The Scottish Women's Football League First Division (SWFL 1) was a division in the Scottish women's football pyramid between 1999 and 2019. It served as the second tier from 1999 to 2015, before becoming the third tier from 2016 until its dissolution in 2019.
For most of its history, the First Division was a national league whose top teams won promotion to the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL), while the lowest-placed teams were relegated to the Second Division (SWFL 2). Those divisions operated on the traditional autumn–spring football season calendar until 2009, when they switched to a March–November schedule.
From 2016 to 2019, SWFL 1 was split into North and South regional divisions, with one team from each division promoted to SWPL 2. In the 2020 season, SWFL 1 was replaced as the third tier by the Scottish Women's Football Championship.
History Champions 1999–00: Queen of the South OR Elgin City (both won promotion) 2000–01: Raith Rovers 2001–02: Inver-Ross 2002–03: East Kilbride 2003–04: Aberdeen 2004–05: Forfar Farmington 2005–06: Lochee United 2006–07: Queen's Park 2008–09: Rangers W.F.C. 2009: Celtic Reserves 2010: Celtic Reserves 2011: Aberdeen 2012: Hibernian Reserves 2013: Queen's Park 2014: Falkirk Ladies 2015: Glasgow Girls F.C. Seniors
Seasons 1999–2009 Queen of the South and Elgin City both won promotion to the Premier Division in 1999-00. Raith Rovers won the 2000–01 First Division with 44 points, four ahead of Clyde and Shettleston. The member clubs in 2000–01 were:
Aberdeen"Dons" (2001) were listed as Aberdeen LFC from 2002: Albion Rovers Clyde Dundee United
East Kilbride Forfar Farmington Hamilton
Raith Rovers Shettleston St Johnstone
Promoted in 2001–02 were F.C. Hamilton and the champions Inver-Ross L.F.C., who became Ross County L.F.C. in 2003.
East Kilbride won the First Division and promotion in 2002–03, and reached that season's League Cup final.
Aberdeen, Forfar Farmington and Lochee United were the subsequent champions in 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 respectively.
Queen's Park were the 2006–07 First Division champions and returned to the SWPL (after the club's previous promotion in 2004 and relegation in 2006).
In 2007–08, the promotion-winners were Dundee United S.C. and Dalkeith Ladies (Boroughmuir Thistle), coached by Pauline MacDonald. The First Division clubs in 2007–08 were:
Bishopbriggs Ladies Bo'ness United Buchan Cowdenbeath Women's
Dundee United Dalkeith Ladies Dumfries Falkirk
Hutchison Vale Inverness Ladies Murieston United Paisley City Ladies
Paisley City Ladies became Rangers W.F.C. in 2008–09, and won promotion to the SWPL that season in a ten-team division:
Bo'ness United Celtic 'B' Cowdenbeath Dumfries
Falkirk Glasgow Ladies A Hutchison Vale
Inverness Ladies Rangers Tynecastle
2009–2015 Celtic Reserves who won the First Division winners in the 2010 season were ineligible for promotion.Soccerway: SWFL 2010 season As a result, Hutchison Vale and Falkirk LFC were promoted from the SWFL to the SWPL (replacing the relegated Aberdeen LFC). Hearts LFC, Buchan, and Airdrie United were relegated to the SWFL Second Division and were replaced by Scottish Women's Football League Second Division East champions, Hibernian 2000, and two clubs from the Scottish Women's Football League Second Division West, Paisley Saints Ladies and Wishaw Juniors (formerly Motherwell).
Member clubs in the 2011 season:
Aberdeen Celtic Reserves Cowdenbeath Glasgow City Reserves Hibernian 2000 Paisley Saints Ladies
Queen's Park Raith Rovers Toryglen Troon Wishaw Juniors
Aberdeen were the 2011 champions and were promoted to the SWPL. Runners-up, Celtic Reserves were ineligible for promotion while third-placed Toryglen Ladies folded during the close season. Wishaw Juniors had also folded and withdrawn mid-season from the league. To maintain numbers, no sides were relegated from either the Premier League or the First Division in 2011.
Buchan Ladies, Kilwinning Sports Club, Airdrie United, and Forfar Farmington Reserves were promoted from the regional Second Divisions in 2011.
In 2012, the champions and runners-up, Hibernian Reserves and Celtic Reserves, were ineligible for promotion to the SWPL. Third-placed Buchan L.F.C. and fourth-placed Kilwinning SC were subsequently promoted, while the relegated Kilmarnock and Inverness City replaced them in SWFL 1. Dunfermline Athletic, East Fife, Hearts, and Murieston United were promoted from the regional Second Divisions. Hibernian Reserves withdrew to compete in a newly-formed Development League alongside the relegated reserve teams of Glasgow City and Forfar Farmington, and the Second-Division reserve teams of Spartans and Hamilton Academical.
Airdrie United Ladies played in the 2012 First Division but were replaced by Cumbernauld Colts in 2013, after the entire Airdrie squad defected to that club.
Troon Ladies merged with Glasgow Girls and assumed the latter name.
Member clubs in the 2013 season were:
Celtic Reserves Cowdenbeath Cumbernauld Colts Dunfermline Athletic East Fife FC Kilmarnock
Glasgow Girls Hearts Inverness City Murieston United Paisley Saints Ladies Queen's Park
The next champions of the First Division were Queen's Park (2013) and Falkirk Ladies (2014).Soccerway: SWFL Archive
At the end of its last season as a national league in 2015, the First Division had its top four clubs join SWPL 2 (but they remained level 2 league clubs). The 2015 standings were:
1st: Glasgow Girls F.C. Seniors 2nd: Buchan Ladies 3rd: Jeanfield Swifts 4th: Queen's Park 5th: Cumbernauld Colts 6th: Hibernian Development
7th: Celtic Academy 8th: Mill United 9th: East Fife 10th: Dunfermline Athletic 11th: Boroughmuir Thistle 12th: Murieston United
2016
In the first season, after league reconstruction, East Fife won the northern division by 17 points, and Motherwell were SWFL 1 South winners by five points; both were promoted to SWPL 2.
Final standings:
North group:Women's Championship 2016 North [sic]. Soccerway. Retrieved 5 November 2021 1st: East Fife 2nd: Dunfermline Athletic 3rd: Central Girls 4th: Aberdeen B 5th: Forfar Farmington B
South group:Women's Championship 2016 South [sic]. Soccerway. Retrieved 5 November 2021 1st: Motherwell 2nd: Hibernian B 3rd: Celtic B 4th: Rangers B 5th: Kilmarnock
2017
Central Girls Football Academy won the North division by nine points and Kilmarnock won the South division by 20 points. Central had a goal difference of +84 and Kilmarnock +52. Both were promoted to the SWPL 2 for the 2018 season.
Final standings:
North group:Women's Championship 2017 North [sic]. Soccerway. Retrieved 5 November 2021 1st: Central Girls 2nd: Dundee United 3rd: Dunfermline Athletic 4th: Granite City 5th: Inverness Caledonian Thistle
South group:Women's Championship 2017 South [sic]. Soccerway. Retrieved 5 November 2021 1st: Kilmarnock 2nd: Celtic B 3rd: Partick Thistle 4th: Renfrew 5th: Cumbernauld Colts
2018 Member clubs in the 2018 season:
North: Aberdeen 23s Buchan Cove Rangers Dee Ladies Deveronvale Dundee United Dunfermline Athletic East Fife Raith Rovers Ladies Inverness City Ladies Stirling University Development Westdyke Ladies
South: Blackburn United Boroughmuir Thistle F.C. Celtic Academy Cumbernauld Colts Falkirk Hibernian Development Morton Queen's Park Rangers Development Renfrew Thistle Weir Westerlands
Final standings:
North group:Women's Championship 2018 North [sic]. Soccerway. Retrieved 5 November 2021 1st: Dundee United 2nd: East Fife 3rd: Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4th: Dunfermline Athletic 5th: Cove Rangers
South group:Women's Championship 2018 South [sic]. Soccerway. Retrieved 5 November 2021 1st: Hibernian B 2nd: Celtic B 3rd: Partick Thistle 4th: Queen's Park 5th: Westerlands
2019 Member clubs in the 2019 season:
North: Aberdeen FC Women Buchan L.F.C. Cove Rangers Deveronvale Ladies Dunfermline Athletic East Fife Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC Kelty Hearts Montrose Raith Rovers Women Stonehaven Ladies F.C. Westdyke Ladies
Details:
South: Ayr United Blackburn United Boroughmuir Thistle FC Celtic Academy FC Kilmarnock 23s Glasgow City Development Hamilton Academical 23s Hibernian 23s Queens Park L.F.C. Rangers Development Renfrew Ladies FC Spartans Development
Details:
Final standings:
North group:Women's Championship 2019 North [sic]. Soccerway. Retrieved 5 November 2021 1st: Aberdeen 2nd: Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3rd: Cove Rangers 4th: Buchan 5th: Dunfermline Athletic
South group:Women's Championship 2019 South [sic]. Soccerway. Retrieved 5 November 2021 1st: Glasgow City Development 2nd: Celtic Academy 3rd: Hibernian 23s 4th: Queen's Park 5th: Boroughmuir Thistle
See also Scottish Women's Football League First Division Cup Scottish Women's Football Championship
References
External links League at Scottish Women's Football League at women.soccerway.com League tables and memberships 1972-date at the Scottish Football Historical Archive