Gibraltar Women's Football League

The Gibraltar Women's Football League is the top level amateur women's football championship of Gibraltar. Due to the lack of resources available for women's football, the league has been contested by five teams since 2021, and the league is treated as a development competition. This status means that, as of the 2021 season, clubs are ineligible to enter the UEFA Women's Champions League.

Gibraltar Women's Football League
CountryGibraltar
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams6
Domestic cup(s)Women's Rock Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League (proposed)
Current championsLions Gibraltar (5th title)
(2022–23)
Most championshipsLions Gibraltar
(5 titles)
WebsiteOfficial website
Current: 2023–24 Gibraltar Women's Football League

History

The earliest known record of the competition dates back to 1999, when three teams (Manchester United, Lions and Victoria United) took part. However, the league was seemingly abandoned mid-season with Manchester United top of the table. After that, the league was not held for several years, aside from an edition held in 2003 between five middle schools. The league was revived fully in 2005, with Manchester United winning the title. Aside from 2008 to 2010, and the 2011–12 season, the league has been held every year since with a fluctuating number of teams - generally between 3 and 5, with a high of 8 teams participating in 2007. The Women's Rock Cup was introduced in 2013, generally played in the post-season.

Format

As of the 2021–22 season, teams play each other 3 times. With the league only having development status, players as young as 12 are permitted to play and the league has been known to permit roll-on substitutes. As a result, teams are ineligible to qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League. Each club is permitted to sign up to 3 overseas players without home-grown player status.

2023–2024 Teams

The 2023–2024 season is set to be played by the following five teams. All matches are played at Victoria Stadium. In 2020 it was announced that Europa Point intended to enter the league for the 2020–2021 season, subject to ratification by the GFA.[1] However, a number of factors including the COVID-19 pandemic meant that they postponed (and eventually abandoned) their plans, while Lincoln Red Imps withdrew their side. Lynx announced their women's team in December 2020. It was announced in March 2021 that a new independent team, Gibraltar Wave, would join the league, initially entering the 2021 futsal league.[2] Manchester 62 subsequently returned to the league in September 2021. In August 2023, it was announced that Hercules FC, who had previously entered the Women's Futsal League, entered the league in affiliation with College 1975.[3]

List of champions

Senior champions of the last year. The years before only school championships or five-a-side tournaments were held.[4]

List of Gibraltar Women's Football League champions
SeasonChampionRunner upNotes
1999Abandoned
2003Bishop Fitzgerald Middle SchoolSt Anne's Middle SchoolPlayed by school teams
2004Not held
2005Manchester UnitedSt Joseph's
2006Manchester UnitedWolves
2007St. Joseph'sManchester United
2007–08Manchester UnitedSt Joseph's[5]
2008–09Not held
2009–10Abandoned
2010–11Gibraltar UnitedManchester United[6]
2011–12Not held
2012–13College CosmosManchester United[7]
2013–14Lions GibraltarManchester 629-a-side
2014–15Lions GibraltarManchester 629-a-side[8]
2015–16Manchester 62Lincoln Red Imps9-a-side[9]
2016–17Lincoln Red ImpsLions Gibraltar[10]
2017–18Lincoln Red ImpsLions Gibraltar
2018–19Lincoln Red ImpsLions Gibraltar
2019–20Lincoln Red ImpsLions Gibraltar
2020–21Lions GibraltarEuropa
2021–22Lions GibraltarEuropa
2022–23Lions GibraltarEuropa

Note: 2013–14 season was played as a nine-a-side league to encourage more clubs to register a team.[11] 2014–15 and 2015–16 were nine-a-side as well.

Performance by club

Bold indicates club still playing in top division.

RankTeamTitlesLast title
1Lions Gibraltar52022–23
2Lincoln Red Imps42019–20
Manchester 622015–16
4College Cosmos12012–13
Gibraltar United2010–11
St Joseph's2007
Bishop Fitzgerald Middle School2003

References
  1. Europa Point make public intention to register women's team next season Gibraltar Chronicle. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  2. New Women's team hoping to start in futsal league Gibraltar Chronicle. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  3. Hercules join GWFL Football Gibraltar. 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  4. "Gibraltar - List of Women Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  5. "Ladies football in Gibraltar".
  6. "Gibraltar (Women) 2010/11".
  7. "Ladies Football: Season ends on high note". Gibraltar Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  8. "Women's Football League 2015 Results". GFA. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  9. @Man62FC (28 May 2016). "Congrats to Manchester 62 FC ladies..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. "CHAMPIONS". lincolnredimpsfc.com. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  11. "Football: Women welcomed back into the game". Gibraltar Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
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