Scotland women's national football team
The Scotland women's national football team represents Scotland in international women's football competitions. Since 1998, the team has been governed by the Scottish Football Association (SFA). Scotland qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time in 2019, and qualified for their first UEFA Women's Euro in 2017. As of July 2019, the team was 22nd in the FIFA Women's World Rankings.
Association | Scottish Football Association | ||
---|---|---|---|
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
Head coach | Shelley Kerr | ||
Captain | Rachel Corsie[1] | ||
Most caps | Gemma Fay (203)[2] | ||
Top scorer | Julie Fleeting (116) | ||
FIFA code | SCO | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 21 | ||
Highest | 19[4] (March 2014; September 2018) | ||
Lowest | 31[4] (March 2004) | ||
First international | |||
(Greenock, Scotland; 18 November 1972)[5][6][7] | |||
Biggest win | |||
(Glasgow, Scotland; 30 May 1998)[8] | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
(Nuneaton, England; 23 June 1973)[9] | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2019) | ||
Best result | Group stage (2019) | ||
European Championship | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2017) | ||
Best result | Group stage (2017) |
History
Church documents recorded women playing football in Carstairs, Lanarkshire, in 1628.[10] Scotland first played a women's international match in May 1881.[10] Women's football struggled for recognition during this early period and was banned by the football authorities in 1921.[10] Club sides who were interested in using their grounds for women's football were subsequently denied permission by the Scottish Football Association (SFA).[10] The sport continued on an unofficial basis until the 1970s, when the ban was lifted.[10] In 1971 UEFA instructed its members to take control of women's football within their territories. The motion was passed 31–1, but Scotland was the only member to vote against it.[11] Football in Scotland has traditionally been seen as a working class and male preserve.[12]
Scotland's first official match, a 3–2 defeat to England, took place in November 1972.[5][6][7] The team was managed by Rab Stewart. The 1921 ban on women's football was lifted in 1974, and the SFA assumed direct responsibility for Scottish women's football in 1998.[12] Scotland have participated in most international competitions since the ban was removed. The team's standing has improved significantly in recent years, reaching an all-time high of 19th place in the FIFA Women's World Rankings in March 2014.[4][13][14] They reached their first major tournament finals when they qualified for UEFA Women's Euro 2017.[15] The team followed this up by qualifying for their first World Cup finals tournament in 2019.[16] Following their qualification, the Scottish Government announced they would provide funding to allow all the players to train full-time in the lead up to the World Cup, a welcome announcement as several players do not play professionally.[17] Their final home match (against Jamaica) before the 2019 World Cup saw a record attendance for the national team of 18,555.[18]
Claire Emslie scored Scotland's first World Cup goal, netting in their 2019 opener against England on 9 June.[19] After losing their second game, 2–1 against Japan, Scotland needed to win their third game against Argentina to qualify for the last 16 as a third-placed team.[20] They appeared to be heading for qualification when they took a 3–0 lead, but they conceded three late goals to draw 3–3 and exited at the group stage.[20]
Record
World Cup
Year | Final Tournament | Qualification | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Round | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Round | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | |
1991 | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
1995 | Did not qualify | Group – 4th[21] | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 22 | ||||||
1999 | Unable to qualify[22] | |||||||||||||
2003 | ||||||||||||||
2007 | Did not qualify | Group – 3rd | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 20 | ||||||
2011 | Group – 2nd | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 5 | |||||||
2015 | Play-offs | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 38 | 12 | |||||||
2019 | Group – 4th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | Group – 1st | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 7 |
Total | 1/8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 42 | 23 | 3 | 16 | 88 | 66 |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
FIFA Women's World Cup history | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Stadium |
Group stage | 9 June | L 1–2 | Allianz Riviera, Nice | ||
14 June | L 1–2 | Roazhon Park, Rennes | |||
19 June | D 3–3 | Parc des Princes, Paris |
Olympics
At the Olympic Games the International Olympic Committee charter only permit a Great Britain team, representing the whole of the United Kingdom, to compete.[23] As London hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics, a Great Britain team was entered and two Scotland players (Kim Little and Ifeoma Dieke) were selected for the squad.[24][25]
The (English) FA indicated in June 2013 that they would be prepared to run women's teams at future Olympic tournaments, subject to one of the home nations meeting the qualification criteria (i.e. being one of the top three European nations at the Women's World Cup).[26] Following objections from the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish football associations, and a commitment from FIFA that they would not allow entry of a British team unless all four Home Nations agreed, the FA said they would not seek entry into the 2016 tournament.[27] An agreement was reached between the four associations ahead of the 2020 tournament, and qualification was secured by England reaching the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup.[28]
European Championship
Year | Final Tournament | Qualification | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Round | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Round | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | |
1984 | Did not qualify | Group – 2nd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | ||||||
1987 | Group – 2nd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 10 | |||||||
1989 | Group – Withdrew | |||||||||||||
1991 | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
1993 | Did not qualify | Group – 3rd | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | ||||||
1995 | Group – 4th | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 22 | |||||||
1997 | Unable to qualify[29] | |||||||||||||
2001 | ||||||||||||||
2005 | Did not qualify | Group – 3rd | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 16 | ||||||
2009 | Play-offs | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 11 | |||||||
2013 | Play-offs | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 16 | |||||||
2017 | Group – 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | Group – 2nd | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 7 |
2021 | Qualification in progress | Group E | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||||||
Totals | 1/12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 60 | 29 | 5 | 26 | 142 | 95 | |
UEFA Women's Championship history | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Stadium |
Group stage | 19 July | L 0–6 | Stadion Galgenwaard, Utrecht | ||
23 July | L 1–2 | Sparta Stadion, Rotterdam | |||
27 July | W 1–0 | De Adelaarshorst, Deventer |
Unofficial competition
Other tournaments
Year | Competition | Result | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Three Nations Championship | 2nd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | ||
European Competition | Group | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | [35] | |
Varna Tournament | 7th | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | [36] | |
Albena Cup | 2nd | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 7 | [37] | |
Albena Cup | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | [38] | |
Celt Cup | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 1 | [39] | |
Veenendal Tournament | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | [40] | |
Algarve Cup | 10th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | [41] | |
Torneo Regione Molise | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | [42] | |
Cyprus Cup | 6th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | [43] | |
Cyprus Cup | 7th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | ||
Cyprus Cup | 7th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | ||
Cyprus Cup | 4th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
Cyprus Cup | 9th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | ||
Cyprus Cup | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | ||
Brazilian Invitational | 4th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | [44] | |
Cyprus Cup | 4th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 7 | ||
Cyprus Cup | 7th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | ||
Cyprus Cup | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | ||
Algarve Cup | 5th | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | [45] | |
Pinatar Cup | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | [46] | |
Total | 72 | 28 | 11 | 33 | 124 | 117 |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
Media coverage
Scotland women's internationals have been televised by BBC Alba and broadcast by BBC Radio Scotland.[47] BBC Radio Scotland presenter Tam Cowan was temporarily taken off the air in 2013, after he criticised the use of Fir Park for women's internationals in his Daily Record column.[48] In a November 2013 interview with The Independent newspaper, Laura Montgomery of Glasgow City FC suggested that media coverage of women's football in Scotland often reflected sexist and misogynist attitudes. This is due to a preponderance of "stupid male journalists", according to Montgomery.[49]
Stadium
The first official match played by the Scotland women's team was hosted by the Ravenscraig Stadium, an athletics facility in Greenock.[5][6] The team now normally plays its home games at (men's) club stadiums. Venues used in recent years include Fir Park in Motherwell, Tynecastle Park and Easter Road in Edinburgh, and St Mirren Park in Paisley.[48][50]
Hampden Park in Glasgow is the traditional home of the men's national team and is described by the Scottish Football Association as the National Stadium.[51] A Scotland women's international was played at Hampden for the first time in October 2012, when it hosted the first leg of a European Championship qualifying playoff against Spain.[52] Earlier in 2012, Hampden had hosted matches in the Olympic women's football tournament. In May 2019 the team attracted a record attendance for a women's football match in Scotland, when 18,555 were present at Hampden for a World Cup warm-up friendly with Jamaica.[18]
Players
Current squad
The following 24 players were named in the squad for the 2020 Pinatar Cup.[53][54][55]
Caps and goals are current as of 10 March 2020 after the match against Northern Ireland.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Lee Alexander | 23 September 1991 | 23 | 0 | ||
GK | Jenna Fife | 1 December 1995 | 5 | 0 | ||
GK | Shannon Lynn | 22 October 1985 | 31 | 0 | ||
DF | Rachel Corsie (captain) | 17 August 1989 | 116 | 16 | ||
DF | Nicola Docherty | 23 August 1992 | 22 | 0 | ||
DF | Hannah Godfrey | 17 July 1997 | 3 | 1 | ||
DF | Sophie Howard | 17 September 1993 | 18 | 1 | ||
DF | Hayley Lauder | 4 June 1990 | 103 | 9 | ||
DF | Emma Mitchell | 19 September 1992 | 62 | 7 | ||
DF | Kirsty Smith | 6 January 1994 | 40 | 0 | ||
MF | Lizzie Arnot | 1 March 1996 | 32 | 2 | ||
MF | Rachael Boyle | 20 December 1991 | 34 | 0 | ||
MF | Leanne Crichton | 6 August 1987 | 68 | 3 | ||
MF | Lucy Graham | 10 October 1996 | 6 | 0 | ||
MF | Samantha Kerr | 17 April 1999 | 1 | 0 | ||
MF | Amy Muir | 7 March 2000 | 1 | 0 | ||
MF | Christie Murray | 3 May 1990 | 66 | 5 | ||
MF | Caroline Weir | 20 June 1995 | 71 | 9 | ||
FW | Erin Cuthbert | 19 July 1998 | 36 | 13 | ||
FW | Claire Emslie | 8 March 1994 | 28 | 7 | ||
FW | Lisa Evans | 21 May 1992 | 83 | 17 | ||
FW | Abbi Grant | 11 December 1995 | 7 | 2 | ||
FW | Jane Ross | 18 September 1989 | 132 | 60 | ||
FW | Martha Thomas | 31 May 1996 | 2 | 2 |
Recent players
The following players have been selected by Scotland within the past 12 months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DF | Chloe Arthur | 21 January 1995 | 21 | 0 | 2020 Pinatar Cup INJ | |
DF | Jennifer Beattie | 13 May 1991 | 128 | 23 | 2020 Pinatar Cup INJ | |
DF | Rachel McLauchlan | 7 July 1997 | 7 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Joelle Murray | 7 November 1986 | 48 | 1 | v. | |
MF | Kim Little (vice-captain) | 29 June 1990 | 137 | 59 | v. | |
MF | Joanne Love | 6 December 1985 | 191 | 13 | v. | |
FW | Kirsty Hanson | 17 April 1998 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
FW | Abi Harrison | 7 December 1997 | 3 | 0 | v. | |
FW | Jamie-Lee Napier | 6 April 2000 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
FW | Zoe Ness | 24 March 1996 | 9 | 1 | v. | |
FW | Fiona Brown | 31 March 1995 | 39 | 2 | v. |
Notes:
- INJ = Withdrew due to injury
Honoured players
The SFA operates a roll of honour for every female player who has made more than 100 appearances for Scotland.[56] The Scottish Football Museum operates a hall of fame, based at Hampden Park, which is open to players and managers involved in Scottish football.[57] Rose Reilly (2007) and Julie Fleeting (2018) are the only women to be inducted so far. Sportscotland operates the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, which has inducted some footballers, also including Reilly.
Coaching staff
- Head coach: Shelley Kerr
- Assistant coach: Andy Thomson
See also
- List of women's national football teams
- Women's association football around the world
- Scotland women's national under-17 football team
- Scottish Women's Premier League
References
- "Corsie to lead Scotland Women's National Team". Scottish Football Association. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- "Scotland captain Fay announces international retirement". Scottish Football Association. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- "Scotland". FIFA. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- "Rose Reilly says Scotland caps 'better late than never' after 1972 match against England". BBC Sport. BBC. 27 May 2019.
- "How Scotland's first women's football team made history to battle the Auld Enemy". Daily Record. 16 December 2018.
- "The history of women's football". The Football Association.
- Travers, Raymond (1 June 1998). "Heaven 17 for flower of Scotland". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
- England 8–0 Scotland, England Lionesses
- "The Honeyballers: Women who fought to play football". BBC News. BBC. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
- Gregory, Patricia (3 June 2005). "How women's football battled for survival". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
- MacBeth, Jessica (Spring 2008). "Attitudes towards women's football in Scottish society" (PDF) (63). Scottish Affairs. Retrieved 5 December 2013. Cite journal requires
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(help) - "FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- "USA close on records, Sweden outjump France". FIFA. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- Wilson, Richard (10 January 2017). "Scotland: Anna Signeul urges players to fight for Euro 2017 places". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- MacBeath, Amy (4 September 2018). "Albania Women 1–2 Scotland Women". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- "Scotland Women: All players to be full-time up to World Cup with Government funding". BBC Sport. BBC. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- Lindsay, Clive (28 May 2019). "Scotland Women 3–2 Jamaica Women". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- Dean, Tom (10 June 2019). "Scoring Scotland's first World Cup goal a dream for Claire Emslie". The Scotsman. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- English, Tom (20 June 2019). "Women's World Cup: 'Scotland must face capitulation truth'". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- The European Championship acted as a qualification tournament for the World Cup.
- Scotland were in "Class B" of European qualification and were therefore unable to earn qualification for the World Cup finals.
- Bell, Dan (21 May 2007). "Salmond aims for Scottish Olympic gold". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
- "SQUAD OF 18 WOMEN'S FOOTBALLERS SELECTED FOR TEAM GB". Team GB. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- Silverman, Rosa (27 July 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: Team GB athletes in National Anthem singing row". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- "GB women's football team could compete at Rio Olympics". BBC Sport. BBC. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- "Rio 2016: FA scraps plans for Great Britain football teams". BBC Sport. BBC. 30 March 2015.
- "Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Home nations agree to GB women's football team". BBC Sport. BBC. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- Scotland were in "Class B" of European qualification and were therefore unable to earn qualification for the European Championship finals.
- Coppa del Mondo (Women) 1970 rsssf.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- Mundial (Women) 1971 rsssf.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- Women's World Invitation Tournament – Overview (1978–1987) rsssf.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- Coppa Europa per Nazioni (Women) 1969 rsssf.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- Inofficial European Women Championship 1979 rsssf.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- Unofficial European Championship 1979 rsssf.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013
- Varna Tournament 1992 rsssf.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Albena Cup 1999 rsssf.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Albena Cup 2000 rsssf.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Celt Cup 2000 rsssf.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Veenendaal Tournament 2000 rsssf.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Algarve Cup 2002 rsssf.com. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
- Torneo Regione Molise 2006 rsssf.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Cyprus Cup 2008 rsssf.com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- 2013 Brazil Invitational Tournament scottishfa.co.uk. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- Lamont, Alasdair (6 March 2019). "Scotland 1–0 Denmark: Jane Ross goal secures win in final Algarve Cup match". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- McPheat, Nick (10 March 2020). "Northern Ireland 1–2 Scotland". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
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- McLaughlin, Martyn (29 September 2013). "Tam Cowan off air over women's football comments". The Scotsman. Johnston Publishing. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
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- "Scotland's women smash eight past Israel". BBC Sport. BBC. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
- "Hampden Park". Scottish Tourist Board. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
- Mann, Charlie (20 October 2012). "Scotland Women 1–1 Spain Women". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
- @ScotlandNT (18 February 2020). "Shelley Kerr has named her Scotland squad for next month's Pinatar Cup. Read more: scotfa.co/pinatarcupsq #SWNT" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 February 2020 – via Twitter.
- Dewar, Heather (18 February 2020). "Pinatar Cup: Scotland coach Kerr names two uncapped players in squad". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- @ScotlandNT (29 February 2020). "Scotland squad update: OUT: @chloearthurx & @jbeattie91. IN: @NicDoc11 & @Amy_muirr. #NothingMattersMore" (Tweet). Retrieved 29 February 2020 – via Twitter.
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External links
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