SWPL clubs 'can't be overlooked' in survival fight - Leanne Crichton
- Published
Glasgow City are scheduled to meet Wolfsburg in the Champions League quarter-finals
Scottish women's football clubs "can't be overlooked" in the fight to survive the coronavirus crisis, says Glasgow City midfielder Leanne Crichton.
The men's Premiership starts training on 11 June, subject to strict measures, and aim to play matches in August.
The Scottish Women's Premier League must prove it can meet the same stringent protocols before resuming.
Scotland international Crichton says it is a "real frustration" there seems to be more emphasis on the men's game.
She added on BBC Scotland's The Nine: "When we speak about saving Scottish football and clubs it has to include the women's game and it can't be overlooked.
"There has to be the same level of investment and maintain the infrastructure in the women's game as much as it is in the men's.
"I think before this pandemic hit the women's game was in a good place and heading in the right direction. I would like to think when we come out the other side we can pick up where we left off and keep striving to be better."
The cost of testing for Covid-19 is a stumbling block for SWPL clubs, most of which are part-time.
And Crichton hopes extra finance can be provided by the football authorities to help pave the way for a return to action.
"For us to have a whole domestic structure in place you would need all the clubs to meet that criteria and I think that would be a real struggle," she said.
"Hopefully there can be some level of support from elsewhere. We're focused on a Champions League date that's hopefully going to be in August. There's [national team] European dates that were announced for September.
"So there are dates in the diary that we are working towards but without that domestic structure in place that's going to be very difficult."