2023–24 Scottish Women's Football Championship
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Rossvale |
| Promoted | Rossvale Ayr United |
← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
The 2023–24 Scottish Women's Football Championship was the third completed season of the SWF Championship as the third-tier division of women's football in Scotland.
The format was set to be similar to the 2022–23 season, other than the 'split' into promotion and relegation groups occurring after two round-robins rather than four the previous season, with the number of teams having increased to 10 - the split would be after 18 rounds. The situation was complicated by the mid-season withdrawal of Edinburgh City due to their parent men's club enduring financial problems;[1] their results were voided,[2] and the split took place after only 16 valid rounds, and the promotion group only comprising four clubs.
A national fourth tier, Scottish Women's Football League One, was also played under the same format with 10 teams taking part.
Overview[edit]
Having narrowly missed out on promotion in 2022–23 with a loss to Stirling University in the play-off,[3] Rossvale won the Championship to secure automatic promotion to SWPL 2 for the 2024–25 season[4] (Stirling University were the automatically relegated team coming down to replace them). Rossvale had also won the SWF Championship and League One Cup[5] so completed a 'double'. Ayr United finished runners-up to take part in the play-off against Glasgow Women,[6] which they won 4–3 to secure promotion.[7]
Due to the complications from Edinburgh City's withdrawal and the intention to again increase the membership of the Championship for the following season, it was confirmed that no team would be relegated, with Hutchison Vale retaining their place in the division despite having lost all their matches, including nine by margins into double-figures. Three clubs – champions Stenhousemuir plus Forfar Farmington and Falkirk – were promoted from League One.[8][9]
Teams[edit]
Championship[edit]
| Team[10] | Location | Home ground | 2022–23 position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayr United | Alloway | Cambusdoon Sports Club | 4th |
| Dryburgh Athletic | Dundee | Lochee Park | 6th |
| East Fife | Methil | Bayview Stadium | 8th (SWPL 2) |
| Edinburgh City (withdrew) |
Edinburgh | Ainslie Park | 1st (League One) |
| Hutchison Vale | Edinburgh | WHEC Education Centre | 7th |
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Inverness | Millburn Academy | 5th |
| Morton | Greenock | Cappielow | 8th |
| Rossvale | Glasgow | Huntershill Recreation Centre | 2nd |
| Renfrew | Renfrew | New Western Park | 3rd |
| Westdyke | Westhill | Lawsondale Pitches | 2nd (League One) |
League One[edit]
| Team[11] | Location | Home ground |
|---|---|---|
| Airdrie | Airdrie | Excelsior Stadium |
| Bonnyrigg Rose | Bonnyrigg | New Dundas Park |
| BSC Glasgow (withdrew) |
Clydebank | Clydebank Community Sport Hub |
| Dundee West | Dundee | Charlotte Street Pitches |
| Edinburgh Caledonia | Edinburgh | Peffermill 3G |
| Falkirk | Falkirk | Falkirk Stadium |
| Forfar Farmington | Forfar | Station Park |
| Giffnock | Giffnock | Eastwood Park |
| Queen of the South | Dumfries | Palmerston Park |
| St Mirren | Linwood | Mossedge Football Pitch |
| Stenhousemuir | Stenhousemuir | Ochilview Park |
League table (Championship)[edit]
Regular season[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rossvale | 16 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 78 | 15 | +63 | 45 | Qualification for the Promotion Group |
| 2 | Ayr United | 16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 56 | 21 | +35 | 37 | |
| 3 | East Fife | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 59 | 26 | +33 | 33 | |
| 4 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 16 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 60 | 32 | +28 | 25 | |
| 5 | Renfrew | 16 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 47 | 29 | +18 | 24 | Qualification for the Relegation Group |
| 6 | Dryburgh Athletic | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 29 | 30 | −1 | 20 | |
| 7 | Westdyke | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 46 | 53 | −7 | 20 | |
| 8 | Morton | 16 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 20 | 66 | −46 | 7 | |
| 9 | Hutchison Vale | 16 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 7 | 130 | −123 | 0 | |
| 10 | Edinburgh City (withdrew) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Promotion Group[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rossvale (C, P) | 19 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 86 | 22 | +64 | 49 | Promotion to SWPL 2 |
| 2 | Ayr United (O, P) | 19 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 66 | 25 | +41 | 46 | Qualification for the SWPL2 Play-off Final[6][7] |
| 3 | East Fife | 19 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 66 | 33 | +33 | 37 | |
| 4 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 19 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 64 | 43 | +21 | 25 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted
Relegation Group[edit]
- Note: It was agreed mid-season that no relegation would take place with the league due to expand to 12 teams,[14] but a mini-group of this nature was still played.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Dryburgh Athletic | 20 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 42 | 30 | +12 | 32 |
| 6 | Renfrew | 19 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 59 | 36 | +23 | 27 |
| 7 | Westdyke | 19 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 60 | 58 | +2 | 26 |
| 8 | Morton | 19 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 24 | 74 | −50 | 10 |
| 9 | Hutchison Vale | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 8 | 154 | −146 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
References[edit]
- ^ Edinburgh City confident of fulfilling season after reaching HMRC agreement, Brian McLauchlin, BBC Sport, 22 January 2024
- ^ SWF Statement on Edinburgh City FC, Scottish Women's Football, 20 December 2023
- ^ Stirling University narrowly win SWPL 2 play-off, SheKicks, 5 June 2023
- ^ Rossvale secure SWF Championship title and promotion to SWPL, SheKicks, 29 April 2024
- ^ Rossvale lift the Championship & League One Cup after extra time winner from Jane O’Toole, Scottish Women's Football, 22 April 2024
- ^ a b 23/24 SWPL play-off final details confirmed, Scottish Women's Premier League, 6 May 2024
- ^ a b Ayr United promoted to ScottishPower Women’s Premier League 2, She Kicks, 25 May 2024
- ^ Stenhousemuir are SWF League One Champions after 4-0 victory at Edinburgh Caledonia, Scottish Women's Football, 12 May 2024
- ^ Scottish Women's League One 2023/2024, Scottish Women's Football. Retrieved 20 May 2024
- ^ 2023-24 SWF Championship Season Preview, Scott McPike, SM Media, 18 August 2023
- ^ 2023-24 SWF League One Season Preview, Scott McPike, SM Media, 17 August 2023
- ^ "Summary – Women's Championship 2023/2024 Regular Season". Soccerway. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Women's Championship 2023/2024 Promotion Round". Soccerway. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Promotion and relegation update in the SWF pyramid, Scottish Women's Football, 26 March 2024
- ^ "Women's Championship 2023/2024 Relegation Round". Soccerway. Retrieved 20 May 2024.