A Gamechanger Departs
Debbi McCulloch's departure as Spartans manager has been announced as she moves on to another chapter as CEO of the community foundation. Her impact on Scottish women's football has been immeasurable.
Debbi McCulloch has announced that she is stepping down as Spartans’ head coach to allow her to focus on her new role as CEO of the club’s community foundation. We obviously couldn’t let her go with just a heartfelt tweet in tribute. So, settle in, we’re going to tell you a story of a figure that has left an undeniable mark on one of the clubs most synonymous with the SWPL, while also pushing and fighting for progress in women’s football as a whole.
We’ve enlisted the help of Robyn McCafferty and Caley Gibb to get the inside track on McCulloch behind the scenes. The two Spartans stars have played their entire senior careers under her guidance, both spending five years under the departing manager.
McCafferty and Gibb have both gone from 15-year-olds moving into senior football, to regular first team rotation, to experienced first team players in their time under the departing head coach. They have seen every side of her and both give a lot of credit to how she motivates players for their own development. They aren’t the only ones either; the likes of Lana Clelland, Hayley Lauder, Eartha Cumings, Sarah Ewens, and so many more have spent periods of their careers being mentored by Debbi McCulloch over her two spells at Spartans spanning a decade.
Her coaching style and personality has left a huge mark on the history of Scottish women’s football. Robyn McCafferty gave us some insight into how she does it.
She brought us both into the club, so we owe a lot to her for giving us that opportunity. She obviously saw something in us from an early age, and she really put her trust and faith in us which we’re incredibly grateful for. For the opportunities that she gave us. I think I can speak for both of us, we did not expect to be here after all these years having played as many games as we have, and developed the way we have, and that's down to Debbi [McCulloch]. She's someone that really just supports you through everything, whether it's on the pitch or off the pitch. She's always got your back, she's always looking out for you, you know? She's very honest, which is a good thing. It's what you need at this level, you need somebody that that says how it is.
Caley Gibb followed on from where her centre back left off, highlighting the tough but fair approach that has made McCulloch one of the league’s best at getting the most out of her squad.
She is tough to play for, and she's quite scary at times, but she does it with the best interest in everyone. She's tough on you to push you because she knows what you can do and she knows how talented our squad is. She is only tough to push everyone on and get the best out of each other. I think this season's been difficult for everyone, she's stuck with us, she's helped us when there's games where we've came off and the last thing you want to do is come training on the Monday. But, she's supported us to get us through that. And yeah, as Robyn said, she brought us in from a young age. She trusted us with a lot. You know, the league's competitive. It's a tough league to come into and from a very young age she put myself and Robyn and other players in that environment. Not many coaches would have with the way the league was going, it was getting tougher, it was getting more competitive, more important, but she did. She made sure to praise you along the way, and obviously she did definitely tell you what you weren't doing right! But, she made sure to tell you a lot of what you were doing right. So, it was always really helpful.
McCafferty continues.
I think as well she really made aware to us, and to all the players that she's worked with, that her door is always open. She tells us all the time and she's not one of those people that will tell you and then you go and speak to and she'll send you away. She's always got time for you, she's somebody that will stop what she's doing to make sure that she can speak to you and make sure that she can support you in any way possible. She's patient, she's extremely understanding for what goes on in personal lives and things that are out of our control. It's that way where you respect her so much that you really don't want to disappoint her and you do everything you can to make sure that you keep her happy. We all value her so much.
That jump to senior football is one of the toughest moments in a career, it is a point where we have seen many go through a difficult spell. Some of the best players at youth level struggle to make the next step in their career as promise and potential need to become reality. For most, that next step is with the club they have developed with. They have often been around the first team for a while and are in a comfortable environment; however, at Spartans it has typically been that McCulloch has brought them in because they aren’t getting first team opportunities. Oftentimes those players are coming in during a really difficult spell in their short careers, but once they reach Spartans they are rejuvenated. Whether it’s a new position, style of play, or just a boost of confidence, Spartans have thrived on building up the careers of young players. That has been McCulloch’s specialty with ‘Debbi McCulloch’s Young Team’ becoming our unofficial nickname for the group of players she has put together at Ainslie Park.
Robyn McCafferty reflected on her own experience and how she sees it now for new players coming in as “one of the older players” (she’s 20, our hair turned grey as she said it).
She puts her trust in young players and she wants to develop them. I think that's probably why so many younger players have come in over the last couple of years because you see at Spartans you really get a chance to go and play. It can be a really important time in somebody's playing career, that sort of jump from youth football into adult football. It can be really difficult, especially nowadays with the league, as Caley said, growing you're getting a lot more professional teams coming in, there's a lot more money coming into the game, there's a lot more advertisement, there's a lot more media, and things like that around it. So the demand is becoming greater year in, year out and I think that can be really difficult for younger players to try and break through. But, the role that she's had in so many of our developments from youth football to senior football, you know she's had such an important part to play. Personally for me, she's played a massive role within that, but I think it's so important for other clubs to then see that she is putting her trust in younger players. Hopefully that encourages other teams to do the same. That's a massive thing for the club and for the league as well.
Caley Gibb tells the story of when she first stepped out in the white and red of Spartans and how that moment, under the guidance of Debbi McCulloch, has shaped her career to date.
I remember my first game and I was so, so nervous and she literally just said to me just go on and have fun. She didn't put the pressure on, you know, every game was just as important as it is now. But it was just ‘go have fun and do what you do’. I try and think about that every week when I go on. Obviously now it's a lot more challenging and you've got a bit more pressure on you as you're starting to get people expect more from you now that you're not so young. We've got a fair bit of experience even being the age that we are and that is all down to Debbi. It's very easy to stick with the players that are maybe a bit older and experienced. She took a chance, and I don't know what she'd say, but it was maybe an alright one! We're still here!
On occasion McCulloch has been the lone woman managing in the SWPL, whether consciously or not she has been an iconic figure in inspiring more women into those roles. She has done so as one of the most highly qualified coaches in the league as well, earning her UEFA A Licence eight years ago. We say ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’ for players but the same is true of coaches and McCulloch has certainly been seen.
Caley Gibb is already on the coaching pathway, coaching some of the Spartans young guns, and she speaks highly of the impact that McCulloch has had on her taking that step.
You look up to Debbi as a role model and you look at what she's achieved for the women's team and how big the club’s getting. That's down to the time and the hard work she has put in over the years. She gives it 110% every single time, whether that's the day she steps into the office or when she's stepping onto the pitch, she's always willing to do her best. I think if I was to become a coach, and to try and coach at the level that Debbi has, I think she'd be the coach that I'd want to be. Supportive, I'd want to put my trust in young players, and she's not afraid, you know? If she wants to give something a go, she'll give it a go and if it goes wrong, she'll hold her hands up and say it went wrong. She has trust in her ability and her level of coaching and it's inspiring to see.
Robyn McCafferty followed up by giving some insight into how she has helped the pair with their own studies.
There's been times where she's been the only female coach in the league, and I think she's a fantastic role model for young up and coming coaches. Obviously to see that you can be a female coach in a sport that's dominated predominantly by males. Even now you look at the coaches in our league a lot of them are male coaches, so to have that role model in Debbi I think is massive. Like when Caley and I both went on our C licence recently, it was a female only one. I honestly think people like Debbi are the ones that inspire and really push for these types of courses. Before we went on that we asked Debbi for a bit of advice, she talks about her going through all her badges, being the only woman there and how lonely and intimidated she felt at times. I think by her talking about her experiences has really driven a change within the game. I genuinely think if it wasn't for people like Debbi that that these courses and these opportunities wouldn't be available for us.
While she has inspired change through her presence in the game, McCulloch has also been such an outspoken figure within Scottish football, whether she’s fighting for improved refereeing standards, more equal marketing, or measures to ensure players are safe. She has been willing to make her opinion heard to fight for a better future. McCulloch has been at the heart of so many changes to the game with her belief in women’s football’s future.
McCafferty couldn’t praise her enough for all that she has done to strengthen the position of the game.
She's such an important pioneer within women's football, I think what she's done for women's football over the decade that she’s been involved is really amazing. She continues to strive to really make a difference in the women's game and when you look back at all the changes that she’s fought for, I think she's such a well respected figure and she absolutely deserves to be that.
I truly believe you'll struggle to find somebody that is as passionate about football in general, but obviously specifically the women's game, than Debbi. She'll stick up for you and she'll stand up and she'll fight until she can't anymore about what she believes in. I think that really inspires us as a team as well to not go down without a fight. She's someone that, as you say, is so driven to try and improve and to try and change and to make things better for everyone involved within the women's game in Scotland. I think that that encourages and inspires us to do the same. If you don't believe something is good enough, she'll be the first one there to go
and fight for change and for improvements. I have no doubts that whatever role she takes up within the club, she'll continue to do the same. She won't go quiet on these issues. I'm sure she'll remain fighting them until she believes it's a good enough level for everyone involved in the game.
Gibb continues the pile on the admiration.
I think a lot of people think that maybe she's just complaining about things that affect us, but she's doing it for everyone. She's not doing it to be difficult. She's not doing it just for Spartans. She's doing it for everyone in the league, and she's doing it to continue to improve the women's game. The women's game is still not there. It's still not like the men's game, but every season it's getting closer and closer to being it. Like when you look back to when we were 15 and we joined the league, the difference from what it was like even on the skill level basis to how hard it is to now. It's completely different. It feels almost like a different game and a lot of that is down to her having her say.
I think the whole paramedic stuff and things like that recently, I think that's something that Debbi will keep fighting on because it is something that needs to be addressed and it is something that is important. It will only help the game. She's one that you want to fight your corner and you want to fight for the women's game. She won't give up and you know she's doing it genuinely because that's what she believes in. It's out of the kindness of her heart and her love for the game.
She spoke about having a book full of memories when she gave her final interview to Spartans, and she’s not kidding. She has managed well over 200 games for the club and has overseen some moments that will remain Spartans folklore for years to come - SWPL & SWPL Cup runners-up in 2011, the 2014 season which saw her win manager of the year, that win against Celtic.
For Caley Gibb, it is a result that didn’t go their way that really stands out when she reminisces over her time under McCulloch. Not for the result, but for how McCulloch approached the situation and how she ensured that heads didn’t drop afterwards. A real show of just how supportive she has been behind the scenes.
For me one I always think about was when we played Glasgow City, I think it was the semi final and we're nil-nil at halftime. From what I remember there was a few of our main starters and key players that were either injured or suspended and couldn't play. Coming up against a team like Glasgow City going in drawing at half time, that's what you want really. You're in a good place. I just remember in our half time team talk it was all just about believing in us, we've done 45 minutes, we're nil-nil and stuff like that. She was telling us that she believed in us and that we need to believe in ourselves and you know, we did end up losing the game, but I still think to this day it was potentially one of our best performances that we've had. As a team and as a unit together everyone fought and gave absolutely everything. Debbi and the rest of the coaching staff were on the sidelines cheering us on right until the 90th minute. I think that's probably one of my key moments in my career.
McCafferty concurs that it is McCulloch’s supportive nature that stands out when she thinks about the moments that stand out from McCulloch’s time in charge.
For me, there was a time where there were a couple of games that weren't going too well for me. Not on a particularly good run and I had been away with the national team and I hadn't played as much as I wanted to and came back. She pulled me in from training one night and just sat me down and went over why I'm here and why she brought me in in the first place. How much she valued me as a person, and as a player, and just reassured me that I’m going to make mistakes. There's gonna be highs and lows. She always says in football you can never get too high and you can never get too low. I think that I scored a couple of games after that and just after the whistle she just gave me a big hug and she was like ‘I told you, this is your highs now’. So I think that just shows like the level of support that you get both on and off the pitch with her. You know she'll back you to the hills and she's just somebody that will look out for you at all times. She'll put an arm around you when things aren’t going so well. But she'll also give you a kick up the backside if she needs to as well. Obviously, the Celtic game as well, I think when the whistle went and just seeing everyone run towards each other was special.
There is one more memory that Robyn is keen to tell us, one that we are sure is special to every player to pass through Spartans football club. Another hidden talent of McCulloch’s that makes her that bit more of an icon.
We need to talk about her singing Edge of Glory as well! She might not like me saying that but that's a fond memory of everyone's. End of season, she gets up and gives us a wee bit of Lady Gaga. So we have to make sure that people know that about her before she leaves. To be fair, she actually does it alright. So hopefully she'll give us one of them before she leaves!
We know she will have a huge impact on the Community Foundation and it is such an amazing opportunity for her to do some really good work in the North of Edinburgh. We absolutely couldn’t say she should have stayed, not even until the end of the season; she has earned this opportunity a million times over and we are excited to see the work she carries out for them. We will absolutely miss her pushing forward standards and being a general thorn in the side of everyone else in the league.
Debbi, if you’re reading this, we very much hope we haven’t seen your last contribution to women’s football, and that you know just how much you are appreciated.