WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IN SCOTLAND

Women’s football in Scotland is often considered to be a relatively modern phenomenon, one which developed in the late 20th century. However, the sport in Scotland has a long, if relatively little celebrated, history. The origins of Scottish women’s football can be traced back to the 17th century, with women recorded in local kirk records of 1628 playing an early form of football near Carstairs. Fragmentary records such as this offer us glimpses of women’s engagement with folk football, the precursor to the modern game.

This year marks a significant anniversary in the development of women’s football in the UK, as it is the 100th anniversary of the Football Association (FA) in England’s ban on the women’s game. This ban, which stopped women playing on any grounds affiliated to the FA and any male