It seems as if interest in the women’s game has reached a fever pitch in Scotland.

Celtic Women face a date with destiny on Sunday May 21 as they look to pip both Glasgow City and Rangers to their first SWPL title since their formation.

Fran Alonso’s side has had a stellar domestic league season and will be looking to finish it off with a win against Hearts at Parkhead. This is following on from last week’s success at the ground, where the team beat the league leaders 3-1 in front of a big crowd.

Much like the men’s equivalent, it seems like the women’s side are feeding off of Ange Postecoglou’s defiant message of "we never stop". Guided by Alonso, they are still on the hunt for a domestic double as the team looks to win the Scottish Cup at Hampden against Rangers in the following week.

Alonso is always full of praise when talking about his job at the club. He told World Football Index back in late 2022: "The journey so far has been incredible, and we have started this season in good form so I hope that we can make history again this season and challenge for the league title.

READ MORE: The importance of Celtic replacing Joe Hart - Alan Morrison

"The success that we have had so far has been a collective effort and I am thankful to the club for their backing and to my players who give me everything that they’ve got.

"We have also had the opportunity to play at Celtic Park during my time in charge and that has been wonderful for the players and also for me and my staff.

The interest and hunger for the women’s game is clear, as is shown in the attendance for recent games. In particular, the recent aforementioned game at Parkhead managed to bring in 9,553 spectators, in turn breaking the record for an SWPL game by doing so. This record will hopefully be broken on Sunday, as many descend on Parkhead to see if Alonso's team can finish the job.

Celtic Way: Celtic Way Specia lOffer

The women’s game is growing, much like its counterpart down south. Admittedly, the WSL in England is far richer than the SWFL north of the border, but the fact that both leagues are now shown on Sky Sports is a welcome step in the right direction. Seeing the league being broadcast on BBC Scotland, both in highlights packages on Sportscene and live on Alba, are also positive developments for the game in Scotland.

These improvements can be seen with regards to contracts for the players too. Just this week, Celtic’s defender Caitlin Hayes signed a new contract that will last until 2026. Speaking after signing her new deal, she spoke about the growth of the women's game and her excitement at the title going to the final day.

 "Playing at Celtic Park, with the Celtic supporters – there’s not really much you could dream of that would be better," she said.

"It’s going to be a big day. We aren’t going to play the occasion, and we won’t be overwhelmed by it.

"We are fully focused on the job at hand, which is getting the three points. Then we’ll look up and see where we are at the end of the game and what will be, will be."

In women’s football, traditionally in Scotland, players were generally only signed for one or two-year deals, so this outlay highlights the growth in the game from a financial perspective.

READ MORE: Why the safe-standing section should be expanded at Celtic Park

The range of nationalities in Celtic’s women's team is also a sign of growth in the sport. The team currently have players hailing from countries such as the USA, Australia, New Zealand, China and Mexico. In turn, this could potentially grow the sport in these countries as people will no doubt tune in to see how their representative is doing.

This may be something for the broadcasters to think about going forward, as rival teams such as Rangers and Glasgow City both possess similarly diverse teams. Diversity will only improve the game, with different play styles and tactics from foreign players and managers ensuring that the product stays fresh going forward.

It is abundantly clear that the women's game is growing and evolving in Scotland. Of course, improvements can still be made, especially with the amount of games that are being broadcast on television, but this will happen with time. Still, its growth over the past few years has been nothing short of remarkable, and it will be exciting to see where the game stands in the years ahead. 

And as for Celtic, well they once again have an opportunity to make history. After securing European football in his first season in charge and then winning a double last year, Alonso could take another step in progressing the women's game forward if he can lead the Hoops to SWPL glory.