Livingston Women’s midfielder Gemma Mason believes the club’s title celebrations are well-earned after they lifted the SWF Championship trophy.
The Lionesses bowed out of the third tier with a 2-1 home loss to Rossvale – just their third defeat in 31 league games this term.
But that did little to dampen the atmosphere at the Tony Macaroni Arena as the champagne flowed and medals were handed out.
Paul Jaconelli’s side will be mixing it in SWPL2 next season – a league Mason has experienced before with both Hearts and Stirling University – and Gemma has no doubts the club have proven they deserve to make the step up.
Speaking to the Courier, she said: “Getting presented with the trophy is an amazing way to end the season.
“Obviously we didn’t want to lose the game but we’ve shown over the course of the season we deserve to have won the league.
“We’ve picked up the most wins, scored the most goals and conceded the fewest so I don’t think there can be any real argument that we deserve it. The girls and the coaching staff have worked so hard for it and it’s a special group. We’re all delighted.”
Mason was quick to pay tribute to the unseen heroes who make the club tick, too, and who were able to soak in the celebrations.
She added: “Everyone at the club has people around them who give support and have to make sacrifices for us.
“Parents, brothers, sisters, partners – we all have people who give up a lot of time and effort to help us train and play games throughout the course of the season.
“It’s special to be able to share this with them and for them to hopefully know and see that those sacrifices are worth it and come with a reward. We wouldn’t be here and be celebrating if it wasn’t for them supporting.”
As for next season, she says she’ll be coming back recharged and raring to go after a deserved summer break.
She said: “I’ll get a wee while off to relax and go on holiday then come back strong and ready for next season.
“It will be a big change but I think the girls are more than capable of playing at that level and it feels like it’s a club on the rise. It’s certainly a very good club to be at. We’ve earned the right to play at that level and I’m sure we’ll show we deserve our place in the league.”
Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here
