Scottish Football League
Encyclopedia
| Founded | 1890 |
| President Jim Ballantyne Jim Ballantyne Jim Ballantyne is currently chairman of Scottish association football team Airdrie United., president of The Scottish Football League, and serves on the board of The Scottish Football Association.... |
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The Scottish Football League is a league of football
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...
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...
, comprising the
Scottish First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
, Scottish Second Division
Scottish Football League Second Division
The Scottish Football League Second Division is the second highest division of the Scottish Football League and the third highest overall in the Scottish football league system....
and Scottish Third Division
Scottish Football League Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division is the lowest division of the Scottish Football League and the fourth overall in the Scottish football league system....
. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League represented the top level of football in Scotland
Football in Scotland
Association football is the national sport in Scotland and highly popular throughout the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scottish Borders, although many of these include carrying the ball and passing by hand, and despite...
. The Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football, is now the top tier of the Scottish Football League.
Since July 2007, the league is officially known as the Irn-Bru
Irn-Bru
Irn-Bru is a carbonated soft drink produced in Westfield, Cumbernauld, Scotland. It is made by A.G. Barr of Glasgow since moving out of their original Parkhead factory in the mid-1990s and at a second manufacturing site in Mansfield, England...
Scottish Football League, due to a sponsorship deal with A.G. Barr
A.G. Barr
A.G. Barr plc or commonly known as Barr's is a British soft drinks manufacturer, based in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is particularly notable for the manufacture of the popular Scottish drink, Irn-Bru. A.G. Barr is the largest manufacturer of soft drinks in the United Kingdom...
.
The Scottish Football League does not use squad numbers.
History
The league was formed in the 1890s to provide the growing number of football clubs in the country with a more consistent fixture list.The Scottish League's first season of competition was in 1890–91. The original clubs in membership were:
- AbercornAbercorn F.C.Abercorn Football Club was a football club based in Paisley, Scotland, which played in the Scottish Football League from 1890 until 1915. The team's strip colours were blue and white stripes. Abercorn were founder members of the Scottish Football League, but eventually could not compete with...
- CambuslangCambuslang F.C.Cambuslang Football Club was a Scottish football club, based in the Cambuslang area of Glasgow. Cambuslang was one of the founding members of the Scottish Football League, but left the league after just two seasons....
- CelticCeltic F.C.Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
- CowlairsCowlairs F.C.Cowlairs Football Club was a 19th century football club from Glasgow, Scotland. One of the founder members of the Scottish Football League in 1890, the club was based in Cowlairs, in the Springburn area of the city.-History:...
- DumbartonDumbarton F.C.Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
- Heart of MidlothianHeart of Midlothian F.C.Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
- RangersRangers F.C.Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
- RentonRenton F.C.Renton Football Club was a prominent team in the early history of Scottish football. The club was based in the village of Renton, West Dunbartonshire...
- St. MirrenSt. Mirren F.C.St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
- Third LanarkThird Lanark A.C.Third Lanark Athletic Club was a football club that originally existed between 1872 and 1967, 95 years in existence, based in Glasgow, Scotland. Third Lanark were known as Thirds, the Warriors, the Redcoats and the Hi Hi's...
- Vale of LevenVale of Leven F.C.Vale of Leven Football Club are an association club based in the town of Alexandria, Scotland, in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed the Vale and formed in 1939, they play at Millburn Park...
Renton were expelled after five games for playing against a professional club, but returned for the following season.
Celtic and Rangers (along with Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
who joined later) have never been relegated, although Aberdeen have finished bottom of the table. Heart of Midlothian and St. Mirren are still in the upper reaches of the Scottish league system
Scottish football league system
The Scottish football league system is a series of generally unconnected leagues for Scottish football clubs. The Scottish system is more complicated than many other national league systems, consisting of two completely separate systems of leagues and clubs, senior football and junior football...
although the four do not play in this league, plying their trade in the Scottish Premier League instead. Dumbarton play in the Third Division (the fourth flight) of the league. Every other club is either defunct or out of the League.
In its initial season Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
topped the league on equal points. No thought of separating teams by goal average, or goal difference had been considered and the two teams played a play-off to decide the winner. The result of the play-off was a 2:2 draw and both teams were declared joint winners, each taking possession of the trophy for six months. This was only occasion in which the Scottish league was tied. Goal average was only brought in for the 1921/22 season and replaced by goal difference for the 1971/72 season.
Split into divisions
The league proved to be highly successful, and in 1893 a Second Division was formed by the inclusion of a number of clubs previously in the Scottish Football AllianceScottish Football Alliance
The Scottish Football Alliance was a league football competition in Scotland.- 1891 – 1897 :First formed in 1891, the Scottish Alliance was one of a number of leagues set-up a year after the Scottish Football League was formed...
. Promotion was initially based on a ballot of clubs; automatic promotion was not introduced until 1922.
The onset of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
saw the Second Division but not the First Division being suspended, not restarting again until 1921 when the Central Football League
Central Football League
There have been at least three competitions in Scotland known as the Central Football LeagueThe first was originally formed in 1896 by five clubs - Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline Athletic, Fair City Athletic, Kirkcaldy and St. Johnstone...
was absorbed as a new division with automatic promotion.
Third division
In 1923, the League decided to introduce a Third Division. The Western Football League (in Scotland) was used as its backbone but the new set-up lasted only three years before it collapsed under heavy financial losses.From 1926 until 1946, the League returned to two divisions. Post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
reforms saw the League resume with three divisions.
Postwar seasons saw the divisions renamed 'A', 'B' and 'C' with the last section also including reserve sides. In 1949, the 'C' Division was expanded to two sections – North-West and South-East.
The withdrawal of the reserves from 'C' Division in 1955 saw a return to two divisions with the five first teams in Division C being given automatic promotion. There were then 18 clubs in Division A and 19 in Division B.
In 1956 the divisions were renamed Division 1 and Division 2.
Clydebank were elected to Division 2 as the 20th club in 1966, but following the demise of Third Lanark
Third Lanark A.C.
Third Lanark Athletic Club was a football club that originally existed between 1872 and 1967, 95 years in existence, based in Glasgow, Scotland. Third Lanark were known as Thirds, the Warriors, the Redcoats and the Hi Hi's...
in 1967, the Second Division kept operating with just 19 clubs; the situation would not be corrected until the next change of format, which happened in 1975.
This change of structure split the league into three divisions, Premier, First, and Second Divisions. This permitted more frequent fixtures between the top clubs; the expectation was that meant greater revenue for them, and it was hoped it would stimulate greater interest, at a time when attendance at league matches had dropped alarmingly. A new club entered the league - Meadowbank Thistle - who were Edinburgh's third league team (who would eventually become Livingston F.C.
Livingston F.C.
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...
in 1995.)
This three-divisional structure (of 38 clubs) continued until 1994.
Four-division period and SPL split
After a couple of decades, the league again reorganised, with four divisions of 10 clubs, as Inverness Caledonian ThistleInverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
and Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
were elected to round out the league.
In 1998 the Premier Division clubs split from the league to form the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(SPL).
The remaining leagues, of ten clubs each, kept their names and the Premier Division was not reconstituted, leaving First, Second and Third Divisions.
When the SPL expanded to 12 clubs in 2000, the SFL took in two new members in a further round of league enlargement with Elgin City
Elgin City F.C.
Elgin City Football Club are a semi-professional football team based in Elgin, Moray. They currently compete in the Scottish Third Division....
and Peterhead
Peterhead F.C.
Peterhead F.C. are a football club based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. They currently play in the Scottish Football League Third Division, following promotion in the 2004–05 season.Their home ground is Balmoor in Peterhead, with a capacity of 4,000...
joining from the Highland League
Highland Football League
The Press & Journal Highland Football League is a league of football clubs operating not just in the Scottish Highlands, as the name may suggest, but also in the north-east lowlands...
. This brought the Scottish Leagues up to 42 teams – 12 in the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
and 10 in each of the three Scottish Football League divisions.
Admission
Gala FairydeanGala Fairydean F.C.
Gala Fairydean F.C. is a football club currently playing in Division 1 of the East of Scotland Football League.- History :Founded in 1907 as the result of a split in the Gala Fairydean Rovers club into Gala Fairydean and Gala Rovers, they play their home matches at the Netherdale ground in Galashiels...
have been rejected from the Scottish League at each time of asking, despite having a setup and facilities arguably better than some of their opponents. Other teams that have fallen at this hurdle include Whitehill Welfare
Whitehill Welfare F.C.
Whitehill Welfare F.C. are a football club currently playing in the East of Scotland Football League. Founded in 1953, they play their home matches at Ferguson Park in the village of Rosewell....
.
Scottish club Gretna
Gretna F.C.
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...
, who had previously played in the English Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
, were admitted in 2002 to replace the defunct Airdrieonians
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
. Shortly afterwards Airdrie United
Airdrie United F.C.
Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the...
who came second in the process when Gretna were chosen to fill the gap created by Airdrieonians' demise, simply purchased ailing side Clydebank
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
, renaming then and moving them to Airdrie.
Each season the winners of the First Division are eligible to be promoted to the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
providing their stadium meets certain criteria. As of March 2005, these criteria include priority tenancy or ownership of a stadium with at least 6,000 seats, and an undersoil heating system for the pitch. Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
's failure to meet these demands resulted in their being refused promotion despite winning the First Division in 2002–03; at that time, the SPL required 10,000 seats for its member clubs. They have since built a new stadium with an all-seater capacity of 7,000, and prompted by a campaign by Inverness Caledonian Thistle, the SPL reduced its seating requirement to 6,000, making them now eligible to join the SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
, having won the First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
again in 2004–05.
In 2008, the SFL again required a new team as a result of the demise of Gretna. Annan Athletic, previously of the East of Scotland League, were voted to join the Third Division
Scottish Football League Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division is the lowest division of the Scottish Football League and the fourth overall in the Scottish football league system....
in time for the 2008–09 season.
There were 5 bids in total for the position, with unsuccessful bids coming from Spartans
Spartans F.C.
Spartans Football Club are a Scottish football club from Edinburgh. They are managed by Sam Lynch and Mickey Lawson. They were formed in 1951 by ex-players of Edinburgh University and the original intention was to field a team of graduates of the University, however they have players from...
, Cove Rangers, Preston Athletic
Preston Athletic F.C.
Preston Athletic Football Club is a Scottish senior non-league football club based in the town of Prestonpans, East Lothian. They are members of the East of Scotland Football League and currently play in its Premier Division....
and Edinburgh City
Edinburgh City F.C.
Edinburgh City Football Club is a semi-professional senior Scottish football club, which plays in the East of Scotland Football League. The club is based at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh. Edinburgh City was first formed in 1928 as an amateur club. It participated in the Scottish Football League...
.
Promotion and relegation between the First and Second Division, and the Second and Third Division, are currently decided using a combination of automatic movement and playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
s.
Rangers have won the greatest number of league titles in the league's history, with 54 national championships (including SPL titles) to their name. They have also won the greatest number of games.
Restructuring
In March 2007, a self-conducted review found the league to be three times more expensive to run than equivalent leagues in England, with a report stating the league structure was "outdated". The report found that the Football ConferenceFootball Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
has four employees looking after 68 clubs, while the SFL has 14 people running leagues with just 30 clubs. The SFL, which runs Scotland's First
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
, Second
Scottish Football League Second Division
The Scottish Football League Second Division is the second highest division of the Scottish Football League and the third highest overall in the Scottish football league system....
and Third
Scottish Football League Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division is the lowest division of the Scottish Football League and the fourth overall in the Scottish football league system....
Divisions, lacks a "commercial engine", according to the report.
Scottish League XI
The Scottish Football League is the organising body of the Scottish League XIScottish League XI
The Scottish League XI is a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture between the English and Scottish leagues was only second in...
, a select side which represents the League. The Scottish League XI played international matches against other leagues, including The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, the Irish League and the Italian league
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. The Scottish League XI last played in 1990, in a match against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
to mark the centenary of the Scottish Football League.