Glenrothes Strollers Ladies' promotion bid via play-off after winning league title

Strollers, who only dropped six points in their 18 league fixtures to end the campaign on 48 points, now face a ‘winner takes all’ play-off against SWFL West champions Bishopton at Stenhousemuir’s Ochilview stadium on Sunday, June 1 in a noon kick-off. The victors will earn a place in Barclays Scottish Women’s League One for season 2025/26, bringing that league up to its original quota of 12 teams.

Strollers gaffer Harley said: “We will prepare the best we can for playing Bishopton and there’s no reason why we can’t beat them.

"I’ve watched a wee bit of them. They have had their league won for a while so they have not had a competitive game for a while and we have which could be important.

"Getting to League One would be an amazing achievement and it would be down to the girls’ hard work and what we do in the background.”

Trailing to an early Edinburgh South goal last weekend, Strollers - whose ladies team was only founded in December 2022 - equalised through Anne Money and it remained 1-1 at half-time.

The hosts then went 2-1 up on the hour through Kerry Forsyth scoring straight from a corner, before Edinburgh South levelled with five minutes remaining when a cross flew in at the back post.

"Our second goal wasn’t a fluke because Kerry’s corners are exceptional,” Harley said. “Their keeper and defenders had been struggling to deal with the crosses Kerry was putting in.

"We managed the game well after it went to 2-2 and I think it was our experienced players that got us home.

"Winning the league is a testament to all the hard work that the girls have put in.

"We’ve had a couple of changes of coaches and have brought two or three new players in during the last couple of months and they have made a big difference.

"It’s a long, hard season. We’ve only lost once in 90 minutes and that was against an SWPL1 team, Spartans, who beat us 3-0 in the Scottish Cup.

"We only lost on penalties to Cambusdean in the League Cup.”