New SWF Championship and League One launch with 2022/23 fixture list
Fixtures for the new national top-tier leagues in Scottish Women’s Football have been released.
The new SWF Women’s Championship and Women’s League One will open with a full card of fixtures on Sunday 14 August.
Glasgow club Rossvale, who narrowly missed out on SWPL promotion last season, face a trip to Inverness on the opening day, while the Championship Cup holders Dryburgh Athletic host Livingston in Dundee.
Greenock Morton will host Ayr United and Edinburgh side Hutchison Vale travel to Renfrew.
The new League One will kick off on the same day, with an Edinburgh derby between Edinburgh Caledonia and recently renamed FC Edinburgh.
The eight-team Scottish Women’s Championship will see clubs play each other twice home and twice away before a split which will see the top four teams joust for the title.
League One now contains 12 teams after the withdrawal of Buchan and Bishopton. This means the league will split after teams have played each other home and away into a top six and bottom six for one remaining round.
There will be no relegation from the Championship for its first season, allowing the league to grow to ten teams who meet eligibility criteria around youth pathways and player wellbeing.
League One promises some more interesting local derbies.
Falkirk women first face Stenhousemuir in round three on 28 August. The first Paisley derby of the season will see Gleniffer Thistle host St Mirren on 6 November, while Grampian Ladies face a North East derby against Westdyke on 26 February.
BSC Glasgow, Airdrie Ladies, Dundee West and Giffnock SC complete the competitive league.
Commenting on the new fixtures, SWF CEO Aileen Campbell said: “This season will be an exciting fresh start for our clubs, and both the new Championship and League One promise to be hard-fought competitive leagues between clubs from right across the country, culminating in prestigious trophies in their own right.
“As professionalism grows at the top of the game we are determined to ensure a route is there for every woman in the country to have the opportunity to participate and reach the top, and I’m confident the new structure will showcase the best our clubs have to offer, with some tasty local derbies in the mix.”
The fixture card for the opening weekend of the season 2022/2023 on August 14 is:
Championship:
Renfrew vs Hutchison Vale
Inverness Caledonian Thistle vs Rossvale
Greenock Morton vs Ayr United
Dryburgh Athletic vs Livingston
League One:
Edinburgh Caledonia vs FC Edinburgh Women
BSC Glasgow vs Westdyke
St Mirren vs Grampian Ladies
Airdrie Ladies vs Gleniffer Thistle
Giffnock SC Women vs Stenhousemuir
Dundee West vs Falkirk
