VERY few of us know the full Glasgow City back story, so tonight's documentary on BBC Alba offers many interesting insights. The club was formed in 1998 by Carol Anne Stewart and Laura Montgomery, and they are the focus of the programme.

Suffice to say that there are some incredibly poignant moments as Montgomery describes the anguish of losing her much-loved partner Kat Lindner in February of last year. That, and the death of Stewart's younger brother Martin from motor neurone disease in 2017, led to the co-founders actively seeking a buyer for one of Europe's most successful women's clubs.

Speaking ahead of tonight's showing, Montgomery confirmed: “I had two meetings with people we'd approached about taking over. I'm not going to say any more, but 100 per cent we were looking at a way to get out.

“I set very high standards about who a new owner might be, because it's our baby and we've put so much into it. It's not just about running a football club – it's the brand, the values and the importance of girls and women that needs to run through it.”

Montgomery, a former central defender who scored the goal which delivered City's first-ever Premier League title in 2005, also confirmed Rangers had shown interest in buying them out when Martin Bain was chief executive.

“Over our 22 year history, and particularly in the early days, we had talks with men's clubs who were keen to take us over,” Montgomery said. “The reason Cas and I never agreed was that we felt the team wasn't going to get the equality platform we wanted – which is why it never got anywhere near second base.

“That very much resonates now. We would never pass the club over if it wasn't going to be at least of equal importance to everything else in that person's business.”

Glasgow City started as they intended to go on by winning the now defunct West Division in their first ever season. That gave them a place in the top flight in 1999-2000. They finished a disgraceful fifth, but in every subsequent season have been either first or second – and of course celebrated 13 successive titles when the won Scottish Building Society SWPL1 five months ago.

The club has also won nine Scottish Cups and six League cups, whilst the last 16 victory over Danish champions Brondby in October took them into the quarter finals of the Champions League for a second time. Their tie against Wolfsburg has been indefinitely postponed.

The club's first trip abroad in 2005 for a three-game Uefa Women's Cup qualifying group hosted by SV Saestum in the Netherlands was an eye-opener for Montgomery and her team-mates. “It cost us over £15,000, and we asked the players for £500 each,” she recalled. “Cas and I also put a large chunk on our credit cards.

“I remember marking the two Dutch strikers and they were both six foot. Not only had we never faced players of that ability, I'd never seen players as physical or as tall. It was a real eye-opener in comparison to Scottish football.”

City lost all three games, conceding 18 goals, but just as was to happen when they lost 17-0 on aggregate to Turbine Potsdam in 2011 – a tie which resulted in Lisa Evans joining the Germans – lessons were learned. While it's true that some of City's early domestic successes were abetted by weak opposition, their record in Europe – often against vastly better resourced sides – has been admirable.

“That domestic gap was created because we started training like a professional team and the others were still doing what they always did,” Montgomery explained of the early title wins. “I can remember us going to play Hibs and putting out our second string – and we won about 8-0.”

Players from the past such as Suzanne Lappin, Rachel Corsie and Denise O'Sullivan are among those Montgomery remembers fondly – while Lindner's professionalism set new standards for her team-mates. Current skipper Leanne Ross is, along with Jo Love, Leanne Crichton and Hayley Lauder, up there with the all-time City greats.

As Montgomery pointed out: “There are certain players who just get us, our club and our values.”

While their tale has latterly been impacted by tragedy, tonight's documentary confirms just how much of their adult lives Montgomery (44) and Stewart (53) have poured into Glasgow City. What they have achieved, against all the odds and the sad (mercifully declining) male hostility to women playing football, is remarkable.

“The Women Who Built Glasgow City” is produced by purpleTV for BBC Alba. It will air tonight at 9pm, and thereafter for 30 days on BBC iPlayer.