Scottish Women's Football League Second Division
Football league
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The Scottish Women's Football League Second Division (SWFL 2) was a division in the Scottish women's football pyramid between 1999 and 2019. The third league tier from 1999 to 2015, it later became the fourth tier. Its top teams won promotion to the SWFL First Division.
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| Divisions | 1 (1999–2008) 4 (2012–2019) |
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| Number of clubs | 10–40 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 (1999–2015) 4 (2016–2019) |
| Promotion to | Scottish Women's Football League First Division |
| Domestic cup | Scottish Women's Cup |
| League cup | SWFL Second Division Cup |
| Website | Scottish Women's Football |
The Second Division began as a single national division,[1][2] but became three regional divisions in 2008–09, the North, East and West. It was further enlarged in 2012 to four divisions. From 2016 to 2019, SWFL 2 had forty clubs in four regional divisions. The champions of each division were eligible to enter play-offs for promotion to the First Division.[3]
In 2020, Scottish Women's Football replaced the First Division with the SWF Championship, and the Second Division took the existing name of the Scottish Women's Football League. The SWFL is now a standalone 'Recreational' league with multiple regional divisions, resembling the former Second Division, but now with no regular promotion or relegation.[4]
History
The Second Division was initially a single national competition,[5] played as a double round-robin.
Champions
National division champions – league level 3:
- 1999-00: Forfar Farmington[6]
- 2000–01: Hamilton Athletic[1]
- 2001–02: Hawkcraig United[6]
- 2002–03: Falkirk L.F.C.[7][8]
- 2003–04: Arsenal North[6]
- 2004–05: Inverness City[6]
- 2005–06: Buchan[6]
- 2006–07: Cowdenbeath[9][10]
- 2007–08: Celtic Reserves[6]
Regional division champions – league level 3:
- 2008–09: South-West / West: Glasgow City Reserves[6]
- 2008–09: South-East / Central Musselburgh Windsor[6]
| Season | North group | West group | East group | South East group | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Aberdeen City | Paisley Saints Ladies[11][12] | Hibernian 2000 | – | [13] |
| 2011 | Buchan | Kilwinning Sports Club[14] | Forfar Farmington | ||
| 2012 | Stonehaven | Murieston United | Dunfermline Athletic | Heart of Midlothian[15] |
| Season | North | West/South West | East/Central | South East | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Aberdeen Reserves | Claremont | Jeanfield Swifts | Hibernian Development | |
| 2014 | Dee Vale | Mill United | East Fife | Boroughmuir Thistle | |
| 2015 | Dee Vale | Glasgow City Development[16] | Central Girls Academy | Motherwell | [17] |
Regional division champions – league level 4:
| Season | North/East | West/South West | West/Central | South East/Central | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Granite City[18] | Renfrew[19] | Partick Thistle[20] | Dundee United[21] | |
| 2017 | Deveronvale[22] | Morton[23] | Blackburn United[24] | Bayside[25] | |
| 2018 | Montrose[26] | Ayr United[27] | Glasgow City B[28] | Kelty Hearts[29] | |
| 2019 | Dundee West[30] | Morton[31] | Bishopton[32] | Edinburgh Caledonia[33] | |
Seasons
1999–2008
In the season 2000–01, Hamilton Athletic finished top of the 10-team national Second Division.[1]
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Falkirk Ladies had won promotion from the SWFL Third Division in 1999–2000,[34] and they became the Second Division champions in 2002–03, ahead of Dundee City and Civil Service Strollers.[35][36] Falkirk sealed the title with late-season wins over St. Johnstone away and Dundee City at Brockville.[7][8]
In 2005–06, the top teams in the division were champions Buchan Girls, Crichton, Cowdenbeath, Arsenal North 2nd LFC and Thistle LFC.[37] Cowdenbeath won the 2006–07 championship.[9][10]
2007–08 was the last season of the national SWFL Second Division. The member clubs were:[2]
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2008–2012
After the switch to the three regional divisions (North, East and West) in 2008–09, the Second Division's member clubs were:
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North:
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West:
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East:
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The Scottish women's football divisions used the autumn–spring season calendar until 2008–09. From the season 2009, they switched to a summer schedule (March–November).[39]
The three-division system continued with the new schedule, in the 2010 and 2011 seasons.[40][41]
Owing to an influx of new clubs, for the 2012 season the Second Division East was split into two separate East and South-East divisions. The East division was now based around Fife and Tayside while the South-East division was centred on Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Hearts, Hibernian 1875, Falkirk FC and a Spartans Reserve team moved from the East division to the South East in 2012. Boroughmuir Thistle, Football Club of Edinburgh, Leith Athletic, Musselburgh Windsor and Seton Ladies were new clubs.[42]
2011 North champions Buchan Ladies were promoted to the First Division while Dundee City and Forfar Farmington Blues transferred to the East. New clubs were a Buchan Ladies Youth side, Turriff United and Dee Ladies, part of the Dee Boys Club set-up.[43]
2013
Member clubs in the 2013 season:
North DivisionNo clubs accepted promotion from the 2012 North competition, with champions Stonehaven and runners-up Dee Vale competing again in 2013. Luthermuir were transferred from the Second Division East where they played in 2012. Elgin City were formerly known as Moray Ladies.
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East/Central Division2012 champions Dunfermline Athletic and runners-up East Fife Ladies were promoted to the SWFL First Division, however both clubs entered reserve sides in the Second Division in 2013. East Fife added the suffix Violet after linking up with Cupar Violet GFC.[44] Raith Rovers were relegated from the 2012 First Division. Falkirk FC were transferred from the South East Division while Stenhousemuir arrived from the West Division. Tayside Ladies, a senior section of Celtic Girls (Tayside), entered for the first time. Arbroath CSC and Monifieth who resigned during the 2012 season did not return.
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South East Division2012 champions Hearts were promoted to the SWFL First Division but entered a development side in the Second Division in 2013. Edinburgh Caledonia, Hutchison Vale Reserves and Murieston United Reds were new clubs.
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West/South West Division2012 champions Murieston United were promoted to the SWFL First Division. Hamilton Caledonian, Irvine Thistle, Kilwinning Development, Mill United and Whitburn joined the league in 2013; EK Galaxy dropped out, while Hamilton Academical Reserves withdrew to play in a new development league.
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2017
The following teams played in the SWFL Second Division during the 2017 season.[45] As well as first teams, the SWFL structures also incorporated a number of development or youth teams of other SWPL and SWFL clubs.
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North:
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West:
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Central:
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East:
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- Withdrew during the season, results removed
2019
Member clubs in the 2019 season:
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North/East:
Details:[46] |
South East/Central:
Details:[47] |
West/Central:
Details:[48] |
West/South West:
Details:[49] |