Scottish Amateur Football League
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Amateur Football League is a football
league competition for amateur teams in Scotland
. It was formally founded in 1909 when Scottish Football League
club Queen's Park
decided that their fourth team needed regular competition. Queen's Park were successful in winning the first league title, but Edinburgh Civil Service won the league the following year, so Queen's Park decided to enter their third team for the third season of the competition, indicating a high standard of football was played at this level from an early stage.
Despite being called the Scottish Amateur Football League (SAFL) the league has never included clubs from across the country, although prior to the official formation of the league, it was known that a Scottish Amateur Football League side made at least one foray into Fife for a match. Prior to the Second World War membership stretched across the Scottish Central Belt
, with a number of clubs from the East of the country participating. However, following the end of the war membership became concentrated in the West of the country. The SAFL has been successful in embracing a number of clubs from the Argyll
area which otherwise might not have regular competition.
At its peak in the early 1980s the SAFL contained 12 divisions, but this number has been halved to six. The League is split into a Premier section of three divisions, with three further divisions comprising Section One, so named as it preserves the divisions of the original league.
James Soutar(President), Frank McCann(Vice President and Match Secretary),Mike McLean (Secretary), Brian Pettigrew (Assistant Secretary), Jack Keating (Treasurer), Mike McLean (Minute Secretary), Jack McConnell (Discipline Secretary), Ronnie MacKay(Immediate Past President), Linda Keating ( Registration Secretary)
Executive Members Only
Colin McDonald (Kings Park Rangers and a Past President), Colin Thompson (Rolls Royce EK AFC), Jim McCarthy (Postal Utd), Bert Smith (East Kilbride YMCA), Michael McIlmun (Haldane Utd)
Aikenhead Thistle
Arkleston
Cambria
Castlemilk
Greenock HSFP
Inverclyde
Kilpatrick
Oban Saints
St. Joseph's
Thorn Athletic
Premier 1
Busby
Campbeltown Pupils
Carlton YMCA
Centre
Duncanrig FP
Glencastle Sparta
Kilbowie Union
Kings Park Rangers
Rolls Royce EK
Postal United
Premier 2
Celtic Community Academy
Clydebank College
Dunoon
Eaglesham
Finnart AFC
Haldane United
Port Glasgow OBU
Rutherglen
Shawlands FP
Tarbert
Division 1
Aikenhead Thistle (B)
Auldhouse AFC
Carlton YMCA (B)
Duncanrig FP (B)
Gourock Thistle
Kings Park Rangers (B)
Inverkip Thistle
Lochgilphead Red Star
Lomond Rock
Sporto
Whitehill FP
Division 2
Cambria (B)
Centre (B)
East Kilbride YMCA
Kings Park Rangers B
Millbeg AFC
Paisley Reid Kerr
Port Glasgow Hibs
Rosehill Star
Shawlands FP (B)
Division 3
Alba Thistle
Bothwell and Uddingston Albion
Campbeltown Pupils B
Hamilton FP
Jamestown
Millerston Thistle
Strathaven Dynamo
West Coast Thistle
2009
Cup Winners: Pollok AFC
Runners Up: Rolls Royce EK
2008
Cup Winners: Duncanrig FP
Runners Up: Inverclyde AFC
2007
Cup Winners: Sandiefield Star
Runners Up: Eaglesham
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
league competition for amateur teams in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It was formally founded in 1909 when Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
club Queen's Park
Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
decided that their fourth team needed regular competition. Queen's Park were successful in winning the first league title, but Edinburgh Civil Service won the league the following year, so Queen's Park decided to enter their third team for the third season of the competition, indicating a high standard of football was played at this level from an early stage.
Despite being called the Scottish Amateur Football League (SAFL) the league has never included clubs from across the country, although prior to the official formation of the league, it was known that a Scottish Amateur Football League side made at least one foray into Fife for a match. Prior to the Second World War membership stretched across the Scottish Central Belt
Central Belt
The Central Belt of Scotland is a common term used to describe the area of highest population density within Scotland. Despite the name, it is not geographically central but is nevertheless situated at the 'waist' of Scotland on a conventional map and the term 'central' is used in many local...
, with a number of clubs from the East of the country participating. However, following the end of the war membership became concentrated in the West of the country. The SAFL has been successful in embracing a number of clubs from the Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
area which otherwise might not have regular competition.
At its peak in the early 1980s the SAFL contained 12 divisions, but this number has been halved to six. The League is split into a Premier section of three divisions, with three further divisions comprising Section One, so named as it preserves the divisions of the original league.
Executive Members 2010/11
Office BearersJames Soutar(President), Frank McCann(Vice President and Match Secretary),Mike McLean (Secretary), Brian Pettigrew (Assistant Secretary), Jack Keating (Treasurer), Mike McLean (Minute Secretary), Jack McConnell (Discipline Secretary), Ronnie MacKay(Immediate Past President), Linda Keating ( Registration Secretary)
Executive Members Only
Colin McDonald (Kings Park Rangers and a Past President), Colin Thompson (Rolls Royce EK AFC), Jim McCarthy (Postal Utd), Bert Smith (East Kilbride YMCA), Michael McIlmun (Haldane Utd)
League Membership 2010/11
PremierAikenhead Thistle
Arkleston
Cambria
Castlemilk
Greenock HSFP
Inverclyde
Kilpatrick
Oban Saints
Oban Saints F.C.
Oban Saints Amateur Football Club are a football club from the town of Oban, in the Lorne district of Argyll in Scotland. Formed in 1960 they currently play in the Scottish Amateur Football League...
St. Joseph's
Thorn Athletic
Premier 1
Busby
Campbeltown Pupils
Carlton YMCA
Centre
Duncanrig FP
Glencastle Sparta
Kilbowie Union
Kings Park Rangers
Rolls Royce EK
Postal United
Premier 2
Celtic Community Academy
Clydebank College
Dunoon
Eaglesham
Finnart AFC
Haldane United
Port Glasgow OBU
Rutherglen
Shawlands FP
Tarbert
Division 1
Aikenhead Thistle (B)
Auldhouse AFC
Carlton YMCA (B)
Duncanrig FP (B)
Gourock Thistle
Kings Park Rangers (B)
Inverkip Thistle
Lochgilphead Red Star
Lomond Rock
Sporto
Whitehill FP
Division 2
Cambria (B)
Centre (B)
East Kilbride YMCA
Kings Park Rangers B
Millbeg AFC
Paisley Reid Kerr
Port Glasgow Hibs
Rosehill Star
Shawlands FP (B)
Division 3
Alba Thistle
Bothwell and Uddingston Albion
Campbeltown Pupils B
Hamilton FP
Jamestown
Millerston Thistle
Strathaven Dynamo
West Coast Thistle
Past League Winners (Recent)
Year | Premier | Premier 1 | Premier 2 | Division 1 | Division 2 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | St Patrick's | Fernhill Villa | Oban Saints | Campbeltown Boys | Blairbeth |
1995 | St Patrick's | Greenock HSFP | Port Glasgow Hibs | Strathclyde Police | Dunoon Ams |
1996 | Fernhill Villa | Torrance United | Campbeltown Boys | Busby | Glasgow Harp |
1997 | St Patrick's | Hamilton FP | Port Glasgow OBU | Pollok | Westhill Amateurs |
1998 | Hamilton FP | Oban Saints | Pollok | Strathclyde Police | Millerston Thistle |
1999 | Gourock Athletic | Campbeltown Pupils | Gartcosh United | Westhill | Shamrock BC |
2000 | Campbeltown Pupils | Camphill | Kilbowie Union | Shamrock Boys Club | Leven Valley |
2001 | Gartcosh United | Kilbowie Union | Shamrock Boys Club | Rothesay Brandane | Glencastle Sparta |
2002 | St Patrick's | Oban Saints | Busby | Glencastle Sparta | Glasgow Harp (B) |
2003 | Glasgow Harp | Busby | Cumbernauld Ams | Inverclyde | East Kilbride YMCA |
2004 | St Patrick's | Kings Park Rangers | Inverclyde | Dunoon | Sandiefield Star |
2005 | St Patrick's | Kilpatrick | Eaglesham | Sandiefield Star | Leven Valley |
2006 | St Patrick's | Cambria | Inverclyde | St Patricks FP (B) | Rosehill Star |
2007 | Greenock HSFP | Busby | Shawlands FP | Castlemilk Ams | Carlton YMCA (B) |
2008 | St Patrick's | Kilpatrick | Aikenhead Thistle | St Patricks FP (B) | Duncanrig FP (B) |
2009 | St. Josephs | Castlemilk AFC | Thorn Athletic | Tarbert | Haldane Utd |
2010 | Oban Saints | Thorn Athletic | Rolls Royce EK | Haldane United | Aikenhead Thistle B |
SAFL Cup Competitions(Recent)
Centenary Cup2009
Cup Winners: Pollok AFC
Runners Up: Rolls Royce EK
2008
Cup Winners: Duncanrig FP
Runners Up: Inverclyde AFC
2007
Cup Winners: Sandiefield Star
Runners Up: Eaglesham