Alan Pattullo: New Scotland boss’ bow will be overshadowed by Women’s World Cup

Whether it’s Steve Clarke, Scot Gemmill or someone else, the new Scotland manager will need to deal with an issue faced by none of his predecessors. Namely, being completely overshadowed by the women’s team.
Shelley Kerr is World Cup bound. Picture: SNSShelley Kerr is World Cup bound. Picture: SNS
Shelley Kerr is World Cup bound. Picture: SNS

The men’s side will be cast as the warm-up act on the weekend of the new coach’s first game.

The men play Cyprus on Saturday 8 June but just 24 hours later the women kick off their inaugural World Cup adventures against England in Nice.

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An imaginative, slickly handled squad announcement that was attended by a healthy number of media representatives got the ball rolling in midweek.

Excitement around the women’s side led by the impressive Shelley Kerr is building all the time. A farewell friendly against Jamaica at Hampden later this month is set to attract over 20,000 – five times the record crowd for a women’s international fixture to date in Scotland.

New manager or not, the SFA will do well to shift as many tickets for the next game in a World Cup qualifying section that already feels like a doomed enterprise.