The 2021–22 Scottish Women's Football Championship is the inaugural season of the SWF Championship after its formation as the third tier of women's football in Scotland.

The previous two planned seasons in 2020 and 2020–21 were both abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic.[1][2][3]

The league was split into two divisions – Championship North and Championship South. Planned to have 'approximately 12 teams each',[4] the divisions in the inaugural season actually contained 9 and 17 teams respectively.

Montrose secured the Championship North title on 10 April, with a 4–1 win over their promotion rivals East Fife.[5] In the Championship South, Gartcairn finished as the division winners on 24 April, ahead of 2nd-placed Rossvale.[6] East Fife won the third available promotion place to SWPL 2, by winning the single-match promotion play-off in Alloa, 3–1, against Rossvale on 8 May.[7][8]

Teams

Championship North

Team Location Home ground 2019 position[Note 1][Note 2]
BuchanMaudMaud Pleasure Park4th
Drybrugh AthleticDundeeLochee Park2nd in SWFL2 North/East
Dundee WestDundeeCharlotte Street Pitches1st in SWFL2 North/East
East FifeLevenKing George V Park6th
GrampianAberdeenCults Academy
Inverness Caledonian ThistleInvernessMillburn Academy2nd
MontroseMontroseLinks Park7th
StonehavenStonehavenMineralwell Park11th
WestdykeWesthillLawsondale Pitches9th

Source:[9]

Notes
  1. ^
    Note 1: Finishing position in SWFL1 North unless otherwise stated.
  2. ^
    Note 2: The previous two seasons in 2020 and 2020–21 were both abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic.[1][2][3]

Championship South

Team Location Home ground 2019 position[Note 3][Note 4]
AirdrieAirdrieExcelsior Stadium4th in SWFL2 South East/Central
Ayr UnitedAllowayCambusdoon Sports Club11th
BSC GlasgowClydebankClydebank Community Sport Hub5th in in SWFL2 West/Central
ClydeCumbernauldBroadwood Astro3rd in in SWFL2 West/Central
Edinburgh CaledoniaEdinburghPeffermill 3G1st in SWFL2 South East/Central
Edinburgh CityEdinburghAinslie Park
FalkirkFalkirkFalkirk Stadium10th in SWFL2 South East/Central
GartcairnAirdrieMTC Park
St MirrenPaisleyRalston Community Sports Centre
Hutchison ValeEdinburghWHEC Education Centre
LivingstonBlackburnNew Murrayfield Park9th
MortonGreenockCappielow1st in in SWFL2 West/South West
RenfrewRenfrewNew Western Park7th
RossvaleGlasgowHuntershill Recreation Centre
Gleniffer ThistlePaisleyFerguslie Sports Centre4th in SWFL2 West/Central
StenhousemuirStenhousemuirOchilview Park5th in SWFL2 South East/Central
United GlasgowGlasgowGarscube Sports Complex2nd in SWFL2 West/Central

Source:[9]

Notes
  1. ^
    Note 3: Finishing position in SWFL1 South unless otherwise stated.
  2. ^
    Note 4: The previous two seasons in 2020 and 2020–21 were both abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic.[1][2][3]

SWPL play-offs

For the first time, a system of promotion/relegation play-offs was introduced to the SWPL. The two runners-up from Championship North and Championship South were intended to take part in play-off semi-finals, with the winner playing the team finishing eighth in SWPL2 in the play-off final, to determine the last place in the 2022–23 SWPL.[10] Instead, East Fife won promotion in a single promotion play-off,[7] and no club was relegated from SWPL 2, due to expansion of the SWPL in 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lewis, Jane (29 July 2020). "SWPL season declared null and void after one round of games". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "SWF Statement – Senior Performance Arm update (29/04/21)". SWPL. 5 May 2021. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "SWF STATEMENT – SENIOR PERFORMANCE ARM UPDATE (29/04/21)". SWF. 5 May 2021. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "New Senior Structure for 2020 and beyond". Scottish Women's Premier League. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  5. ↑ "Montrose promoted to SWPL 2". She Kicks. 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "Gartcairn boss toasts title winners after five star performance on final day". Daily Record. 29 April 2022. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022.
  7. 1 2 Frith, Will (9 May 2022). "Park's SWPL: Rangers Women champions for first time". Archived from the original on 9 May 2022.
  8. ↑ East Fife FC [@EastFifeFC] (8 May 2022). "👏 Congratulations to @East_Fife_GWFC on their promotion to @SWPL 2 following their 3-1 win over Rossvale this afternoon! 🖤💛 https://t.co/AS2ZxMzyS1" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  9. 1 2 "SWF Club Finder". Scottish Women's Football. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  10. ↑ Scottish Women's Football announces new league structure, SheKicks.net, 20 September 2019
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