Scottish Women's Premier League
The Scottish Women's Premier League was founded in 2002 and is the highest level of women's football in Scotland. The team that finish top of the Premier League qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League.
In 2009 the women's game in Scotland adopted a summer season which now runs from March to November each year.[1]
Format
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 will be relegated to the Scottish Women's First Division.
The tie-breakers are
- Points
- Superior goal difference
- Higher number of goals scored
- Higher number of points in matched between tied teams
- Higher number of away goals in matched between tied teams
If still tied there is a deciding game or games.[2]
2014 teams
Locations of teams in the 2014 SWPL
Glasgow City are the reigning champions. The 2013 Scottish Women's First Division runner-up Celtic Reserves were ineligible for promotion as their parent clubs are current SWPL members. Therefore winners Queen's Park and third-placed Queen's Paark join the SWPL for season 2014. Kilwinning SC and Falkirk Ladies were relegated to the SWFL.
The most regular home ground is shown though many clubs play matches at other venues throughout the season.
Previous League Champions
Women's football in Scotland hab 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 '73 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).[3]
Scottish League winners were:
- 1972/73 Westthorn Utd[4]
- 1973-1995 ? (Edinburgh Dynamos won at least one title)[5]
- 1995/96 Cumbernauld United[6]
- 1996/97 Cumbernauld United[6]
- 1997/98 Cumbernauld United[7]
- 1998/99 ?
- 1999/00 Cumbernauld United
- 2000/01 Ayr United[8]
- 2001/02 FC Kilmarnock Ladies
Premier League
In 2009 the season was changed from an autumn-spring format to a summer league. As a result the 2009 season was shortend to fit after the 2008/09 season. The current format with two groups after the first half of the season was adopted in 2012. The former Premier League champions are:[9]
|
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| Titles |
Team |
| 9 |
Glasgow City F.C. |
| 3 |
Hibernian L.F.C. |
| 1 |
FC Kilmarnock Ladies |
|
References
External links
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| | League competitions | |
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| | National Leagues | |
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| | No national league |
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan (defunct)
- Liechtenstein
- San Marino
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| | | | Domestic leagues | |
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| | Related to national team | |
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| Club seasons | | | Premier League | |
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| | First Division | |
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| | Second Division | |
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| | Third Division | |
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2014 Scottish Women's Premier League
