While speaking to Renfrewshire News ahead of Sunday’s Barclays Scottish Women’s League One derby against Bishopton Ladies, St Mirren Women manager Kate Cooper highlighted the continued growth of the women’s game across Renfrewshire.
The Buddies begin their league campaign this weekend, with newly promoted Bishopton making the short trip to Mossedge after opening their season with a victory over Queen of the South.
Cooper believes women’s football in the county is continuing to move in the right direction. Alongside Bishopton’s promotion to League One, Renfrew secured the 2025/26 Barclays Scottish Women’s Championship title last season and are now preparing for life in the Scottish Women’s Premier League 2, the second tier of Scottish women’s football.
Although discussing the upcoming derby, Cooper was keen to praise Bishopton’s rise into League One and the wider progress being made by women’s football across the area.
She said: “It’s absolutely fantastic that Bishopton have moved up into League One. I know that Steven and his team there have worked really, really hard to get the team promoted.
“They missed out narrowly last year, which was disappointing for them.”
She also highlighted the relationship between the two clubs, with players having represented both sides.
“We’ve had a really good relationship with them, with some of our players last year going to them and then they’ve kept some of them as well.”
Cooper believes the success of clubs across Renfrewshire can only help raise the profile of the women’s game.
She said: “It’s been good for another Renfrewshire team to be doing so well, especially with Renfrew getting promoted too.
“For us it just creates good news for the clubs in Renfrewshire and for us to be able to create that bit of attention and be able to highlight the quality of players that we’ve actually got growing up and coming through in our local communities.
“So I think it’s absolutely excellent if we can do that.”
Despite welcoming the local rivalry, Cooper knows there will be little room for error in what she expects to be another competitive League One campaign.
She said: “Every game is vital. Every game feels like a cup final when you’re playing in League One. There’s no easy games, there’s no simply turning up.
“If you get promoted out of League One, you’ve earned it.”
St Mirren host Bishopton at Mossedge on Sunday, with kick-off at 2.45pm.