Pauline MacDonald

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Pauline MacDonald

| image =

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1975|4|17}}

| birth_place = Scotland

| height = 5ft 4in

| position = Defender, midfielder

| currentclub = Dallas Trinity FC (head coach)

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| clubs1 = Central Fife L.F.C.

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| clubs2 = Cumbernauld United L.F.C.

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| clubs3 = Cove Rangers L.F.C.

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| clubs4 = Stenhousemuir L.F.C.

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| years5 = 1998

| clubs5 = Miami Gliders

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| years6 = 1999

| clubs6 = Atlanta Classics

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| years7 = 2000–2003

| clubs7 = Arsenal

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| years8 = 2006–2007

| clubs8 = Edinburgh Ladies

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| nationalyears1 = 1992–2003

| nationalteam1 = Scotland

| nationalcaps1 = 65

| nationalgoals1 =

| manageryears1 = 2007–2008

| managerclubs1 = Dalkeith L.F.C.

| manageryears2 = 2017–2024

| managerclubs2 = Scotland under-17 women

| managerclubs3 = Dallas Trinity FC

| manageryears3 = 2024–

}}

Pauline MacDonald (born 17 April 1975) is a Scottish football coach for Dallas Trinity FC of the USL Super League. Previously, she was the manager of the Scotland under-17 women's team. As a player MacDonald made her senior Scotland debut in 1992, served the national team as captain and amassed a total of 65 caps. A versatile defender or midfielder, MacDonald played at club level in the American USL W-League and the English FA Women's Premier League, as well as in her native Scotland. Pauline is a true winner creating the same winning mentality at her current club Trinity.

Playing career

=Club career=

MacDonald began playing organised football as an 11-year-old, with Central Fife L.F.C.. She moved to Cumbernauld United L.F.C., then to the dominant team of the era Cove Rangers L.F.C. who were based in Aberdeen. In 1998 MacDonald played for Miami Gliders of the USL W-League and was named to the second division all-star team.{{cite news|title=W-LEAGUE: 1998 W-1 and W-2 All-League Teams|url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/19273/w-league-1998-w-1-and-w-2-all-league-teams.html|access-date=15 October 2017|publisher=Soccer America|date=30 August 1998}}

English FA Women's Premier League club Arsenal signed MacDonald during the 1999–00 season.

After a period of retirement from playing, MacDonald signed for Edinburgh Ladies in September 2006.{{cite news|title=ELFC News Page for September 2006|url=http://www.spartansfcwomen.com/Spartans%20Archive/indexation002SEPTEMBER2006.html|access-date=15 October 2017|date=21 September 2006}}

=International career=

In May 1991 MacDonald captained the Scotland under-21 team to a 4–2 win over rivals England in Motherwell. She made her senior international debut in April 1992, at the Albena Cup.

Coaching career

In September 2004 MacDonald was appointed as a women's football development officer for Edinburgh, a position jointly funded by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and the local authority. Structured female youth football was completely lacking in the area and MacDonald made it her priority to remedy the situation.{{cite news|title=Ex-Scots star signs up for girls' football|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/ex-scots-star-signs-up-for-girls-football-1-1024818|access-date=15 October 2017|work=The Scotsman|date=10 September 2004}}

MacDonald guided Dalkeith L.F.C. to promotion into the top-flight Scottish Women's Premier League in 2007–2008, her first season as a club coach. They took their Premier League place as Boroughmuir Thistle, having undergone a name change.{{cite news|title=Pauline proud after steering Dalkeith Ladies into top flight|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/pauline-proud-after-steering-dalkeith-ladies-into-top-flight-1-1266192|access-date=15 October 2017|work=The Scotsman|date=12 July 2008}}

After approximately a decade of working for the SFA as coach and assistant coach with the national women's youth teams, MacDonald was appointed coach of the Scotland under-17 women's team in October 2017. She joined her former Scotland teammates Shelley Kerr and Pauline Hamill as a full-time female coach on the SFA payroll.{{cite news|title=MacDonald appointed as Women's Under-17s head coach|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsCategoryID=6&newsID=17261|access-date=15 October 2017|publisher=Scottish Football Association|date=3 October 2017}}

On June 19, 2024, MacDonald was announced as the inaugural head coach for Dallas Trinity FC ahead of the club's campaign, an inaugural team in the new USL Super League, which began in late August 2024.{{Cite web |date=June 20, 2024 |title=Dallas Trinity FC on X (Formerly Twitter) |url=https://x.com/dallastrinityfc/status/1803855338631999758 }} MacDonald missed the first three games of the season due to delays in obtaining her work visa.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-20 |title=Dallas Trinity FC played its first game, but their coach wasn't there. Here's why. |url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/sports/soccer/dallas-trinity-fc/dallas-trinity-fc-pauline-macdonald-visa/287-c3043f99-1abe-4c65-a882-a106acc986b2 |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=wfaa.com |language=en-US}} General Manager, Chris Petrucelli stepped in as interim head coach. MacDonald was present during the team's first win against Lexington SC, but was not named the coach.{{Cite web |title=9.13.2024 {{!}} Dallas Trinity FC vs. Lexington SC - Game Highlights |url=https://www.uslsuperleague.com/video/9-13-2024-dallas-trinity-fc-vs-lexington-sc-game-highlights/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=USL Super League |language=en-US}}