IT’S fair to say, in the good old Scottish vernacular that “the nights are fair drawing in”. There are so many tell-tale signs that winter will soon be here and for those working in the sports arena, it is an indication that the awards season is upon us. Many sporting organisations present their awards from September to January and Scottish Women in Sport are no exception.

I love the glamorous occasion, everyone polished to perfection out to enjoy their night and offer support to our amazing winners. For Scottish Women in Sport, the awards are about recognising the many people and organisations making a difference to women in sport in Scotland. So how on earth are we going to make our choice this year? Every week we hear of some outstanding feats achieved by women in sport in Scotland, we hear of strong community clubs growing daily and making a difference as well as great role models showcasing the many benefits of sport and inspiring our young women and girls to get involved. Working with our partners at the University of the West of Scotland, we sift through the applications ensuring that every nomination receives due attention.

However all this can only happen with the help of the sports governing bodies, clubs and of course, the public, who all have their own particular sporting heroines. The website will opens today and the anticipation will build until Friday November 9 when we will celebrate the winners. You can submit your nomination at swisawards.co.uk

Talking about winners, I have to give a huge congratulations to everyone in the Scottish FA Women’s National team and their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. Their success will inspire young people to play football.

Sitting at home watching the celebrations in Albania brought a tear to my eye. Being involved for more than 20 years I know what this means to the players and staff and it is well deserved. It’s up to all football fans now to ensure that we give this team of players our support in the run up to France 2019 and turn out in numbers to support them at all the friendly fixtures.