Falkirk FC Women: Foundation's successful first team formally join Falkirk Football Club family
Falkirk Foundation’s successful women’s first team to join Falkirk FC family from next season.
The Falkirk Foundation’s successful women’s senior side will formally join the Falkirk Football Club family at the end of the current campaign, it has been revealed.
Craig Tully’s team, who are pushing for promotion to SWPL2, have enjoyed a strong Barclays Scottish Women’s Championship season and currently sit second in the table with four games remaining. A formal partnership between the foundation and the football club has been agreed to ensure that a girls and women’s pathway continues to underpin the first team. From the beginning of next season, the team will be known as Falkirk FC Women.
Jamie Swinney, chief executive officer of Falkirk FC, said that the announcement was another “key milestone” on the club’s journey over the past few years. The Bairns’ academy was restarted last year, with the men’s first team also excelling on the pitch - having recently secured a top-six berth in the Scottish Premiership.
Falkirk FC Women ‘key milestone’ for club
He said: “Bringing the women’s team into the club represents another key milestone for the football club and one that demonstrates our desire to not only continue to grow the club but to contribute to the growth of girls and women’s football in our town and community. Our vision is for Falkirk FC to be a welcoming, inclusive club and we hope to inspire more girls and women to play the sport and to support the club.
“Alongside reaching the Premiership and re-starting our academy, bringing the women’s team into the club was a key part of our strategy from season 2022-23 onwards and this was discussed with the foundation two and a half years ago, so it’s another objective that we have been intent on accomplishing. The Foundation has created an excellent pathway for girls and women, and the management team and players deserve enormous credit for the progress and success they have achieved in recent seasons. We wish to thank the Foundation board and Derek Allison for their cooperation and collaboration with the transition”.
Over recent years, the Foundation has developed one of the largest and most progressive female pathways in Scotland, creating opportunities for girls and women to play, develop and progress into the senior game. And Foundation chief executive officer Derek Allison says that the women’s first team has been a key part of that journey, and this move reflects the next stage in its development.
“This is a really positive step and one that reflects the work that has gone into building the women’s game locally over a number of years,” he said. “Our focus has always been on creating opportunities and building a pathway that gives girls and young women a clear route into the senior game. We are now seeing the strength of that pathway and what it can produce. Credit should also go to the Club Board and CEO, Jamie Swinney for being willing to take this next step with the women’s senior team. It is a real commitment and an important one for the future of the women’s game at Falkirk.
“We are proud to have helped create that platform and pleased that the pathway will continue to sit behind the senior team through a formal partnership with the Club. That is important for the players coming through and for the future of the women’s game in Falkirk.”
Falkirk FC Women head coach Craig Tully, who took charge of the team back July 2022, led the club to promotion from League One back in 2024.
He added: “This is an incredibly exciting moment for everyone involved with the team. The progress that has been made over recent years has been built on hard work, commitment and a real belief in what we are trying to achieve together. Becoming Falkirk FC Women is a significant step forward and a reflection of how far the women’s game has come within the club. It gives us a stronger platform to continue developing players, raising standards and competing at a higher level. We would like to place on record our gratitude and thanks for the support from Falkirk Foundation throughout our time with them. As a group, we are focused on continuing that upward trajectory, pushing for success on the pitch while representing the Club and our community with pride. The support from Falkirk FC and the Foundation will be vital, and we’re all looking forward to what the future holds.”