Spartans Striker Nominated For Player Of The Year Award

April 2009

Spartans striker Diana Barry has been short-listed for the Scottish Women’s Football Player of the Year Award. Diana is in a short-list of four players, the other nominees being goalkeeper Fiona McNicol of Forfar Farmington and Glasgow City players Katharina Linder and Rachel Corsie.

Diana started playing football at school and was part of the successful St Augustine’s High School team picking up seven winners medals during her six years there. Diana played her youth club football for Hibs under 17’s where she played for three seasons picking up 8 winners medals and averaging a massive 60 goals a season and giving an indication that successful times lay ahead. While playing youth football Di represented Scottish Schools at Under 15 and Scotland at Under 17.

Moving into senior football Diana joined Whitehill Welfare scoring 62 goals in two seasons before moving to Glasgow City where she scored 24 goals in 25 games before returning to the club where she started then under the name of Edinburgh Ladies scoring 57 goals in two seasons.

Her prolific scoring record has continued this season under the banner of Spartans FC where she looks likely to break her own personal best for senior goals scored in a season. Her undoubted skill and ability and goal scoring prowess is impressive and despite scoring on a regular basis Diana’s unselfish work ethic makes her just as effective as a goal maker for her teammates.

Diana has represented Scotland at Under 19 and Under 23 Level and was part of the first U19 team to reach the finals of the European Championships in 2005 scoring twelve times in the process. Diana won her first full cap against Italy in April 2009 and showed enough in the few minutes she played to suggest that she will lead the line many more times.

The Player of the Year Award is the top award as part of a list of eight categories planned for the Scottish Women’s Football Awards Dinner at Hampden on Friday 12th June.

The dinner itself will be a glittering occasion. Chairing the event will be Alison Walker, with Eric Davidson providing the after dinner entertainment. To attend please contact the Association to reserve your seat and/or table. The cost per table is £300.00 (for 10) or you can purchase individual seats at £30.00 per head.  The Association telephone number is 0141 620 4580. 

The full awards category list is as follows :-

The Scottish Sun - Player’s Player of the Year

PFA Scotland’s Premier League Player of the Year

MNE First Division Player of the Year

Second Division Player of the Year

Tennents International Player of the Year

Coach of the Year        

Unite the Union Club Fair Play Award

SWF Services to Women’s Football