The 2021–22 Scottish Women's Football Championship was the inaugural season of the SWF Championship after its formation as the third tier of women's football in Scotland.
| Season | 2021–22 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Montrose (North) Gartcairn (South) |
← 2022–23 → | |
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 3–1 against Rossvale on 8 May in Alloa.[7][8]
Teams
editChampionship North
edit| Team | Location | Home ground | 2019 position[Note 1][Note 2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchan | Maud | Maud Pleasure Park | 4th |
| Drybrugh Athletic | Dundee | Lochee Park | 2nd in SWFL2 North/East |
| Dundee West | Dundee | Charlotte Street Pitches | 1st in SWFL2 North/East |
| East Fife | Leven | King George V Park | 6th |
| Grampian | Aberdeen | Cults Academy | |
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Inverness | Millburn Academy | 2nd |
| Montrose | Montrose | Links Park | 7th |
| Stonehaven | Stonehaven | Mineralwell Park | 11th |
| Westdyke | Westhill | Lawsondale Pitches | 9th |
Source:[9]
- Notes
- ^ Note 1: Finishing position in SWFL1 North unless otherwise stated.
- ^
Championship South
editSource:[9]
- Notes
- ^ Note 3: Finishing position in SWFL1 South unless otherwise stated.
- ^
SWPL play-offs
editFor 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
edit- ^ a b c Lewis, Jane (29 July 2020). "SWPL season declared null and void after one round of games". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ^ a b c "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.
- ^ a b c "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.
- ^ "New Senior Structure for 2020 and beyond". Scottish Women's Premier League. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ "Montrose promoted to SWPL 2". She Kicks. 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b Frith, Will (9 May 2022). "Park's SWPL: Rangers Women champions for first time". Archived from the original on 9 May 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "SWF Club Finder". Scottish Women's Football. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ Scottish Women's Football announces new league structure, SheKicks.net, 20 September 2019