The 2016 Scottish Women's Premier League was the 15th season of the SWPL, the highest division of women's football in Scotland since 2002. For the first time, the league was split into two divisions of eight teams each, SWPL 1 and SWPL 2.
The split into two divisions reduced the number of top-division teams from 12 to 8. The change was made to increase competitiveness in the league.[1] SWPL 2 became the new level 2 Scottish women's league, displacing the First Division (SWFL 1) to level 3.
The restructuring had begun in 2015 by requiring four SWPL clubs to be effectively relegated. Lewis Melee quoted a manager critical of the SWF's consultation and lack of notice for the league's new clubs: "Rather than saying we need to finish 11th for our first year in the league they were having to finish 8th and they didn’t have a 6 to 12-month plan to prepare… they were probably the ones that suffered more than anyone".[2]
At the end of the season in October 2016, Glasgow City were champions, ahead of Hibernian.[3] [4] City became the first senior football club to win ten Scottish league titles in succession. The champions of SWPL 2 were Hamilton Academical,[5] replacing Forfar Farmington in the top tier for the 2017 season.
Team | Location | Home ground | Capacity | data-sort-type="number" | 2015 position |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2,200 | 4th | ||||
1,000 | 3rd | ||||
6,777 | 8th | ||||
10,100 | 1st | ||||
1,000 | 2nd | ||||
2,000 | 6th | ||||
2,000 | 5th | ||||
Stirling University | 1,000 | 7th |
Team | Location | Home ground | Capacity | data-sort-type="number" | 2015 position |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pleasure Park | 2nd in SWFL1 | ||||
1st in SWFL1 | |||||
6,018 | 10th in SWPL | ||||
9th in SWPL | |||||
11th in SWPL | |||||
Millburn Academy | 12th in SWPL | ||||
3rd in SWFL1 | |||||
4th in SWFL1 |
Competition: | Scottish Women's Premier League 1 |
Season: | 2016 |
Winners: | Glasgow City |
Relegated: | Forfar Farmington |
Continentalcup1: | Champions League |
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Glasgow City Hibernian |
Matches: | 80 |
Total Goals: | 302 |
Biggest Home Win: | (28 August 2016) |
Biggest Away Win: | (20 April 2016) |
Highest Scoring: | Nine goals: (28 August 2016) (23 May 2016) |
Longest Wins: | 10 matches: Glasgow City |
Longest Unbeaten: | 10 matches: Glasgow City |
Longest Winless: | 13 matches: Forfar Farmington |
Longest Losses: | 13 matches: Forfar Farmington |
Prevseason: | 2015 |
Nextseason: | 2017 |
Updated: | 23 October 2016 |
In the first season after the reduction to eight teams a new format is played. Teams will play each other three times, with the bottom placed team being relegated after the season. The split into a championship and relegation group is discontinued.[6]
Teams will play 21 matches each.
Competition: | Scottish Women's Premier League 2 |
Season: | 2016 |
Relegated: | Inverness City Queen's Park |
Matches: | 79 |
Total Goals: | 408 |
Biggest Home Win: | (22 May 2016) (9 October 2016) |
Biggest Away Win: | (22 May 2016) |
Highest Scoring: | (22 May 2016) |
Longest Wins: | 8 matches: Glasgow Girls |
Longest Unbeaten: | 8 matches: Glasgow Girls |
Longest Winless: | 10 matches: Inverness City |
Longest Losses: | 7 matches: Inverness City |
Prevseason: | 2015 |
Nextseason: | 2017 |
Updated: | 23 October 2016 |
In the first season after the reduction to eight teams a new format is played. Teams will play each other three times, with the bottom placed team being relegated after the season. The split into a championship and relegation group is discontinued.[7]
Teams will play 21 matches each.