Hearts boss wants women's team to play more games at Tynecastle Park

Eva Olid wants to see Hearts Women playing at Tynecastle more often next season as she prepares her team for the chance to play a Scottish Cup final in their own stadium.

In her first season in charge the Hearts manager has guided last season’s bottom-place side in the SWPL 1 into the semi-finals of the competition having seen off stern tests from Dundee United and Kilmarnock following a third-round hammering of Gleniffer Thistle.

Olid will face off against fellow Spaniard Fran Alonso and his Celtic side on Sunday at the Falkirk Stadium in the first match of a SWF Cup double-header with Partick Thistle and Glasgow City meeting on the same pitch later in the day.

If the Jam Tarts are successful they’ll advance to the final on May 29, which will be held at Tynecastle Park. For a team who typically play their home games in front of modest crowds at the Oriam it’s an added incentive as a bumper crowd would be expected for the showpiece encounter inside the 20,000-seater stadium.

Hearts manager Eva Olid will see her team face off against Celtic this Sunday for a place in the SWF Women's Cup semi-finals. Picture: SNS

But regardless of whether Hearts can upset Celtic in this weekend’s semi, Olid wants to see Jambos coming out to support the women’s team within familiar comforts of their home ground next term. Over 4,000 attended the Edinburgh derby in December in the only home match for the women in Gorgie this term.

"Getting to the final of a Scottish Cup would be an amazing achievement anyway, but to play at your own stadium would be extra special,” Olid told the Evening News. “It would be terrific for the team. But first we have to play the semi-final to get there.

“I would like to play more games at Tynecastle, not just the final of the Scottish Cup, but in the league. I would like this to be a normal pitch for us. I know it's difficult in terms of having it every game, but I would like to start a progression next season where we're playing more than one.

“Arriving to the semi-final stage has been the biggest step for this team and fans are supporting us more compared with last season. They see we're playing well and improving with a young side. Getting to the final could be so, so big.”

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