Women's football in Scotland

Women's association football is a largely amateur sport in Scotland, given the greater emphasis of the male competitions.[1][2][3][4] As of 2021, the women's league structure consists of a Premier League with two small divisions meeting several times, and a Championship at level three split into North and South sections.[5][6] The previous third tier regional divisions under the Scottish Women's Football League became a separate 'Recreational' setup no longer linked by merit to the 'Performance' levels above (although individual clubs can still apply to join the Championship). Until 2019, reserve and youth squads could compete in the senior pyramid as long as they were not in the same division as the titular club – this was then changed with the introduction of a 'National Performance League' structure for under-16 and under-19 leagues featuring age group teams of the top clubs.

Women's football in Scotland
CountryScotland
Governing bodyScottish Women's Football
National team(s)Women's national team
National competitions
International competitions

There are also several cup competitions, the Scottish Women's Cup, the SWPL Cup (and Plate for those eliminated early), the SWF Championship Cup, the SWFL League Cup (and Plate), a cup for the standalone Highlands and Islands League, league cups for the 'Performance' youth leagues and various youth cups at lower levels.

The team that wins the Premier League title qualifies for the following season's UEFA Champions League, with the runners-up generally also qualifying depending on the nation's coefficient.

Scottish Women's Football are in sole charge of women's football in Scotland.[7]

League system

In 2016, the Premier League was reduced from 12 to 8 eight teams but expanded to a second level. In 2017, the SWFL 2 changed from 4 to 3 regions. In 2020, clubs in SWFL 1 became members of a new Championship and SWFL 2 became a separate system.

The current pyramid is over 3 tiers:

Level

League(s)/Division(s)

1

Scottish Women's Premier League
(Scottish Building Society)
10 clubs playing 27 games - 1 relegation, 1 in relegation playoff

2

Scottish Women's Premier League 2
(Scottish Building Society)
8 clubs playing 28 games - 1 promotion, 2 relegation, 1 in relegation playoff

3

Championship North
12 clubs playing 22 games - 1 promotion, 1 in promotion playoff

Championship South
14 clubs playing 26 games - 1 promotion, 1 in promotion playoff

—

SWFL North/East
9 clubs playing 16 games
No promotion

SWFL Central/South East
10 clubs playing 18 games
No promotion

SWFL West/SouthWest
12 clubs playing 22 games
No promotion

Highlands and Islands League[8] 8 clubs playing 14 games
No promotion

History

Scotland first played a women's international match in May 1881 at Hibernian Park in Edinburgh,[9][10][11] while the Scottish Football Association gave the date of the first match recorded under its official rules as 1892 (according to a 2005 article);[12] however, the sport was traditionally seen as a working class and male preserve.[2] Women's football struggled for recognition during this early period and was banned by the football authorities in 1921;[11] men's clubs who were interested in using their grounds for women's football were subsequently denied permission by the Scottish Football Association (SFA).[11] Research has shown that teams such as Rutherglen Ladies played exhibition matches for charity in front of large crowds during the 1920s and 30s.[13][14]

The sport continued on an unofficial basis until 1971, when UEFA instructed its members to take control of women's football within their territories. The motion was passed 31–1, but Scotland was the only member to vote against it.[15]

In 1971 the Scottish Women's Football Association (SFWA) was founded and six teams registered for competition: Aberdeen, Edinburgh Dynamos, Westthorn United, Motherwell AEI, Dundee Strikers and Stewarton Thistle. In 1972–73 Westthorn Utd won the first league title. Having played their first official international match had Scottish teams reaching the final of the English FA Women's Cup in 1972 and 1973, the SFA lifted the ban and recognised the SWFA in August 1974.[16][11] Since then the SWFA has been renamed Scottish Women's Football Ltd (SWF). The Scottish Women's Football League (SWFL) formed in November 1999 and in 2002–03 the Premier Division broke away to form the Premier League (SWPL).[17]

Scottish Women's Football League winners were:

  • 1972–73 Westthorn Utd[18]
  • 1973–1995 ? (Edinburgh Dynamos won at least one title)[19]
  • 1995–96 Cumbernauld United[20]
  • 1996–97 Cumbernauld United[20]
  • 1997–98 Cumbernauld United[21]
  • 1998–99 ?
  • 1999–00 Cumbernauld United
  • 2000–01 Ayr United[22]
  • 2001–02 FC Kilmarnock Ladies

Senior national team
Main article: Scotland women's national football team
Main article: Scotland at the FIFA Women's World Cup

Scotland's first official match, a 3–2 defeat to England, took place in November 1972. The team was managed by Rab Stewart. The 1921 ban on women's football was lifted in 1974. The SFA assumed direct responsibility for Scottish women's football in 1998.[2]

The Scottish government in 2013 promised to increase funding for the Women's national team.[23] Scotland women's national football team qualified for their first major tournament Euro 2017. [24] 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup will the first time the Womens team have qualified for a world cup.[25]

See also

References
  1. "Scotland women's football team on brink of big time". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
  2. MacBeth, Jessica (Spring 2008). "Attitudes towards women's football in Scottish society" (PDF) (63). Scottish Affairs. Retrieved 20 August 2012. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. Macbeth, Jessica Louise. "STORRE: Women's football in Scotland : an interpretive analysis". Dspace.stir.ac.uk. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  4. "The mark women have left on Scottish football is hard to argue with". The Herald. Retrieved 2012-07-29.
  5. "New Senior Structure for 2020 and beyond". Scottish Women's Premier League. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  6. Scottish Women’s Football announces new league structure, SheKicks.net, 20 September 2019
  7. "How women's football battled for survival". BBC News. 2005-06-03. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  8. "New Highlands and Islands League set to launch". Scottish Women's Football. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  9. Campbell, Alan (19 October 2012). "No longer the game of two-halves". The Herald. Herald & Times Group.
  10. Plaque to the First Women Football Internationalists 1881, Mapping Memorials to Women in Scotland, 17 December 2019
  11. "The Honeyballers: Women who fought to play football". BBC News. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  12. "A Brief History of Women's Football". Scottish Football Association. Archived from the original on 8 March 2005. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  13. Fiona Skillen; Steve Bolton (2021-02-18). "Women's Football in Interwar Scotland:Sadie Smith and the Legendary Rutherglen Ladies FC | Part 2". Playing Pasts. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  14. New exhibition to pay tribute to Rutherglen's trailblazing female footballers, Jonathan Geddes, Daily Record, 5 December 2021
  15. Gregory, Patricia (3 June 2005). "How women's football battled for survival". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  16. "Edna Neillis: The forgotten pioneer of women's football - The Scotsman". Scotsman.com. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  17. Jonathan Magee, Sheila Scraton, Jayne Caudwell, Katie Liston (30 January 2008). Women, Football and Europe: Histories, Equity and Experience. Meyer & Meyer Verlag. pp. 3–27. ISBN 9781841262253.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. "How The Original Gregory's Girl Lived Her Dream of Dreams". The Independent. London. 2007-03-25. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  19. Forsyth, Roddy (2000-12-29). "Midwinter shutdown sweeps in from Arctic". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
  20. "Come on you reds; Playing the field... the real-life drama behind TV's new female football series". Sunday Mail. Scotland. 15 March 1998. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  21. "Fleet streets ahead of 'em. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  22. "Women's cup final preview". BBC News. 2001-05-11. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
  23. "Funding boost for Scotland women". BBC. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  24. "Euro 2017: Scotland's women qualify for first major tournament". BBC. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  25. "Scotland Women qualify for World Cup with 2-1 win against Albania". Bbc.co.uk. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
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