# 2012 Scottish Women's Premier League

The 2012 Women's Premier League was the eleventh season of the Scottish Women's Premier League, the highest division of women's football in Scotland since the SWPL's inception in 2002.
A total of twelve teams contested the league. Aberdeen won the 2011 Scottish Women's First Division and returned to the Premier League after one season away. First Division runners-up Hibernian 2000 were unable to be promoted, as league rules stipulated each club could field only one team in the Premier League. Because the third-placed side in the First Division, Toryglen, folded over the close season, FC Kilmarnock were spared relegation and competed in 2012.
Glasgow City won the championship by a 16-point margin and qualified for the 2013–14 Champions League. This was Glasgow City's sixth title in a row, and their seventh overall. They also won the 2012 Scottish Women's Premier League Cup and the 2012 Scottish Women's Cup to complete the 'treble' (the second in their history after 2008–09), and would have completed a second consecutive perfect season in the SWPL but for having fielded an ineligible player in a match against Forfar, with the result amended from a 5–0 victory to a 3–0 defeat. Forfar Farmington were runners-up, finishing one point in front of both Celtic and Hibernian. Inverness City and FC Kilmarnock were relegated.

## New format

The SWPL ran in a new format from this season, with a split division. The 12 clubs faced each other once (11 games per club), after which the league split into top-six and bottom-six sections, based on league position. Each club then played home and away against clubs in their respective sections to give a total of 21 games.

## Teams
### Stadia and locations

The most regular home ground is shown though some clubs play matches at other venues throughout the season.
| Team | Location | Home ground | Head coach | Finishing position 2011 |
| Aberdeen | Aberdeen | Aberdeen Sports Village | Jockie Lawrence | SWFL First Division, 1st |
| Celtic | Glasgow | Celtic Training Centre, Lennoxtown | Robert Docherty | 4th |
| Falkirk | Falkirk | Westfield Park, Denny | Alan Palmer | 10th |
| Forfar Farmington | Forfar | Station Park | Mark Nisbet | 5th |
| Glasgow City | Glasgow | Petershill Park | Eddie Wolecki-Black | 1st |
| Hamilton Academical | Hamilton | John Cumming Stadium, Carluke | Kevin Murphy | 6th |
| Hibernian | Edinburgh | Albyn Park, Broxburn | Willie Kirk | 3rd |
| Hutchison Vale | Edinburgh | Saughton Enclosure | Ian Macdonald | 9th |
| Inverness City | Inverness | Bught Park | Sandy Corcoran | 8th |
| FC Kilmarnock Ladies | Kilmarnock | Blair Park, Hurlford | Martin Kirkland | 11th |
| Rangers | Glasgow | Petershill Park | John Joyce | 7th |
| Spartans | Edinburgh | Spartans Academy | Debbi McCulloch | 2nd |

## League standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Glasgow City (C, Q) | 21 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 143 | 10 | +133 | 60 | 2013–14 Champions League |
| 2 | Forfar Farmington | 21 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 50 | 23 | +27 | 44 | |
| 3 | Celtic | 21 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 72 | 19 | +53 | 43 | |
| 4 | Hibernian | 21 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 80 | 31 | +49 | 43 | |
| 5 | Spartans | 21 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 42 | 49 | −7 | 26 | |
| 6 | Aberdeen | 21 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 18 | 94 | −76 | 16 | |
| 7 | Hamilton Academical | 21 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 74 | 42 | +32 | 36 | |
| 8 | Hutchison Vale | 21 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 61 | 65 | −4 | 30 | |
| 9 | Rangers | 21 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 37 | 41 | −4 | 24 | |
| 10 | Falkirk | 21 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 36 | 71 | −35 | 23 | |
| 11 | Inverness City (R) | 21 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 38 | 87 | −49 | 15 | Relegation to SWFL First Division |
| 12 | FC Kilmarnock Ladies (R) | 21 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 23 | 142 | −119 | 5 | Relegation to SWFL First Division |

## Results
### Matches 1–11

Clubs play each other once.
| Home \ Away | ABD | CEL | FAL | KLM | FFM | GLC | HAM | HIB | HUT | INV | RAN | SPA |
| Aberdeen | | | | | 1–1 | | 1–0 | 1–2 | | 3–2 | | 1–2 |
| Celtic | 6–1 | | 9–0 | | | 1–3 | | 5–2 | 6–2 | | | 3–0 |
| Falkirk | 2–1 | | | | 1–3 | 0–8 | | 0–5 | 1–1 | | 4–3 | |
| FC Kilmarnock Ladies | 0–2 | 0–8 | 2–5 | | | 1–15 | | | 2–5 | | 1–1 | |
| Forfar Farmington | | 1–0 | | 10–0 | | 0–6 | | | 2–1 | 8–0 | 0–0 | |
| Glasgow City | 9–0 | | | | | | 7–0 | 5–1 | | 11–0 | | 9–0 |
| Hamilton Academical | | 0–4 | 3–3 | 3–0 | 1–2 | | | | 2–2 | | 2–2 | |
| Hibernian | | | | 19–1 | 1–0 | | 6–1 | | | 2–0 | | 2–0 |
| Hutchison Vale | 2–3 | | | | | 0–15 | | 0–8 | | 3–2 | | 1–3 |
| Inverness City | | 0–6 | 2–1 | 3–3 | | | 1–1 | | | | 1–6 | |
| Rangers | 1–2 | 0–3 | | | | 1–3 | | 1–4 | 4–3 | | | |
| Spartans | | | 11–1 | 5–0 | 0–2 | | 4–4 | | | 2–2 | 3–0 | |
* ↑ Match awarded to Hamilton by 3–0 score as Kilmarnock could not fulfil fixture.
* ↑ 3–0 victory awarded to Spartans by SFA decision. Match finished 2–2.

### Matches 12–21

After 11 matches, the league splits into top six and bottom six sections. Clubs will play every other club in their section twice (home and away).
Forfar Farmington's awarded 3–0 win over Glasgow City was the champion club's first League defeat since 2008–09.

### Top scorers

    As of 22:00, 7 October 2012 (GMT)
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Jane Ross | Glasgow City | 20 |
| 2 | Suzanne Grant | Celtic | 18 |
| 2 | Emma Mitchell | Glasgow City | 18 |
| 2 | Leanne Ross | Glasgow City | 18 |
| 5 | Lisa Evans | Glasgow City | 16 |
| 6 | Natalie Bodiam | Inverness City | 13 |
| 7 | Hayley Cunningham | Celtic | 12 |
| 8 | Jennifer Callaghan$^1$ | Rangers / Glasgow City | 11 |
| 9 | Sarah Ewens | Spartans | 10 |
| 9 | Laura Gavin | Hutchison Vale | 10 |
| 9 | Joanne Love | Glasgow City | 10 |
| 9 | Katherine Smart | Hutchison Vale | 10 |
$^1$ 9 goals for Rangers, 2 goals for Glasgow City.