Highland Football League
The Highland Football League is one of the two fifth-tier leagues in Scottish football , along with the Lowland Football League . The league, founded in 1893, is currently sponsored by the Press & Journal Scottish Highland Football League. It is home to clubs from the Highlands and the Moray and Aberdeenshire regions .
Position in the Scottish League system
The Highland Football League is made up of teams with semi-professional players. Until the 2013/14 season there was no regular promotion to the divisions of the Scottish Football League . Since the 2014/15 season, however, a two-stage relegation round has been held at the end of the season. In the first round, the first of the Highland Football League and the Lowland Football League play against each other. In the second round, a promoted or relegated player will be determined between the winner of this qualification and the last in Scottish League Two . The Highland Football League has, unlike the parallel Lowland Football League, no substructure, it cannot be relegated. The North Caledonian Football League , which plays in the same catchment area, is a member of the Scottish Football Association , but not connected to its league system, so promotion to the Highland Football League is not possible.
Member clubs (2019/20 season)
17 clubs are members of the Highland Football League , the championship is played in the league system with a return leg. Each club plays 32 league games per season.
- Brora Rangers
- Buckie Thistle
- Clachnacuddin FC
- FC Deveronvale
- Formartine United
- Forres Mechanics
- Fort William FC
- FC Fraserburgh
- Huntly FC
- Inverurie Loco Works
- Keith FC
- Lossiemouth FC
- Nairn County
- FC Rothes
- Strathspey Thistle
- Turriff United
- FC Wick Academy
Master since it was founded
| season | master | |
|---|---|---|
| 1893/94 | Inverness Thistle | |
| 1894/95 | Clachnacuddin FC | |
| 1895/96 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1896/97 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1897/98 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1898/99 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1899/00 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1900/01 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1901/02 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1902/03 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1903/04 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1904/05 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1905/06 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1906/07 | Inverness Thistle | |
| 1907/08 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1908/09 | Inverness Citadel FC | |
| 1909/10 | Inverness Thistle | |
| 1910/11 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1911/12 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1912/13 | Aberdeen FC 'A' | |
| 1913/14 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1914/15 | Game operations started | |
| 1919/20 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 1920-21 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1921/22 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1922/23 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1923/24 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1924/25 | Aberdeen FC 'A' | |
| 1925/26 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1926/27 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 1927/28 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 1928/29 | Inverness Thistle | |
| 1929/30 | Huntly FC | |
| 1930/31 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1931/32 | Elgin City | |
| 1932/33 | FC Fraserburgh | |
| 1933/34 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 1934/35 | Elgin City | |
| 1935/36 | Inverness Thistle | |
| 1936/37 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 1937/38 | FC Fraserburgh | |
| 1938/39 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1939/40 | Game operation canceled | |
| 1946/47 | Peterhead FC | |
| 1947/48 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1948/49 | Peterhead FC | |
| 1949/50 | Peterhead FC | |
| 1950/51 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1951/52 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1952/53 | Elgin City | |
| 1953/54 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 1954/55 | Game operation canceled | |
| 1955/56 | Elgin City | |
| 1956/57 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 1957/58 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 1958/59 | FC Rothes | |
| 1959/60 | Elgin City | |
| 1960/61 | Elgin City | |
| 1961/62 | Keith FC | |
| 1962/63 | Elgin City | |
| 1963/64 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1964/65 | Elgin City | |
| 1965/66 | Elgin City | |
| 1966/67 | Ross County | |
| 1967/68 | Elgin City | |
| 1968/69 | Elgin City | |
| 1969/70 | Elgin City | |
| 1970/71 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1971/72 | Inverness Thistle | |
| 1972/73 | Inverness Thistle | |
| 1973/74 | Elgin City | |
| 1974/75 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 1975/76 | Nairn County | |
| 1976/77 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1977/78 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1978/79 | Keith FC | |
| 1979/80 | Keith FC | |
| 1980/81 | Keith FC | |
| 1981/82 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1982/83 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1983/84 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1984/85 | Keith FC | |
| 1985/86 | Forres Mechanics | |
| 1986/87 | Inverness Thistle | |
| 1987/88 | Caledonian FC | |
| 1988/89 | Peterhead FC | |
| 1989/90 | Elgin City | |
| 1990/91 | Ross County | |
| 1991/92 | Ross County | |
| 1992/93 | no master determined | |
| 1993/94 | Huntly FC | |
| 1994/95 | Huntly FC | |
| 1995/96 | Huntly FC | |
| 1996/97 | Huntly FC | |
| 1997/98 | Huntly FC | |
| 1998/99 | Peterhead FC | |
| 1999/2000 | Keith FC | |
| 2000/01 | Cove Rangers | |
| 2001/02 | FC Fraserburgh | |
| 2002/03 | FC Deveronvale | |
| 2003/04 | FC Clachnacuddin | |
| 2004/05 | Huntly FC | |
| 2005/06 | FC Deveronvale | |
| 2006/07 | Keith FC | |
| 2007/08 | Cove Rangers | |
| 2008/09 | Cove Rangers | |
| 2009/10 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 2010/11 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 2011/12 | Forres Mechanics | |
| 2012/13 | Cove Rangers | |
| 2013/14 | Brora Rangers | |
| 2014/15 | Brora Rangers | |
| 2015/16 | Cove Rangers | |
| 2016/17 | Buckie Thistle | |
| 2017/18 | Cove Rangers | |
| 2018/19 | Cove Rangers * | |
| 2019/20 | Brora Rangers | |
* Promoted to Scottish League Two
Sorted by the number of championships
| rank | society | Championships |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caledonian FC | 18th |
| Clachnacuddin FC | 18th | |
| 3 | Elgin City | 14th |
| 4th | Buckie Thistle | 11 |
| 5 | Inverness Thistle FC | 8th |
| 6th | Cove Rangers | 7th |
| Keith FC | 7th | |
| Huntly FC | 7th | |
| 9 | Peterhead FC | 5 |
| 10 | FC Fraserburgh | 3 |
| Ross County | 3 | |
| 12 | FC Deveronvale | 2 |
| Aberdeen FC (amateurs) | 2 | |
| Forres Mechanics | 2 | |
| Brora Rangers | 2 | |
| 16 | Nairn County | 1 |
| Inverness Citadel FC | 1 | |
| FC Rothes | 1 |
Former member clubs that now play in a professional league
Up to and including the 2013/14 season, switching to professional leagues was only possible through nominations. Since the 2014/15 season, the league champion has had the opportunity to advance to Scottish League Two via relegation games .
- Inverness Caledonian Thistle was formed in 1994 from the merger of FC Caledonian and FC Inverness Thistle , both members and multiple champions of the Highland Football League , and in the same year took over a vacant place in the lowest professional league.
- Ross County also occupied a vacant place in the lowest professional league in 1994.
- Elgin City was inducted into the Scottish Football League in 2000 , which was increased.
- The FC Peterhead was founded in 2000 in the Scottish Football League added that was raised.
- In 2019, the Cove Rangers prevailed in the relegation games against FC East Klibride (champions of the Lowland Football League ) and the Berwick Rangers (last place in Scottish League Two), making it the first team in the Highland League to be promoted to Scottish Professional Football League.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Information based on: The scottish highland football league (official website) , accessed on November 6, 2016.
- ↑ Tyrone Smith: Highland League brought to an early end with Brora Rangers awarded title . BBC. March 21, 2020. Accessed March 29, 2020.