Scotland will host a European finals tournament for the first time in 21 years when the UEFA European Women’s Under-19s Championship kicks off next week.
The finals will take place from the 16-28 July, with matches being played in Glasgow, Paisley, Stirling and Perth.
The top two of each group will progress to the semi-final and the final will be played at St. Mirren Park on Sunday, 28 July.
Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament:
Groups
Group A
Scotland, Netherlands, Norway and France.
Group B
England, Belgium, Spain (holders), Germany.
Fixtures
Tuesday 16 July
Norway v Netherlands, kick-off 4pm, Firhill Stadium
Spain v Belgium, kick-off 4pm, Forthbank Stadium
Scotland v France, kick-off 7.30pm, St Mirren Park
England v Germany, kick-off 7.30pm, McDiarmid Park
Friday 19 July
England v Spain, kick-off 4pm, Forthbank Stadium
Netherlands v France, kick-off 4pm, St Mirren Park
Scotland v Norway, kick-off 6.15pm, Firhill Stadium
Belgium v Germany, kick-off 7.30pm, McDiarmid Park
Monday 22 July
Belgium v England, kick-off 4pm, McDiarmid Park
Germany v Spain, kick-off 4pm, Forthbank Stadium
France v Norway, kick-off 6.15pm, Firhill Stadium
Netherlands v Scotland, kick-off 6.15pm, St Mirren Park
Thursday 25 July
Semi-Final: kick-off 4pm, Firhill Stadium
Semi-Final: kick-off 7.30pm, St Mirren Park
Sunday 28 July
Final: kick-off 4pm, St Mirren Park
The Teams
The Netherlands
The one-time WU19 EURO champions qualified emphatically for this summer’s finals. Three wins out of three saw them top group three in the Elite qualifying round ahead of Russia, Iceland and Bulgaria. The Dutch will be hopeful of progressing past the group stages this summer, after being knocked out at that stage last year.
Scotland
The hosts qualified automatically for this summer’s finals. Scotland last made the EUROs in 2017, when they were knocked out at the group stages. They’ll be hoping that they can use home advantage to progress this time around.
Norway
Norway are mainstays of the WU19 EUROS. This summer’s finals in Scotland will be their 14th appearance at the competition. They qualified comfortably, beating Northern Ireland, Denmark and Ukraine in the process.
France
France have won the WU19 EUROs four times but would have been disappointed last year, being knocked out in the group stages. They’ll be hoping to get off to a strong start when they face Scotland on matchday one, who they beat twice in 2018.
England
England were free-scoring in their qualification group, not conceding and scoring 13 in the process. However, their group containing both of last summer’s finalists – Germany and Spain – promises to provide a tough test. England have won the WU19 EUROS once before, in 2009.
Spain
After a dominant display in last summer’s final against Germany, Spain will be seeking to win their third WU19 EURO title in a row this summer. Their clash against the Germans in the final group stage matchday is one to watch. Despite beating Germany in last summer’s final, Spain have lost twice to them in recent years in the group stages of the tournament (2015 and 2017).
Germany
Six-time champions Germany will be looking to go one better in Scotland this year. A final defeat at the hands of Spain in Switzerland last summer stopped them getting their hands on their seventh WU19 EUROS Championship. The Germans were high scorers in the Elite qualifying round, topping their group with victories over Greece and the Czech Republic and a 2-2 draw with Austria.
Belgium
Belgium have only qualified for the WU19 EUROs once before, in 2014. They drew twice and won once to top their Elite qualifying group, scoring five times over the three group games. Their first game is against holders Spain.
Players to watch
England were free scoring in their qualification campaign, but equally impressive was their defence, led by captain Esme Morgan. England will need more of the same against Germany and Spain to progress through the group stage.
Norway’s Jenny Kristine Røsholm Olsen scored six in three to help her nation make this summer’s finals. Her form will be crucial to her nation’s progression throughout the tournament.
The Netherlands Kirsten Van De Westeringh scored in each match in the Elite qualification round, including the crucial only goal in the Netherlands 1-0 win over Russia.
Spain’s Clàudia Pina is one of the tournament’s youngest players at 17, but six goals in three games for Spain in the Elite qualifying round WU19 suggests she will be vital in their attempts to retain the WU19 EUROS.
How to watch
Find out how to watch the WU19 EUROS where you are
Ticket information
If you’d like to come along to this summer’s WU19 EUROS, ticket information can be found here.
Tickets are priced from £2 for adults and £1 for concessions.
UEFA Women's Under-19s Soundtrack
Be Charlotte’s song ‘Dreamers’ is the official track of the 18th UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship.
Supporters first heard the track when Be Charlotte performed pre-match to the gathered supporters at the recent Scottish Women’s National Team World Cup warm-up match against Jamaica on 28 May 2019 at Hampden Park.
Be Charlotte artiste, Charlotte Brimner hails from Dundee but is now based in Berlin. She has been signed to record label Columbia/Sony Music, joining the likes of global superstars Adele and Beyonce.
Sensory bags
A limited number of sensory toy bags will be available on loan at each of the match venues. Sensory toys are for children who can experience sensory overload conditions such as autism; we hope these bags will enhance the experience of families attending the matches. To find out about how you can collect a bag contact:
St. Mirren: tickets@stmirren.com
Partick Thistle: beth.adamson@ptfc.co.uk
St. Johnstone: BeverleyMayer@PerthSaints.co.uk
Stirling Albion: office@stirlingalbionfc.co.uk.
Written by Joshua Barrie