Country Scotland | National team Women's national team | |
Governing body Scottish Women's Football Association | ||
Women's football in Scotland is largely seen as an amateur game, given the emphasis on the male competitions. As in the men's game, the women's league structure consists of a Premier League and a Football League with Divisions One and Two, but the second division is split into North, West, East, and South East regions. In the women's SFL, reserve and youth squads may compete as long as they do not compete in the same division as the titular club. The team that wins the Premier League title qualifies for the following season's UEFA Champions League. There are also four cup competitions, the Scottish Cup, Scottish Premier League Cup, Scottish First Division Cup and the Scottish Second Division Cup.
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Scottish Women's Football Association are in sole charge of women's football in Scotland.
History
Scotland first played a women's international match in May 1881. Women's football struggled for recognition during this early period and was banned by the football authorities in 1921. Club sides who were interested in using their grounds for women's football were subsequently denied permission by the Scottish Football Association (SFA). The sport continued on an unofficial basis until the 1970s, when the ban was lifted. In 1971 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. Football in Scotland has traditionally been seen as a working class and male preserve.
League system
In 2016 the Premier League was reduced from 12 to 8 eight teams but expanded to a second level.
Up to 2015:
Senior team
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.
The Scottish government in 2013 promised to increase funding for the Women's national team. Scotland women's national football team qualified for their first major tournament Euro 2017.