Women’s performance football programme

St Andrews offers students a world-leading academic education alongside a professionally run performance football programme that fosters a healthy relationship between athlete and student.

Led by full time Director of Football Stuart Milne, our vision is to offer one of the best performance football programmes in the UK, to enable our top players and staff to develop and progress to the best of their abilities and to compete at the highest level possible year in, year out.

We aim to provide the very best support and a comprehensive programme of training, allowing our students to harness their full potential and gain the very best football experience whilst at St Andrews.

Scholarships are aimed at players who are already competing at a high level and who believe they have the necessary attributes to be part of a performance football programme whilst studying for their degree in St Andrews.

With world-class facilities, highly experienced coaches, and a comprehensive support programme, you’ll have access to a professional football environment that provides all you will need to take your game and your education to the highest level as part of the truly unique student experience.

Women’s Football Roster 2024

Find out more

• Football programme

  The University of St Andrews has developed one of the best supported Football programmes in the UK. Athletes on the performance Football squad get access to a full support package including:

  • Technical team training: performance squad receives three technical team training sessions a week, focusing on skill development and team preparation.
  • Football specific Strength & Conditioning programme: a dedicated team of full-time accredited S&C coaches, who have regular exposure to the professional game in Scotland, deliver a football specific programme twice a week
  • Individual player reviews: take place twice throughout the season with each technical coach, in order to aid personal development
  • Individual player coaching: is available to players throughout the season to enable them to continue their personal development
  • Video analysis: is carried out throughout the season for players in our performance programme using the latest analysis technology
  • Coaching team: the programme is extremely fortunate to be supported by specialist technical coaches, two Strength & Conditioning coaches, a video analyst and a team of physiotherapists

• Competition

  

  British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) championships

  

  All 9 teams compete in the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championship.

  British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the national governing body for higher education sport in the UK.

  Each squad competes on a weekly basis throughout term time in the tiered BUCS league structure and BUCS knockout competitions, contributing to the University’s overall standing in the BUCS points table.

  The Women’s Performance Squad currently competes in BUCS Premier North/South, where they won the league in their initial year 2023-24 and went onto to win the Scottish Student Sport #She Can She Will Cup in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.

  2024-25 Fixtures and Results: BUCS Premier North

• Facilities

  Performance Centre

  Players within the football programme have access to world-class facilities at St Andrews which enhances our ability to offer a professional environment allowing players to maximise their potential.

  Saints Sport offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports facilities, which are available all year round.

  Indoor facilities

  • dedicated performance suite
  • modern, spacious gym
  • exercise studio
  • four-court sports hall
  • new technical climbing wall
  • eight-court arena
  • four-court indoor tennis centre

  Outdoor facilities

  • 13 grass pitches
  • full-size floodlit 3G synthetic pitch
  • sand-dressed synthetic pitch
  • four tennis courts
  • additional multi-sport grass pitches
  • multi-sport courts

  Pitches
  The grass pitches at University Park are renowned across the country as amongst the finest in Scotland. The three premium grass pitches that make up the Carnegie Fields are amongst the finest playing surfaces in the country. Each pitch benefits from a fully-automated, remote controlled Hunter irrigation system equipped with 24 individual sprinklers per pitch for maximum water.

  Our full size FIFA standard floodlit 3G synthetic pitch provides an additional all-weather training space and a venue for a series of regular evening matches.

  Performance Suite
  Players also make use of the top class Performance Suite – a dedicated Strength and Conditioning gym that provides a private space for the performance squad to train undisturbed. Sessions are run by expert Strength and Conditioning accredited coaches who develop football specific programmes for our athletes.

  ProSport – professional training camps
  The high standard of our facilities has been praised by many professionals who have visited St Andrews, including Manchester United FC, West Ham United FC, Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Manchester City FC, FC Barcelona and Everton FC.

  Dundee United FC have based their training ground at the High Performance Centre at University Park since 2009 and continue to receive support from our Strength and Conditioning team.

  The peaceful and private setting of University Park continues to attract many professional teams to St Andrews each year for pre-season or mid-season training camps. To find out more about the training facilities available to external teams and professional athletes, visit the ProSport St Andrews website.