Lowland Football League side Stirling University Manager Shelley Kerr made "Scottish Cup history," according to Jane Lewis of the BBC. When Kerr's club lost 4-1 to Scottish League Two side Albion Rovers in first round action, she became "the first female to lead out a team in the competition's 141-year history." The former Arsenal Ladies boss is, however, "keen to focus on the football." Kerr said, "It's a distraction and I've tried to keep the distraction so it's affecting me rather than the team. ... It should never be about gender, it should be about skill set and, thankfully for me, I've had nothing but positivity surrounding my career in football. Long may that continue, although you know when results don't go in your favor that can change" (BBC, 10/3).
'A GIANT LEAP': In London, Matt Hughes wrote as the Scottish Cup is the third oldest football competition in the world, "she is both standing in the footsteps of giants and taking a giant leap forward for womankind." Kerr "applied for a position that was advertised nationally, beating the other 14 candidates to be interviewed, all of whom were men." She clearly made quite an impression, as, after being interviewed on a Monday afternoon, by Tuesday morning "she found herself in the dressing room meeting the players." It was at that point that the fascination started -- "how would she cope in the dressing room?" Kerr: "There’s no real difference with the coaching, but the management of male players is a little bit easier in my experience. In the female game, when you make a big call it can affect more than one player, which can have an effect on performance. We’re quite emotional as females, so maybe we feel more sympathy for our teammates. Guys are more apt to just get on with it." Kerr’s team talk "will be based on encouraging her players to enjoy the challenge of playing against higher-calibre opponents while free from pressure, although her expectations are characteristically high." Kerr: "I’m quite demanding. I’ve been known to bark a bit. I have no problem giving players a blast if they need it, but if I’m doing my job properly they shouldn’t need it that often" (LONDON TIMES, 10/4).
