Lowland Football League
 | |
| Country | Scotland |
|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Number of teams | 15 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Promotion to | Scottish League Two |
| Relegation to |
East of Scotland Football League South of Scotland Football League |
| Domestic cup(s) |
Scottish Cup SFA South Regional Challenge Cup |
| League cup(s) | Lowland League Cup |
| Current champions | Edinburgh City |
| Most championships | Edinburgh City (2 titles) |
| Website | slfl.co.uk |
 Current season | |
The Scottish Lowland Football League (commonly known as the Lowland League) is a football league operating in southern and central Scotland. 15 teams currently compete in the league with teams drawn from the Scottish Lowlands area of Scotland.
Starting with the 2014–15 season, promotion to the Scottish Professional Football League is via an annual play-off with the champions of the Highland Football League, the winners playing-off with the bottom club in League Two.[1] Additionally, the bottom placed club will face relegation to the 2015–16 East of Scotland Football League or South of Scotland Football League depending on their geographical location. Consequently, it now stands at a new Level 5 on the Scottish football pyramid, on a par with the Highland League and above the Lowlands-based regional leagues.
As a creation of the Scottish FA, the Lowland League is a full member of the same organisation.
History
The Lowland League was founded by a unanimous vote of members of the Scottish FA on 11 June 2013,[1] who had for some time intended on instituting a football pyramid including promotion and relegation from Scottish football's senior divisions down to its junior and amateur levels.[2] The league would be composed of teams drawn from the South of Scotland, East of Scotland and junior leagues, who met on 17 June 2013 to elect between them the founder-members of the new league.[3]
While most clubs were invited to submit bids to join, Preston Athletic, Spartans and Threave Rovers were offered automatic entry as they were already fully licensed by the Scottish FA.[3] While 27 clubs had registered their interest, the Lowland League received 17 applications to join.[4] After the meeting on 17 June, it was announced there would be 12 teams in the league, and that they would be Dalbeattie Star, East Kilbride, Edinburgh City, Gala Fairydean Rovers, Gretna 2008, Preston Athletic, Selkirk, Spartans, Stirling University, Threave Rovers, Vale of Leithen & Whitehill Welfare.[5]
On 24 September 2013, the Scottish Sun newspaper was revealed to be the first sponsor of the league.[6] Consequently, the official name of the league is The Scottish Sun Lowland Football League.[7]
Two clubs, Edinburgh University and BSC Glasgow, were admitted to the league for the 2014–15 season.[8] They were joined the following season by Cumbernauld Colts.[9]
Member clubs
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Seats | Floodlit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSC Glasgow | Glasgow | Lochburn Park | 1,800 | 205 | Yes |
| Cumbernauld Colts | Cumbernauld | Broadwood Stadium | 7,936 | 7,936 | Yes |
| Dalbeattie Star | Dalbeattie | Islecroft Stadium | 4,000 | 250 | No |
| East Kilbride | East Kilbride | K Park | 660 | 400 | Yes |
| Edinburgh City | Edinburgh | Meadowbank Stadium | 13,841 | 13,841 | Yes |
| Edinburgh University | Edinburgh | New Peffermill Stadium | 1,100 | 100 | Yes |
| Gala Fairydean Rovers | Galashiels | 3G Arena, Netherdale | 5,500 | 495 | Yes |
| Gretna 2008 | Gretna | Raydale Park | 3,000 | 1,318 | Yes |
| Preston Athletic | Prestonpans | Pennypit Park | 4,000 | 313 | Yes |
| Selkirk | Selkirk | Yarrow Park | 1,000 | 100 | to be |
| Spartans | Edinburgh | Ainslie Park | 3,000 | 504 | Yes |
| Stirling University | Stirling | Forthbank Stadium | 3,808 | 2,508 | Yes |
| Threave Rovers | Castle Douglas | Meadow Park | 1,671 | 200 | Yes |
| Vale of Leithen | Innerleithen | Victoria Park | 1,500 | 0 | No |
| Whitehill Welfare | Rosewell | Ferguson Park | 4,000 | 150 | No |
Champions
| Season | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Spartans | Stirling University |
| 2014–15 | Edinburgh City | East Kilbride |
| 2015–16 | Edinburgh City | Spartans |
Lowland League Cup
| Season | Winner | Score | Runners–up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Stirling University | 5–2 | Preston Athletic | * |
| 2014–15 | East Kilbride | 3–1[10] | Gretna 2008 |
References
- 1 2 "Scottish FA approves Lowland League for next season". BBC Sport. 11 June 2013.
- ↑ "George Peat's Scottish football pyramid plan quickly bogged down in political sands". The Telegraph. 11 December 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- 1 2 "Scottish clubs approve creation of Lowland League as part of pyramid". STV. 11 June 2013.
- ↑ "Dozen clubs to play in Scottish Lowland Football League announced". STV. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
- ↑ "Scottish Lowland Football League clubs selected". Scottish FA. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ↑ "We’re league leaders". Scottish Sun. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ↑ "Scottish Sun Lowland Football League: Home". slfl.co.uk. 21 October 2013.
- ↑ "Lowland League announces new members for next season". BBC Sport. BBC. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
- ↑ "Cumbernauld Colts admitted to Lowland League". Lowland Football League. Lowland League. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
- ↑ http://gretnafc2008.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/gretna-fc-2008-1-east-kilbride-3.html?spref=tw
External links
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