Scottish Women's Premier League

Scottish Women's Premier League

Organising bodies	SPFL (since 2022)
First season	2002–03
Country	Scotland
Confederation	UEFA
Divisions	2
Number of teams	20
Level on pyramid	1–2
Relegation to	Scottish Women's Football Championship
Domestic cup(s)	Scottish Women's Cup
League cup(s)	Scottish Premier League Cup
International cup(s)	UEFA Champions League
Current champions	Celtic (1st title)
Most championships	Glasgow City (16 titles)
TV partners	BBC Alba, BBC Scotland, Sky Sports
Website	swpl.uk
Current: 2023–24 Scottish Women's Premier League

The Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) is the highest level of league competition in women's football in Scotland. Its two divisions are SWPL 1 and SWPL 2. The league was formed when the Premier Division of the Scottish Women's Football League (SWFL) broke away to form the SWPL in 2002. SWPL 2 was introduced in 2016.

The divisions contain (in the 2022–23 season) 12 clubs in SWPL 1 and eight in SWPL 2. Glasgow City have won 16 League championships, including 14 in succession from 2007–08 until 2020–21. ^[1] The champions and runners-up of SWPL 1 qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League. ^[2]

From 2002, the league was owned and managed by Scottish Women's Football. Administration of the SWPL was taken over by the Scottish Football Association in 2007, ^[3] then by the Scottish Professional Football League in 2022. ^[4] The SWPL runs on the winter calendar but operated a summer-season format from 2009 until 2020.

History

2002–2009

Glasgow City, the SWPL's most successful club, playing Arsenal in a 2014 Champions League match; L-R, Rachel Corsie, Dan Carter and Eilish McSorley

From the Scottish Women's Football Association national and regional leagues dating from 1972, the SWFA and clubs formed the Scottish Women's Football League (SWFL) in 1999, with four national divisions. Its top division broke away to form the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) in 2002, with the aim of introducing a more professional attitude and increasing media interest. The twelve founder members of the SWPL were Ayr United, Cove Rangers, Dundee, Giulianos, Glasgow City, F.C. Hamilton, Hibernian, Inver-Ross, F.C. Kilmarnock, Lossiemouth, Raith Rovers and Shettleston. ^{[5] [6]}

In the 2002–03 season, Kilmarnock became the champions, after a title race with Hibernian. ^{[7] [8]} Kilmarnock Ladies had formed from the 1971 Scottish Women's Cup-winners Stewarton Thistle, ^[6] and also won the 2001–02 SWFL, two Scottish Cups and four consecutive League Cups. Kilmarnock's success faded after the departure of manager Jim Chapman and of Scotland internationals including Shelley Kerr, ^[9] Joanne Love and Linda Brown. ^[10]

Hibernian Ladies were the most successful club in the League's first five years. The title in 2003–04 went to Hibs, 14 points ahead of Glasgow City, ^{[11] [12]} and Hibernian added further titles in 2005–06 and in 2006–07 (winning every game that season). ^{[13] [14]} The Hibs squad included Scotland's Pauline Hamill, ^[15] Kirsty McBride, Suzanne Grant, Joelle Murray and Kim Little.

Glasgow City won the Scottish championship for the first time in 2004–05, ^{[16] [17]} coached by Peter Caulfield. The club's next title was in season 2007–08, beating Hibernian by five points, with Celtic placing third in its first season. ^[18] In 2007, the running of the League was taken over by the Scottish Football Association ^[3] while the SWFA, renamed SWF, thereafter operated as part of the SFA. ^[19]

2009–2019

The women's leagues' move from a winter to a summer schedule (March–November), from 2009, saw a rise in attendances in its first seasons, and far fewer match postponements. ^[20]

Motherwell with the SWPL 2 trophy in 2018

In the 11-year era of the summer schedule in Scottish women's football, Glasgow City won every title and became one of the most dominant clubs in any national league in world football. Between the 2007–08 and 2015 seasons, City lost only four matches in the League (including one match awarded against them retrospectively for an ineligible player); their squads included Jane Ross, Denise O'Sullivan (each a winner of the SWPL Players' Player of the Year), and Leanne Ross, who ultimately scored 250 goals in 12 seasons at the club. ^[21] Glasgow City also won the domestic Treble in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. ^{[22] [23]}

Glasgow City considered applying to join the English league in 2013. ^[24] Club co-founder Carol Anne Stewart commented, "the FA are investing seriously in women's football. This is where the SFA are miles behind. They don't recognise the potential". ^[25]

The issue of competitive imbalance was the catalyst for the separation of the top Scottish clubs into two reduced divisions, SWPL 1 and SWPL 2, in 2016. ^[26]

The first professional contracts in the SWPL were signed at Glasgow Girls (Glasgow Women) in 2016, by Lauren Coleman and Lauren Evans. ^[27] The next full-time contracts were offered later by Rangers and Celtic. ^[28]

2020–present

There were fears for the league's survival when the 2020 season was halted ^[29] and eventually voided ^[30] due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with other Scottish football organisations, the SWPL and SWF Championship received donations from the philanthropist James Anderson ^[31] and from an anonymous donor: "The focus was to buy time so the women’s game could survive the COVID crisis until it was safe for football to return." ^[32] The £437,500 total was the biggest investment in SWF to date. ^[32]

The 2020–21 season was completed, as Glasgow City won their 14th title in a row. ^[1] In 2022, a majority of the 17 SWPL clubs voted to leave SWF and join the SPFL ^{[4] [33]} after months of negotiations between those parties and the SFA, and an SFA review from April 2020 until mid-2021, which resolved to improve governance of elite competitions. ^{[34] [35] [36]} The decision was aimed at improving the league's commercial profile and broadcasting deal. ^{[35] [37]} The league maintained its two divisions and expanded to 20 clubs. ^{[38] [39]} The top two tiers of women's football are run within the SPFL by a separate board that includes the clubs' representatives. ^[36]

Format

From 2002–03 until 2008–09, the SWPL followed Scottish football's traditional autumn-spring calendar, as the SWFL had. Scottish Women's Football changed all leagues to a summer format and the SWPL became a summer league from 2009 until 2020, running from March until November. The 2009 season was shortened to fit, as a single round-robin. The 2020 season was abandoned due to COVID-19, and Scottish women's football has reverted to winter seasons from 2020–21 onwards.

The initial Women's Premier League format was based on a double round-robin of 12 clubs. Some seasons had fewer games, in part due to the withdrawals of Shettleston (2003–04), ^[11] Newburgh Juniors (2007–08), ^[18] and Queen's Park (2008–09). ^[40] The 2011 season also had an 11-club league. From 2012 until 2015, the SWPL division used the "split" format for the first and last half of the season: a 12-team single round-robin, then a double round-robin between the top six and bottom six clubs respectively, to decide league champions and two relegation places to the First Division (SWFL 1).

The two-division format that began in 2016 created SWPL 1 and SWPL 2, with eight clubs in each, playing each other three times a season; ^[41] the mid-season "split" was discontinued. Only the SWPL 2 champion club was promoted, while its two last-placed teams were relegated to SWFL 1.

SWPL 2 was expanded to 10 clubs in 2020. SWPL 1 expanded to 10 clubs in 2021–22, ^[42] but, because of the withdrawal of SWPL 1's Forfar Farmington from the SWPL, ^[43] three clubs were promoted from SWPL 2, which shrank to seven clubs playing each other four times. ^[44]

A 12-club "split" format returned in SWPL 1 in 2022–23, but with a double round-robin before the "split". ^{[38] [39]} SWPL 2 added three clubs from the Championship; SWPL 2 has eight teams playing each other four times, one automatic promotion place to SWPL 1, and a second place decided by a promotion/relegation play-off. ^[38]

The SWPL champions have qualified for the UEFA Women's Cup/Women's Champions League since 2003; the first Scottish club to qualify had been the SWFL's Ayr United in 2001. Glasgow City were the first Scottish club to reach the last 16 (2008–09) and the quarter-finals (2014–15, 2019–20). Depending on the Scottish national coefficient, the league runners-up have also qualified in some seasons since 2015, including in 2021–22 ^[2] and 2022–23.

2023–24 teams

Aberdeen

Airdrie

Dundee United

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Glasgow Women

Hamilton

Kilmarnock

Livingston

Montrose

Motherwell

Rangers

St Johnstone

Stirling University

Glasgow teams:
Glasgow City
Partick Thistle
Queen's Park

Airdrie teams:
Celtic
Gartcairn

Edinburgh teams:
Boroughmuir Thistle
Heart of Midlothian
Hibernian
Spartans

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Locations of teams in the SWPL

SWPL 1

Hamilton Academical's home ground, New Douglas Park

Club	Location	Home ground	Capacity	2022–23 position
Aberdeen	Cove Bay	Balmoral Stadium	2,602	9th
Celtic	Airdrie	Excelsior Stadium	10,101	2nd
Dundee United	Dundee	Gussie Park	TBC	10th
Glasgow City	Springburn	Petershill Park	1,000	1st
Hamilton Academical	Hamilton	New Douglas Park	6,018	11th
Heart of Midlothian	Riccarton	Oriam	1,000	4th
Hibernian	Edinburgh	Meadowbank Stadium	1,320	5th
Montrose	Montrose	Links Park	4,936	1st (SWPL2)
Motherwell	East Kilbride	K-Park	500	8th
Partick Thistle	Springburn	Petershill Park	1,000	6th
Rangers	Cumbernauld	Broadwood Stadium	8,086	3rd
Spartans	Edinburgh	Ainslie Park	3,000	7th

SWPL 2

Rugby Park, Kilmarnock

Club	Location	Home ground	Capacity	2022–23 position
Boroughmuir Thistle	Edinburgh	Meadowbank Stadium	1,320	5th
Gartcairn	Airdrie	MTC Park	300	2nd
Glasgow Women	Motherwell	Alliance Park	500	12th (SWPL1)
Kilmarnock	Kilmarnock	Rugby Park	15,003	4th
Livingston	Livingston	Almondvale	9,713	1st (SWF Championship)
Queen's Park	Govan	New Tinto Park	1,000	6th
St Johnstone	Perth	Riverside Stadium	500	3rd
Stirling University	Stirling	Gannochy Sports Centre	1,000	7th

Champions

See also: Women's football in Scotland § Champions, and Scottish Women's Football League

List of Scottish Women's Premier League seasons: ^[1]

Season Champions Runners-up Ref 2002–03 Kilmarnock Hibernian [1] 2003–04 Hibernian Glasgow City 2004–05 Glasgow City Hibernian [16] [17] 2005–06 Hibernian Glasgow City [13] 2006–07 Hibernian Glasgow City 2007–08 Glasgow City Hibernian [18] 2008–09 Glasgow City Spartans [40] 2009 Glasgow City Celtic [1] 2010 Glasgow City Celtic [1] 2011 Glasgow City Spartans [45] 2012 Glasgow City Forfar Farmington [46] 2013 Glasgow City Hibernian 2014 Glasgow City Rangers 2015 Glasgow City Hibernian [23] 2016 Glasgow City Hibernian [47] 2017 Glasgow City Hibernian 2018 Glasgow City Hibernian [48] 2019 Glasgow City Hibernian 2020 Null and void 2020–21 Glasgow City Celtic 2021–22 Rangers Glasgow City [49] [50] 2022–23 Glasgow City Celtic [51] 2023–24 Celtic Rangers [52] [53]

Club Championships Runners-up Glasgow City 16 3 Hibernian 3 9 Rangers 1 2 Kilmarnock 1 0 Celtic 1 4 Spartans 0 2 Forfar Farmington 0 1

SWPL 2

Season Champions Runners-up Ref 2016 Hamilton Academical Heart of Midlothian 2017 Forfar Farmington Glasgow Girls 2018 Motherwell FC Kilmarnock 2019 Heart of Midlothian Hamilton Academical 2020 Null and void 2020–21 Aberdeen Hamilton Academical 2021–22 Dundee United Glasgow Women [54] 2022–23 Montrose Gartcairn 2023–24 Queen's Park FC Kilmarnock

Club Championships Runners-up Hamilton Academical 1 2 Heart of Midlothian 1 1 Forfar 1 0 Motherwell 1 0 Aberdeen 1 0 Dundee United 1 0 Montrose 1 0 Queen's Park 1 0 Glasgow Girls & Women 0 2 Kilmarnock 0 2

Past SWPL clubs include Ayr United, Dundee, Cove Rangers, Giulianos, Inver-Ross, Lossiemouth, Raith Rovers, Shettleston, ^[5] East Kilbride, ^[17] Hutchison Vale, Newburgh Juniors, ^[55] and Forfar Farmington. ^[43] Clubs taken over by existing members include Arsenal North (Celtic) and Whitehill Welfare/Edinburgh Ladies (Spartans).

Broadcasting

In September 2018, it was announced that BBC Alba would broadcast four SWPL 1 matches during the remainder of the 2018 season. Scottish Women's Football (SWF) and BBC Alba also announced that this will be a two-year deal for six games per year,^{[ needs update ]} including the Scottish Women's Cup final and Scottish Women's Premier League Cup final. ^[56]

Sponsorship

The league's sponsors in 2002–03 were Thompsons Solicitors. ^[8] From 2018, the league was sponsored by the Scottish Building Society. ^[57] In November 2021 Park's Motor Group became the sponsor, initially running until the end of the 2021–22 season. ^[58]

In popular culture

The Scottish Women's Premier League table was first included in the Evening Times Wee Red Book in 2008–09. ^[59]

References

1. Schöggl, Hans. "Scotland (Women) - List of Champions". RSSSF.
2. "2022/23 Women's Champions League: dates, access list, full guide (Wednesday 20 October 2021)". uefa.com. UEFA.
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5. "Scottish women's league kicks off". BBC Sport. 9 August 2002. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
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7. "KILLIE STILL TOPS". SWFA. Archived from the original on 16 May 2003.
8. "HIBERNIAN CLOSE THE GAP". SWFA. Archived from the original on 16 May 2003.
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11. Schöggl, Hans. "Scotland (Women) 2003/04". RSSSF.
12. Clark, Ginny (29 October 2003). "Women's football: Hibees hit the heights". Daily Record.
13. Schöggl, Hans. "Scotland (Women) 2005/06". RSSSF.
14. Schöggl, Hans. "Scotland (Women) 2006/07". RSSSF.
15. "Hibernian Ladies Scottish League Champions 2005/2006". Youtube. BBC Alba.
16. Clark, Ginny (25 May 2005). "WOMEN'S FOOTBALL: City closing in on glory". Daily Record.
17. Clark, Ginny (1 June 2005). "WOMEN'S FOOTBALL: Glory at last for City girls". Daily Record.
18. Schöggl, Hans. "Scotland (Women) 2007/08". RSSSF.
19. "Scottish Womens Football". Scottish Football Association. The Scottish FA. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010.
20. "Scottish football season: Should it be moved to the summer?". BBC Sport. 2 May 2013.
21. MacBeath, Amy (27 October 2018). "SWPL 1: Glasgow City's Leanne Ross on brink of 12th consecutive title". BBC Sport Scotland.
22. "Glasgow City secure sixth Scottish Cup win and second successive domestic treble". Scotzine. 17 November 2013.
23. "Glasgow City: Scott Booth hails treble-winning side". BBC Sport. 8 November 2015.
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25. "Glasgow City 'surprised' after FA close door on switch to England". The Herald. 21 February 2013.
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29. "SWPL clubs 'can't be overlooked' in survival fight - Leanne Crichton". BBC Sport. 6 June 2020.
30. Lewis, Jane (29 July 2020). "SWPL season declared null and void after one round of games". BBC Sport.
31. "James Anderson makes further donation to Scottish football as he gifts women's game with £250,000". Glasgow Times. 16 June 2020.
32. "Keepie Uppie: The Magazine of the SFP Partnership & Trust (December 2020)" (PDF). The Scottish Football Partnership. p. 3.
33. "SWPL clubs to be invited to join SPFL after majority vote to leave SWF". BBC Sport. 15 February 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022.
34. Campbell, Alan (19 April 2020). "SFA should take SPFL's handling of men's game into account when deciding future of the SWPL". The Herald. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020.
35. Campbell, Alan (19 December 2021). "Top SWPL clubs set to meet SPFL for game-changing talks". The Herald. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021.
36. Goodwin, Sophie (16 February 2022). "Scottish FA Head of Girls' and Women's Football says SWPL's move to SPFL is the 'biggest change' she's seen in the women's game". The Press & Journal. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022.
37. "SPFL to take charge of Scottish Women's Premier League in bold bid to boost profile and finances". Daily Record. 15 February 2022. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022.
38. "SWPL announce 12-team top flight plans to mirror mens' [sic] SPFL". Edinburgh News. 1 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2 April 2022.
39. "SWPL top flight expanding to 12 teams for next season". BBC Scotland. 1 April 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022.
40. Schöggl, Hans. "Scotland (Women) 2008/09". RSSSF.
41. "New SWPL 1 & SWPL 2 season 2016". Scottish FA. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
42. "SWPL: No relegation this season with top flight to expand to 10 teams". BBC Sport. 12 October 2020.
43. "Forfar Farmington a sorry casualty of the professional era". The Herald. 15 August 2021. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021.
44. "SWF Statement - 2021/22 SWPL 2 format". SWF. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021.
45. "Glasgow City clinch Scottish Women's Premier League". BBC. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
46. "Glasgow City beat Aberdeen as they lift sixth SWPL title". BBC. 28 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
47. "Glasgow City secure 10 in a row with a 3-1 win over Hibernian". glasgowlive.co.uk. 23 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
48. "SWPL: Glasgow City beat Spartans to claim 12th title in a row". BBC Sport. 28 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
49. "Park's SWPL: Rangers Women champions for first time". She Kicks. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022.
50. Rangers end 14 years of Glasgow City dominance with historic SWPL title win, Rangers News, 8 May 2022
51. McGill, Sean (21 May 2023). "How Glasgow City's title triumph unfolded as Celtic and Rangers are left disappointed". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
52. "Celtic leave it late to spark SWPL title bedlam". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
53. "The six games that underpinned Celtic's debut title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
54. "Glasgow Women promoted in thrilling final day for SWPL - Scottish Women's Football". SWF. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022.
55. "Clubs, SCOTTISH WOMEN'S PREMIER LEAGUE (2007–08)". SWFA. Archived from the original on 1 April 2008.
56. "BBC ALBA set to broadcast four Scottish Building Society SWPL games". Scottish Women's Premier League. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018. In 2023 Sky Sports and also BBC Scotland have been airing SWPL1 games
57. "Scottish women's champions to receive prize money for first time". BBC Sport. BBC. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
58. Diamond, Drew (22 November 2021). "Historic new sponsorship deal for Scottish top flight". Her Football Hub. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
59. Gray, Rebecca (3 July 2009). "81 fascinating football facts - all from the Wee Red Book". Evening Times. Glasgow Times.

External links

• Official website
• Current season at women.soccerway.com
• SWPL dates, results and final tables since 2002 at the Scottish Football Historical Results Archive