The gorgeous trophy was awarded to the winners of the national cup competition for women before it was replaced by the SFA’s Women’s Scottish Cup in in 2022, the 2025 final of which will take place at Hampden on Sunday.
The trophy, made from sterling silver, gold plating and amethysts, was designed by 11-year-old Ella Sharp from Hillhead Primary School as part of a nationwide competition in 2018 with the then-sponsors SSE ahead of the final between eventual winners Hibernian and Motherwell. Glasgow City won it the following year. By 2022, the trophy was sponsored by Biffa and lifted by Celtic after an injury time winner over Glasgow City in front of a 4,345 crowd at Tynecastle in May. The cup was then replaced by the Scottish FA’s Women’s Scottish Cup.
Commenting on the donation, Scottish Women’s Football chair Vivienne MacLaren said: “This trophy is an incredible emblem of women’s football history in Scotland, because it was commissioned with the help of our first major sponsor and unveiled in the year we secured our first ever major TV broadcast deal. Hamilton & Inches silversmiths did an incredible job of bringing this bespoke trophy to life to Ella’s design, but after being won by Hibs then Glasgow City, it lay unclaimed for two seasons by the disruptions we faced during the pandemic. However, the fact that Celtic then won it in 2022 in front a record crowd for the competition at the time showed how resilient the growth in the women’s game had become under Scottish Women’s Football. With the increased visibility in the elite game and our grassroots game growing faster than ever, it seems like the perfect moment to put this iconic trophy on display at the Scottish Football Museum.”
Scottish Football Museum Curator Richard McBrearty said: “The Scottish Football Museum is grateful for the loan of this unique trophy ahead of the Women’s Scottish Cup final. It is a stunning piece with a unique story, representing a time when SWF attracted the first major sponsor in the women’s game which provided the investment and growth that ushered in a new era. Displaying this cup in the museum allows us to mark an important chapter in the growth of the women’s game, the pinnacle of the Scottish Women’s Cup before it was replaced by the Scottish FA’s Women’s Scottish Cup.”