals in 2010. PIC: Lorraine Hill.

In the early 1990s, something happened to take the game for women to a higher level.

The pair met while playing for Maryhill Eagles and soon plans were being made to set up a new club to unlock new opportunities for female players.

Soon, driven by an intense passion and professionalism, Glasgow City FC were founding members of the Scottish Women’s Premier League.

Together, the team took 13 women’s league titles in a row and twice reach the quarter finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Now, their story is told in a new BBC Alba Documentary, the Women Who Built Glasgow City.

As one player remembered, the team were always “fighting against the odds” to get the women’s game taken serious.

“We always pushed the game in the right direction. There were a core of players fighting agains the odds. We have always tried to conduct ourselves in the best way we can,” she said.

Today, the club is the most successful women’s club in Scotland but, as the documentary explores, both Cas and Laura were at the height of giving up the club at the height of its success in 2016.

Laura’s partner of 16 years, Kat Linder, a former player with the club, was struggling with mental health illness and Cas’s brother was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

Both wondered if they could continue.

Cas said: “The Christmas before Kat died ….we both said, 'I'm really struggling here, I can't get on' and Laura said ‘I think I might have to give it up ….because I need to be around for Kat to help and support her’ ... and I said, well what do we do?”

The club , however, continues to thrive, albeit in the face of ever increasing competition.

Writer, producer and director Margot McCuaig, said the two women had helped to transform Scottish society with their enduring belief that the game is a game for all.

She said: “Since childhood, Cas and Laura have pushed against stereotypical perceptions that football is a man’s game and have worked hard to break down gender barriers.

“In realising their ambition to create their own football club they have subsequently created opportunities for girls to follow their dreams in a welcoming environment.

“Their ongoing work ethic has been consistently remarkable and this film goes some way to providing an insight into Cas and Laura’s role, not just as trailblazers in women’s football, but as pioneers creating a transformation in Scottish society.”

The Women Who Built Glasgow City, produced by purpleTV, will be shown on BBC ALBA onSunday, April 5 at 9pm.It will be available for 30days on BBC iPlayer.