We stand on the shoulders of giants, be that Rose Reilly or Julie Fleeting. They smashed through the barriers and obstacles that restricted them playing football and in doing so, have helped pave the way for girls and women to now enjoy and play the beautiful game. We know there is still more to do and achieve – to move forward, we need to understand and reflect our past.
Hibernian Park in Edinburgh was the venue for the first known women’s football match to be played under football association rules. Taking place on the 7th May 1881, less than a decade on from the first ever men’s international match in Glasgow, a team of Scotswomen beat England in a 3-0 victory.
A burgeoning women’s football scene at the start of the 20th Century was cut short when the English FA banned its members from allowing or encouraging women to play in 1921.
The Scottish FA followed the same approach and in 1948 enforced this by enacting its own ban on women’s football teams using the facilities and resources of the SFA member football clubs and engaging the services of licensed officials.
Despite this, women still played. UEFA held a vote in 1971 to bring unofficial women’s organisations under the banners of their respective national associations. The vote was passed 31 to one in favour. Only one single country, Scotland, voted against.
Not to be left out, six Scottish clubs established the Scottish Women’s Football Association in 1972. Stewarton manager Elsie Cook became our first secretary and immediately made up for lost time by organising a friendly against England at Ravenscraig Stadium.
The Scottish FA took another two years to lift the ban and recognise women’s football, but it wouldn’t be until 1998 that they took responsibility for the national team and affiliated Scottish Women’s Football.
Scottish and Southern Energy became the first ever sponsor of the Scottish Women’s Cup in 2014, SWF’s first ever commercial partner, and in 2018 BBC Alba became the first ever broadcast partner, bringing domestic women’s football onto Scottish television screens for the first time.
To build on this, in 2002 SWF created the Scottish Women’s Premier League – which expanded with the formation of a second division in 2016.
Clubs in the Scottish Women’s Premier League voted to leave SWF in 2022 and seek greater professionalism under the auspices of the Scottish Professional Football League.
Scottish Women’s Football then recentred its focus on building and maintaining a robust pyramid to drive resilience throughout a rapidly growing sport. However, our pursuit of growth is not simply about the 90 minutes on the pitch. SWF is driven by the values of respect, friendship and kindness and is determined to use football as a powerful force for positive change for women and girls in Scotland, both on and off the pitch.
Our current CEO Aileen became the first women elected onto the Board of the SFA in 2023 to represent the Non Professional Games Board, 75 years after the SFA had enacted its own ban.
In the same year ScottishPower became Principal Partner of both SWF and the SWPL in a landmark investment in the women’s game in Scotland, and were followed by Barclays who became the first ever title sponsors of SWF’s new national leagues the Championship and League One.
With the backing of big names such as these, the only way is up for Scottish Women’s Football!
