Glasgow City Football Club is a professional women's football team based in Glasgow that plays in SWPL 1, the top division of football in Scotland and also the higher of two levels of the Scottish Women's Premier League. The club has competed in the UEFA Women's Cup and UEFA Women's Champions League. They also have a reserve team and youth teams.
Glasgow City has won the most Premier League titles and the most Scottish Cups in Scotland since 2000.
In 2016, Glasgow City won their tenth Scottish Women's Premier League title in a row. However they lost their four-year monopoly on the domestic trophies with Hibernian L.F.C. winning the SWPL Cup and Scottish Cup.
The club's most recent title success came in dramatic fashion at the conclusion of the 2022–23 season with Glasgow City, Rangers, and Celtic all going into the final day with an opportunity to claim the title. At Ibrox Stadium, an injury time goal from City's Lauren Davidson secured a 16th SWPL title and made Leanne Ross the first female head coach to win the championship.
History Glasgow City Football Club was formed in 1998 by Laura Montgomery and Carol Anne Stewart. They play in orange and black. The club play their home matches at Petershill Park in the Springburn district in the north of Glasgow, although from 2014 to 2017 they played at the larger Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie, around 15 miles outside the city, due to issues with the artificial playing surface at Petershill. For the 2020–21 season, with Petershill unavailable, they played at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire.
City completed a domestic clean sweep in 2012, winning the treble,Glasgow City lift Henson Scottish Cup to complete treble Scottish FA. 12-11-2012. Retrieved 14-11-2014. and they completed a second consecutive domestic treble in 2013.Glasgow City secure sixth Scottish Cup win and second successive domestic treble . 17-11-2013. Retrieved 14-11-2014. Between the seasons 2009 and 2018 inclusive, Glasgow City lost only three League matches, Note: report overlooks 2012 defeat and continued an unprecedented run of successive Scottish championships that began in 2007–08 It was reported Glasgow City had held talks with the FA WSL in February 2013 about a possible move to an extended top flight in England. City cited football was not moving forward quickly enough in Scotland for women to match their ambition. The FA shut the door on any potential move.FA close door on City move Herald Scotland. 21-02-2013. Retrieved 19-10-2013. City general manager Laura Montgomery later reiterated the club's desire to play in the FA WSL.Glasgow City manager eyes entry to FA WSL BBC Sport. 18-10-2013. Retrieved 19-10-2013.
During the 2014 season, Glasgow City secured an eighth successive SWPL titleGlasgow City secure their eighth successive SWPL title BBC Sport. 02-10-2014. Retrieved 02-11-2014. and third successive treble.City win the Scottish Cup to complete a historic treble Glasgow City FC. 16-11-14. Retrieved 17-11-2014. After a superb 5–4 aggregate win against FC Zurich, City became the first Scottish team to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in November 2014.Women's Champions League: Glasgow City 4-2 Zurich (5-4) BBC Sport. 12-11-2014. Retrieved 12-11-2014. After a 2–1 first leg defeat at FC Zurich,Women's Champions League: FC Zurich 2-1 Glasgow City BBC Sport 09-11-2014. Retrieved 12-11-2014. City were 1–0 down at half time, with their keeper substituted due a suspected broken collar bone, in the second leg. Despite City replying with two early second half goals, Zurich made it 2–2. An 81st minute Jo Love strike leveled the tie, but with City heading out of the competition on away goals, Suzanne Lappin powered home a header a few minutes from time to send them through. In the quarter-finals, Paris Saint-Germain proved too strong for City, with a 7–0 aggregate victory.
City were seeded for the UEFA Champions League in 2015–16, as they entered straight in to the round of 32, both for the very first time. As the eighth seeds, the team faced Chelsea, only to lose 4-0 on aggregate.
In July 2015, Eddie Wolecki stepped down as Glasgow City manager after four and a half years in charge, with Scott Booth announced as his replacement.
City reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the second time in 2019–20; they were the last independent women's football club to achieve this. In the 2020–21 Scottish Women's Premier League, they won their fourteenth title in succession. Following the departure of Scott Booth in summer 2021 to take head coach role at Birmingham City W.F.C., Grant Scott was appointed as interim head coach until Eileen Gleeson was freed from her commitments as assistant coach with Republic of Ireland women's national team and could take up post as head coach in November 2021.
In December 2022, Gleeson stepped down and was replaced by the club's all-time leading appearance leader, goalscorer and former captain Leanne Ross. In Ross's first season in charge she led the side to a 16th SWPL title, claiming the title in stoppage time on the final day of the season.Watch SWPL: City dramatically snatch title from Celtic in dying seconds, BBC Sport, 21 May 2023 The 2023–24 season saw City eliminated from the knock-out rounds of the Champions League by Brann having defeated Gintra and Shelbourne in their Qualifying Round 1 Group Stage Round Robin. The season would end without any silverware.
Ahead of the 2024–25 season, former Head Coach Scott Booth was appointed as Assistant First Team Coach but he departed in November 2024 to take up the head coach role at Aberdeen, in his place former City midfielder and Scotland international Leanne Crichton was appointed. The season ended with the club finishing second in the SWPL, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, and as runners-up in the Scottish Cup after a 3–0 defeat by Rangers in the final.Howat and McAulay seal Scottish Gas Women's Scottish Cup for Rangers, Josh McCafferty, Scottish Football Association, 25 May 2025 Against the same opposition, City ended an 11-year wait to lift the SWPL Cup again with a 2–1 win in the 2026 final.
Club records
Record win: 29–0 against FC Kilmarnock, May 2010. Record defeat: 0–10 against Turbine Potsdam in the UEFA Women's Champions League, 2 November 2011. Most goals in all competitions: Leanne Ross, 264. Most league goals in a season: Leanne Ross, 42 (during the 2010 season). Most goals in a season: Leanne Ross, 54 (during the 2010 season). Most goals in a game: Debbie McWhinnie, 12 against Motherwell in the Scottish Women's Cup, February 2004. Highest European home attendance: 1,785 against Paris Saint-Germain, 22 March 2015.
Honours Scottish Women's Premier League Winners (16): 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020–21, 2022–23 Scottish Women's Cup Winners (9): 2003–04, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019 Scottish Women's Premier League Cup Winners (7): 2008–09, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2025–26 Scottish Women's Football First Division Winners: 1998–99
Other tournaments National 5-A-Side Winners: 1999–00, 2000–01 Umbro Cup (Manchester) Winners: 2007, 2009 (shared) Reebok Trophy (Mansfield) Winners: 1999
Awards Scottish Sports Awards Amateur Performance of the Year: 2011 GCC Glasgow Team of the Year: 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014 Glaswegian Team of the Year: 2009 Sports Council of Glasgow Performance Team of the Year: 2010
European history Glasgow City has participated in several seasons of UEFA competitions; reaching the second qualifying round of the Women's Cup (last 16) in the 2008–09 season. In the 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League they won their qualifying group and moved on to the round of 32. They then defeated Icelandic team Valur to become the first Scottish side to reach the round of 16 of the Champions League. The Round of 16 ended in "humiliating" fashion for Glasgow City, where against German champions Turbine Potsdam, they lost the tie 17–0 on aggregate. At the time, the 10–0 first leg defeat in Potsdam was the only time any team in the knockout stages of the Champions League has been beaten by double figures. In 2013–14 they reached the round of 16 again, losing 2–6 against Arsenal on aggregate (the unwanted records from the Potsdam tie were eclipsed that season by Wolfsburg who won their round of 32 tie 13–0 and 14–0 for a 27–0 aggregate).
In 2014–15 they became the first Scottish team to advance to the quarterfinals, being eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain, and achieved the feat again in 2019–20 but lost 9–1 to Wolfsburg (twice previous winners and runners-up twice more) in a single-game tie played in San Sebastián due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.Glasgow City 1-9 Wolfsburg: Scots eliminated in last eight, BBC Sport, 21 August 2020
Glasgow City score listed first SeasonCompetitionRoundOppositionScore First Leg Second Leg Aggregate2005–06UEFA Women's CupFirst Qualifying Round Athletic Bilbao2–64th SV Saestum0–7 KFC Rapide Wezemaal1–52008–09UEFA Women's CupFirst Qualifying Round AZ1–11st ŽFK Mašinac Niš4–0 Narta Chişinău11–0Second Qualifying Round Røa IL1–64th Zvezda 2005 Perm0–1 1. FFC Frankfurt1–32009–10UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQualifying Round Bayern Munich2–52nd Gintra Universitetas2–0 Norchi Dinamoeli9–02010–11UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQualifying Round Crusaders Newtownabbey Strikers8–02nd Slovan Bratislava4–0 Duisburg0–42011–12UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQualifying Round Spartak Subotica4–01st Mosta8–0 KÍ Klaksvík5–0Round of 32 Valur1–13–04–1Round of 16 Turbine Potsdam0–100–70–172012–13UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQualifying Round ŽNK Osijek3–21st FC Noroc11–0 PK-35 Vantaa1–1Round of 32 Fortuna Hjørring1–20–01–22013–14UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQualifying Round Osijek7–01st Birkirkara9–0 FC Twente2–0Round of 32 Standard Liège2–23–15–3Round of 16 Arsenal0–32–32–62014–15UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQualifying Round Union Nové Zámky5–01st Glentoran1–0 Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv4–0Round of 32 Medyk Konin0–23–0 3–2Round of 16 Zürich1–24–25–4Quarterfinals Paris Saint-Germain0–20–50–72015–16UEFA Women's Champions LeagueRound of 32 Chelsea0–10–30–42016–17UEFA Women's Champions LeagueRound of 32 Eskilstuna United DFF0–11–21–32017–18UEFA Women's Champions LeagueRound of 32 BIIK Kazygurt0–34–14–4(lost on away goals)2018–19UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQualifying Round Anderlecht1–21st Martve7–0 Górnik Łęczna2–0Round of 32 Barcelona FA2–00–12–1Round of 16 Barcelona0–50–30–82019–20UEFA Women's Champions LeagueRound of 32 Chertanovo Moscow1–04–15–1Round of 16 Brøndby2–00–2 2–2(won on penalties)Quarter-Finals Wolfsburg1–91–92020–21UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQualifying Rounds Peamount United0–0 (won on penalties) Valur1–1 (won on penalties)Round of 32 Sparta Prague1–20–1 1–32021–22UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQR1 semi-final Birkirkara3–0QR1 final BIIK Kazygurt1–0QR2 Servette Chênois1–11–22–32022–23UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQR1 semi-final Roma1–3QR1 Third Place Play-Off Servette0–12023–24UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQR1 semi-final Shelbourne2–0QR1 Final Gintra 3–0QR2 Brann0–40–20–62025–26UEFA Women's Champions LeagueQR2 semi-final FK Austria Wien0–22025–26UEFA Women's Europa CupQR1 Athlone Town AFC3–03–06–0QR2 HB Koge1–25–36–5Round of 16 Sporting CP1–11–3 2–4
Players
Current squad
On Loan
Club staff As of 29 May 2025 Corporate staff Job titleNameNotesChief Executive Officer Laura MontgomeryCo-founder of the club and former player/captainCo-founder Carol Anne StewartCo-founder of the club and former playerAcademy Manager Sarah CrillyFormer player (2013-16)
Coaching staff Job titleNameHead Coach Leanne RossAssistant First Team Coach Hayley LauderCoach/Head of Player Development Michael GaughanFirst Team Analyst Adam WoolvenHead of Goalkeeping Dan Tobin
Former players
Player of the year
2025/26 - Lee Gibson 2024/25 - Aleigh Gambone 2023/24 - Kenzie Weir 2022/23 - Lauren Davidson