Scottish Women's Premier League

Scottish Women's Premier League
Country  Scotland
Confederation UEFA
Founded 2002
Divisions 1
Number of teams 8
(12 until 2015)
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Scottish First Division
Domestic cup(s) Scottish Cup
League cup(s) Scottish Premier League Cup
International cup(s) UEFA Champions League
Current champions Glasgow City (11th title)
(2016)
Most championships Glasgow City (11 titles)
Website Scottish FA
2016 season

The Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) was founded in 2002 and is the highest level of women's football in Scotland. The top two finishers in the Premier League qualify directly for the Round of 32 of the UEFA Women's Champions League.[1]

In 2009 the women's game in Scotland adopted a summer season which now runs from March to November each year.[2]

Format

Up until 2011 teams played each other twice.

From season 2012, the 12 teams in the league will play each other once before the league splits into a top 6 and bottom 6 based on the league positions at that stage. The top 6 then play each other home and away for the Premier League title, while the bottom 6 play each other home and away to avoid being relegated. After the season is complete, the teams which finish in positions 11 and 12 were relegated to the Scottish Women's First Division.[3]

In 2016 a new format was established. From then on the Premier League will consist of two levels of eight teams each. They are named SWPL 1 and SWPL 2.[4] Teams will play each other three times, with the bottom placed team being relegated to the SWPL 2 after the season. The split into a championship and relegation group is discontinued.[5] The SWPL 2 uses the same format and the two last placed teams are relegated to the SWFL 1.

2016 teams

Aberdeen
Glasgow City, Rangers, Celtic
Forfar Farmington
Hibernian, Spartans
Stirling Univ.
Locations of teams in the 2016 SWPL

Glasgow City are the reigning champions. The most regular home ground is shown though many clubs play matches at other venues throughout the season.

Team Location Home ground Finishing position 2015
Aberdeen Aberdeen Heathryfold Park 4th
Celtic Glasgow K-Park Training Academy, East Kilbride3rd
Forfar Farmington Forfar Station Park 8th
Glasgow City Glasgow Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie 1st
Hibernian Edinburgh Albyn Park, Broxburn 2nd
Rangers Glasgow New Tinto Park, Govan 6th
Spartans Edinburgh Spartans Academy 5th
Stirling University Stirling Gannochy Sports Centre 7th

Previous League Champions

Women's football in Scotland had been banned from the Scottish Football Association (SFA) in 1920, meaning no official grounds by SFA afflicated clubs could be used for play. Nevertheless, some women's football teams toured the country to play on other grounds. The ban was upheld longer than in most European countries. 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 and Thistle. In 1972–73 Westthorn Utd won the first league title. Having played their first official internationaöl match and two 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. Since then the SWFA has been renamed Scottish Women's Football Ldt (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).[6]

Scottish League winners were:

Premier League

In 2009 the season was changed from an autumn-spring format to a summer league. As a result, the 2009 season was shortened to fit after the 2008–09 season. The format was changed a number of times. The format with two groups after the first half of the season that way played since 2012 has ended in 2016 with the new SWPL 1. The former Premier League champions are:[12]

Season Champion Runner-up
2002–03 Kilmarnock Ladies Hibernian[13]
2003–04 Hibernian Glasgow City
2004–05 Glasgow City Hibernian[14]
2005–06 Hibernian Glasgow City
2006–07 Hibernian Glasgow City
2007–08 Glasgow City Hibernian
2008–09 Glasgow City Spartans
2009[15] Glasgow City Celtic
2010 Glasgow City Celtic
2011[16] Glasgow City Spartans
2012[17] Glasgow City Forfar Farmington
2013 Glasgow City Hibernian
2014 Glasgow City Rangers
2015[18] Glasgow City Hibernian
2016[19] Glasgow City Hibernian

Titles Team
11 Glasgow City F.C.
3 Hibernian L.F.C.
1 FC Kilmarnock Ladies

References

  1. "Access List for the UEFA Women's Champions League 2016/17" (PDF). uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  2. Leighton, Tony (19 December 2010). "England coach Hope Powell calls for women's game to switch to summer". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  3. "Rules for Senior Leagues & League Cups" (PDF). Scottish FA. 21 April 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  4. 2015 Competition rules
  5. "New SWPL 1 & SWPL 2 season 2016". scottishfa.co.uk. 27 November 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  6. 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.
  7. "How The Original Gregory's Girl Lived Her Dream of Dreams". The Independent. London. 2007-03-25. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  8. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/scottish-premier/2995441/Midwinter-shutdown-sweeps-in-from-Arctic.html
  9. 1 2 "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.
  10. Fleet streets ahead of 'em
  11. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/scotland/1325897.stm
  12. "Scotland (Women) - List of Champions". RSSSF.com. 2010.
  13. http://www.ultrasoft.hostinguk.com/swfa/Clubs.htm
  14. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/WOMEN%27S+FOOTBALL%3A+Glory+at+last+for+City+girls.-a0132896752
  15. http://uk.women.soccerway.com/national/scotland/swpl/2009-2010/regular-season/r9376/
  16. "Glasgow City clinch Scottish Women's Premier League". BBC. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  17. "Glasgow City beat Aberdeen as they lift sixth SWPL title". BBC. 28 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  18. "Glasgow City secure their ninth league title in a row". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. "Glasgow City secure 10 in a row with a 3-1 win over Hibernian". glasgowlive.co.uk. 23 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.

External links

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