Sport / Women’s team return to games fold after 20 years with three players returning from 2005 squad
Coach Kevin Main said Shetland are not going to Orkney this summer ‘just for the party’
THE FIRST women’s football team to represent Shetland at the Island Games in 20 years has been announced – with three players from the 2005 squad included.
Toni Upton, Josie Mitchell and Kristan Robertson all represented the blues the last time the women’s team took part in the Island Games, in Shetland in 2005.
Two decades on they will get the chance to add to their games caps in Orkney this summer, and coach Kevin Main said it was a “lovely story”.
“All credit to the three that are going to be involved again,” he said.
“They’re all there on merit. They’ll all remember the times back in Shetland, but will know this is going to be different from those games.”
Upton has made a name for herself playing for teams in England including Darlington, where she was captain, and now at Hartlepool.
Mitchell meanwhile represents Elgin in the Scottish Women’s Football League north league, which they are currently joint-top of having won all 10 of their fixtures.
Burra’s Katie Anderson, who plays in goals for Dryburgh Athletic in the Scottish Championship, is also called up.
Wednesday’s squad announcement marked a major milestone in the women’s game in Shetland, one that has been seven years in the making.
The sport has been undergoing an ongoing resurgence for close to 10 years now, but this summer will see Shetland’s women return to the Island Games after a 20-year hiatus.
Main is part of a coaching team that includes fellow former Shetland men’s coach Niall Bristow, Adam Priest and Carrie Morrison – who also played for Shetland’s women in 2005.
He took on the role just six months ago, with the aim of whittling down an initial 65 women – ranging in age from 16 and up – down to a squad of 20.
Main, who has picked Shetland men’s teams for Island Games and inter-counties on numerous occasions, said this had been the toughest selection process he had been involved in.
“It was very, very difficult to decide on,” Main told Shetland News.
“All four of us came together and agreed on a lot, but we sort of deliberated on some others.
“But we’re fully behind the 20 that we chose. There were some difficult conversations to have with some of the girls, there were players out there that just almost made it.
“The selection process has been really competitive though, which is brilliant.”
Shetland have been handed an unforgiving group at their first Island Games back, taking on top seeds Bermuda, Jersey and Isle of Wight.
Bermuda have won at least a bronze medal at the four games they have been too, clinching gold at their last two – at home in 2013, and in Guernsey two years ago.
“The gravity of the competition will be something we have to get across to the squad quite quickly,” Main admitted.
The coaching team are keenly looking forward to Orkney, but have already made a commitment to leading the squad out in Faroe in 2027 too.
Main – a proven winner at club and county level – said he “would be lying” if he said the squad were going to Orkney “just for the party”.
“We’re going there to compete – yeah, we have been drawn against three really strong teams, but we want to really compete well and give a great account of ourselves.
“If we can sneak a result or two along the way, that would be incredible.”
Shetland have the ideal preparation for the heat of competitive action in Orkney this July, entering the Highlands and Islands league cup for the first time next month.
“It’s very similar to the Island Games standard, so in terms of preparation it couldn’t be better,” Main said.
“It’ll be crucial, and gives us at least two competitive games.”
The blues first opponents in the competition will be Orkney on 12 April, something Main said was “quite ironic”.
“Unfortunately we’ve managed to be drawn in a group of three, and both of our games are away,” he said.
“So we’ll just have to bite the bullet on that one, and pay up and play up.
“But they’ll be competitive games, and we want to make a really good account of ourselves.”
Shetland’s second game in the competition will be against Clachnacuddin on 18 May in Aberdeen, with the top two from the three-team group heading through to the semi-finals later in the year.
Main said there would be opportunities for those that narrowly missed out on Island Games selection – who will continue to train with the squad – and he encouraged them to keep coming, with Faroe in the not too distant future.
The Island Games runs between 12-18 July 2025.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
