SHELLEY KERR is to take charge of fifth-tier Lowland League club Stirling University, making her the first female manager in Scottish senior football," according to the BBC.
The 44-year-old "quit her position at Arsenal Ladies in June, having won three trophies in a 16-month reign." Kerr:
"I think the management of players is different. I think women can sometimes be a little bit more difficult than men. But I see myself as a football coach, nothing to do with male or female" (BBC, 8/19). In Glasgow, Gary Ralston reported Kerr "met her players at the Lowland League club for the first time" on Tuesday and "will take charge this weekend at home to Dalbeattie Star." She said, "Stirling University is a forward-thinking educational establishment and I’d like to think this appointment has nothing to do with gender and all to do with capability" (DAILY RECORD, 8/20). Sterling University Sports Performance Manager RALEIGH GOWRIE said, "Not only is Shelley a well-qualified and successful coach, she holds a strong vision of club development and a willingness to enhance the sporting experience for our students." Alongside her lead role in men's football, Shelley "is interested in the development of women's football at Stirling" (HERALD SCOTLAND, 8/19).
