Scottish Amateur Football League

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Scottish Amateur Football League
File:Scottishafl.png
Country Scotland
Confederation UEFA
Founded 1909
Divisions Premier
Premier 1
Premier 2
Division 1 (A & B)
Number of teams 53
Level on pyramid N/A
Promotion to None
Relegation to None
Domestic cup(s) Scottish Amateur Cup
West of Scotland Cup

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The Scottish Amateur Football League (SAFL) 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.[citation needed]

History

Despite being called the Scottish Amateur Football League, the league has never included clubs from across the country. Although, prior to the official formation of the league a SAFL side made at least one visit to 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. For more than 20 years, the League was split into a Premier section of three divisions, with two or three further divisions comprising Section One, so named as it preserved the divisions of the original league. But following an SAFA directive during the 2011/2012 season, this format has been changed back to one all-in competition, with effect from the start of the 2012/2013 season. The three premier divisions are retained, and the lowest two divisions become two sections of equal status, decided by a ballotted draw prior to the start of each season. The top two teams from each section will be promoted to Premier 2, which will start the 2012/2013 season with 11 clubs, but will have 12 clubs from the start of the following season.

Hall of fame

In March 2013, the League held its inaugural Hall of Fame Dinner, attended by well over 300 guests, at which the following became the first inductees to the SAFL Hall of Fame:

  • Alan Bruce (Busby AFC)
  • Alan & Russel Davidson (Whitehill FP AFC)
  • Charlie Henderson (Paisley AFC)
  • Duncan McAulay (Campbeltown Pupils AFC)
  • Keith Millar (Oban Saints)
  • Derek Yuille (Rutherglen AFC)

Executive Members 2012/13

Office Bearers

Frank McCann(President), Colin Thomson(Vice President), Mike McLean(Secretary), Jack Keating(Treasurer), Robert Marshall (Match Secretary), Linda Keating (Discipline Secretary/Registration Secretary), Minute Secretary - Ronnie Mackay. Immediate Past President - James Soutar

Executive Members Only

Brian Pettigrew (Carlton YM), Gerry McDonnell (Alba Thistle) and Robert Gallacher (Millbeg AFC). Active life members - Gordon Anderson, Robert Bowman, Jack McConnell, Colin McDonald, Ronnie Mackay, Bert Smith and James Soutar

League Membership 2012/13

Premier

Premier 1

  • Alba Thistle
  • Arkleston
  • Auldhouse
  • Busby
  • Duncanrig FP
  • Haldane United
  • Kilbowie Union
  • Kings Park Rangers
  • Shawlands FP

Premier 2

Division 1A

  • Duncanrig FP (B)
  • Dunoon Athletic
  • Eaglesham (B)
  • East Kilbride AFC
  • East Kilbride YM FC
  • Millbeg Amateurs
  • Port Glasgow Hibs
  • Port Glasgow United
  • Strathaven Dynamo
  • Tarbert AFC

Division 1B

  • Bothwell and Uddingston Albion
  • Easthall Star
  • Goldenhill AFC
  • Inverkip AFC
  • Jamestown AFC
  • Kings Park Rangers B
  • Lochgilphead Red Star
  • Millerston Thistle
  • Rosehill Star
  • Shawlands FP (B)
  • Whitehill FP

League winners

Year Premier Premier 1 Premier 2 Division 1 Division 2 Division 3
1994 St Patrick's Fernhill Villa Oban Saints Campbeltown Boys Blairbeth Dunoon AFC
1995 St Patrick's Greenock HSFP Port Glasgow Hibs Strathclyde Police Dunoon Ams Westhill AFC
1996 Fernhill Villa Torrance United Campbeltown Boys Busby Glasgow Harp Bishopbriggs AFC
1997 St Patrick's Hamilton FP Port Glasgow OBU Pollok Westhill Amateurs Millerston Thistle
1998 Hamilton FP Oban Saints Pollok Strathclyde Police Millerston Thistle Shamrock BC
1999 Gourock Athletic Campbeltown Pupils Gartcosh United Westhill Shamrock BC No competition
2000 Campbeltown Pupils Camphill Kilbowie Union Shamrock Boys Club Leven Valley No competition
2001 Gartcosh United Kilbowie Union Shamrock Boys Club Rothesay Brandane Glencastle Sparta No competition
2002 St Patrick's Oban Saints Busby Glencastle Sparta Glasgow Harp (B) No competition
2003 Glasgow Harp Busby Cumbernauld Ams Inverclyde East Kilbride YM FC No competition
2004 St Patrick's Kings Park Rangers Inverclyde Dunoon Sandiefield Star No competition
2005 St Patrick's Kilpatrick Eaglesham Sandiefield Star Leven Valley No competition
2006 St Patrick's Cambria Inverclyde St Patricks FP (B) Rosehill Star No competition
2007 Greenock HSFP Busby Shawlands FP Castlemilk Ams Carlton YMCA (B) No competition
2008 St Patrick's Kilpatrick Aikenhead Thistle St Patricks FP (B) Duncanrig FP (B) No competition
2009 St. Josephs Castlemilk AFC Thorn Athletic Tarbert Haldane Utd No competition
2010 Oban Saints Thorn Athletic Rolls Royce EK Haldane United Aikenhead Thistle B No competition
2011 Aikenhead Thistle Postal United Finnart AFC Gourock Thistle East Kilbride YM FC Alba Thistle
2012 Postal United Finnart AFC Alba Thistle Paisley East Kilbride AFC No competition

External links

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Scottish_Amateur_Football_League&oldid=1375846"