It was a long time coming but a pub named after Scottish football’s only World Cup winner (so far*) opened in Glasgow last year.
Fittingly, the player concerned, now 69 years old, was there to cut the ribbon. What a playing record to look back on: 8 Serie A titles, 4 Italian Cups and 1 French title. The French one was won in the same season (1978/9) as an Italian one, playing in Italy on Saturdays and France on Sundays. No man has ever done that.
Rose Reilly grew up in Stewarton, Ayrshire and played for Stewarton Thistle then Westthorn United, training at the Hoover factory alongside the Cambuslang Hooverettes. Southampton won the first three finals of the Women’s FA Cup, beating Scottish opposition each time including Reilly’s two clubs.
Reilly moved abroad and turned professional in 1973, playing until she was 40. The World Cup triumph came when captaining the Italian team that won the Mundialito, the unofficial forerunner to the Women’s World Cup in 1984. Eligibility was somewhat elastic – Rose had already been capped by Scotland and had no Italian links.
When at primary school it is reported that Rose was only allowed to play in a boys team if she cut her hair short and called herself Ross. I don’t know if that’s apocryphal but given the Scottish FA officially banned women from playing football until 1974, it wouldn’t be all that surprising. Games that took place before then were not recognised by the SFA, who voted against a UEFA motion to assume the governance of women’s football in 1971. The other 31 UEFA members voted for it.
The Rose Reilly was formerly the Hampden Bar and is a traditional tenement pub with a wooden gantry. The beer mats are a neat touch.
On the other side another famous- or maybe infamous – footballing Scot is featured, pictured during a dark moment whilst managing Aberdeen (a pose since adopted by most of his successors).
*The owner shares the same name as the current Scotland men’s football manager. It’s got to be an omen.
Pubmeister writes... 
She looks like she could still play.
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Great read, and worthy recognition.
NB I’m sure you know that the most recent World Cup winner born in England won the cup playing for Italy (Simone Perotta, born in Ashton, Lancs).
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Didn’t know that – many good things come out of Ashton Under Maligned.
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Is there much cask (or anything interesting) in the Southside pubs these days ? I noticed an Arbor glass in one of the photos in the Rose Reilly Google page but may have been an old pic.
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Arbor Mosaic (keg) in RR. Ryan’s Bar (ex-Neesons) lots of crafty stuff. Koelschip Yard often cask. Phillies crafty selection, so not much cask but some decent options.
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