Scottish FA and Scotland Women's national team resolve dispute

Scotland Women are in their first ever major finals - Euro 2017 in the Netherlands

The Scottish Football Association and the Scotland Women's national team have resolved their dispute over financial, commercial and equality matters.

Scotland Women are preparing to play in the Euro 2017 finals in the Netherlands but the players had refused to take part in media or promotional work.

A players' statement issued via PFA Scotland called it a "historic moment" on the way to "achieving equality".

The SFA said the agreement "contains commercial and operational elements".

The players' union statement said it was the first collective agreement between the women's national team and the SFA and was a "major step" towards parity with the men's game.

"As a team, and individuals, we are looking forward to working closely with the SFA to promote and develop women's football in Scotland and ensure we are all moving in the same direction," it said.

"The players fully accept we have a responsibility to perform to our best for our country on the pitch, but also to be the best role models we can off it.

"For many years we have worked hard to do so, especially at grassroots level where we are honoured to be asked to engage with young female players at every age and stage of the footballing pathway.

"We want to create a legacy to hand on to the next generation of female players and ensure there is a full and proper commitment by the governing body to promoting the women's game at grassroots and national level."

Scotland's female players, just like their male counterparts, do not receive a match fee. However, the home-based players receive a bursary to cover loss of earnings when they are preparing for the Euro finals. The players also receive daily allowances while they are with the national team.

The SFA indicated that the "international player agreement" affected the forthcoming Euro 2017 finals and the 2019 World Cup qualifiers.

The SFA statement said: "We are delighted that under head coach Anna Signeul the Scotland Women's National Team (SWNT) have qualified for their first ever major tournament finals.

"Since qualification was achieved, our priority has always been to ensure that the SWNT are fully prepared for next month's Uefa Women's Euro 2017 in the Netherlands. To this end, we have invested significantly into tournament preparation, including overseas trips and training camps.

"We look forward to supporting the SWNT in the Netherlands this summer and to using the team's participation in the Uefa Women's Championships 2017 as a springboard to generating increased interest in girls' and women's football in Scotland from players, coaches, sponsors and, of course, fans."