The Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA) is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "junior" refers to the level of football played, not the age of the players.The dutiful game: Welcome to the world of junior football in Scotland, The Scotsman, 23 May 2010The Rise of the Juniors , Craig Anderson, In Bed With Maradona, 2 November 2010Why Junior football should never grow up, Scott Fleming, Nutmeg Magazine, 1 December 2016 The closest equivalent terminology would be non-League football in England, the difference being that junior football in Scotland was not similarly integrated into its football league system until 2021.
Founded in 1886, the SJFA is responsible for disciplinary matters within the grade, certain player registration procedures and organising the annual Scottish Junior Cup. Other league and cup competitions are organised by regional committees. The association headquarters are at Hampden Park, Glasgow, which is Scotland's national football stadium. There was an earlier Scottish Junior FA, which was founded in Glasgow in October 1880. This body also ran a Scottish Junior Cup competition during 1880–81 season but appears to have disbanded at the end of that season.
History
The SJFA was formed in Glasgow on 2 October 1886 and the first season's Junior Cup saw 39 clubs take part. Junior football had existed since the early 1880s, initially as separate local associations across Scotland for clubs not in membership of the SFA. This new national association acted as an umbrella for these local junior associations, as well as establishing the Scottish Junior Cup, a national cup competition. The first three winners of the Scottish Junior Cup all joined the SFA and stepped up to senior level. Gradually, a number of junior leagues grew in strength — particularly in Glasgow, where leading clubs drew large crowds. The Glasgow Junior FA, having seen a number of its proposals rejected at SJFA meetings, seceded from the SJFA in 1907 but returned a year later. Further disputes occurred in 1922 over "poaching" clubs and, in 1927, the GJFA was instrumental in the Intermediate dispute which split the SJFA for four seasons. The record number of clubs to enter the Junior Cup was 412 in 1922–23.
The local associations continued to run their leagues until 1968, when the SJFA instituted major reforms. This first phase of regionalisation removed the need for the many local associations, replacing them instead with six regional committees. These six regions — Ayrshire, Central, East, Fife, Tayside and North — still exist, to a certain extent, as divisions in the national league structure and as operators of certain cup competitions.
The last major league reform took place in 2002, with the six regions "merging" to create a three-pronged regional league setup consisting of East, North, and West regions (see "Organisation and regions").
Since the 2007–08 season, up to four Junior sides have been able to qualify for the Scottish Cup. The four teams are the three Superleague winners (West, East and North) and the Scottish Junior Cup winners, all from the previous season. In the 2015–16 season, Linlithgow Rose became the first junior team to reach the last 16 of the Scottish Cup after beating Forfar Athletic. (see "Juniors in the Scottish Cup").
In 2011, the Scottish Football Association created two new operational boards, Professional and Non-Professional, to provide more focused governance in these differing areas of the game. Junior football is represented on the Non-Professional Game Board alongside other organisations such as the East of Scotland Football League, South of Scotland Football League and Scottish Amateur Football Association.
Name The term "junior" does not relate to the age of players. Football for young players is generally known as "Youth" (up to Under-19) or "Juvenile" (which is to Under-21 level) football. In the late 19th century, membership of the SFA conferred "senior" status on a club and the junior grade developed outside the SFA framework. Today, the senior grade of football in Scotland is played in the Scottish Professional Football League (until 2013 divided into the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League), as well as the six senior non-leagues: the Highland Football League, the Lowland Football League, the North Caledonian League the East of Scotland Football League, the South of Scotland Football League and the West of Scotland Football League. Over time, as various local football associations and leagues — both junior and senior — have risen in strength, or in some cases disappeared completely. Scottish football developed its current pattern with either junior or senior non-leagues taking precedence in various parts of the country with some occasional overlap. Nowadays, membership of the SJFA automatically confers on a club registered membership of the SFA; however, junior and senior non-league clubs still play in separate competitions.
Despite the lesser media coverage the juniors get, many of the club sides are fairly popular, and some of the bigger games (such as the local derbies between Arthurlie and Pollok, and Cumnock Juniors vs. Auchinleck Talbot) can attract attendances in the thousands. Crowds were far bigger in the past (76,000 for the Junior Cup Final in 1951, with nearly 90,000 watching the semi-finals (including a replay) compared to the level of support attracted now.
Organisation and regions The SJFA has 112 member clubs, comprising: Midlands League (19 clubs), North of Scotland League (33 clubs) in SJFA-administered leagues, as well as 52 West of Scotland League and 8 East of Scotland League teams who have retained their membership or rejoined the SJFA after moving leagues.
Member clubs
Midlands League (19)
Arbroath Victoria, Blairgowrie, Brechin Victoria, Broughty Athletic, Carnoustie Panmure, Coupar Angus, Downfield, Dundee North End, Dundee St. James, Dundee Violet, East Craigie, Forfar United, Forfar West End, Kirriemuir Thistle, Letham, Lochee Harp, Lochee United, Scone Thistle, Tayport
North of Scotland League (33)
Aberdeen East End, Aberdeen University, Banchory St Ternan, Banks O' Dee Juniors, Bridge of Don Thistle, Buchanhaven Hearts, Buckie Rovers, Burghead Thistle, Colony Park, Cruden Bay, Culter, Deveronside, Dufftown, Dyce, Ellon United, Forres Thistle, Fraserburgh United, Glentanar, Hall Russell United, Hermes, Islavale, Longside, Lossiemouth United, Maud, Montrose Roselea, Nairn St Ninian, New Elgin, Newmachar United, Rothie Rovers, Stonehaven, Stoneywood Parkvale, Sunnybank, Whitehills
East of Scotland League (8)
Armadale Thistle, Bathgate Thistle, Harthill Royal, Livingston United, Pumpherston, Stoneyburn, Syngenta [SFA], West Calder United
West of Scotland League (52)
Ardeer Thistle, Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Arthurlie, Ashfield, Auchinleck Talbot [SFA], Beith Juniors, Belshill Athletic, Benburb [SFA], Blantyre Victoria, Cambuslang Rangers, Carluke Rovers, Craigmark Burntonians, Cumbernauld United, Cumnock Juniors [SFA], Dalry Thistle, Darvel [SFA], East Kilbride Thistle, Gartcairn, Glasgow Perthshire, Glasgow United, Glenafton Athletic, Greenock, Hurlford United, Irvine Meadow XI [SFA], Irvine Victoria, Johnstone Burgh, Kilbirnie Ladeside, Kilsyth Rangers, Kirkintilloch Rob Roy, Lanark United, Largs Thistle, Larkhall Thistle, Lesmahagow, Lugar Boswell Thistle, Maryhill, Maybole, Muirkirk, Newmains United, Petershill, Rossvale, Royal Albert, Rutherglen Glencairn [SFA], St. Anthony's, St. Roch's, Saltcoats Victoria, Shotts Bon Accord, Thorniewood United, Troon, Vale of Clyde, Vale of Leven, Wishaw, Yoker Athletic
Note
Club with an SFA Licence
League structure Currently there are two regional junior league systems: the East Region with a single division and the North Region with two divisions. The top division of each region sits at tier 6 of the Scottish football league system, with a play-off enabling promotion to the Highland League for clubs with an SFA licence.
There was previously a West Region league system which contained 63 clubs at the end of the 2019–20 season, prior to its members leaving the Juniors to join a new West of Scotland Football League in the senior pyramid.Pyramid Update – 67 Applications Approved, Scottish Lowland Football League, 14 April 2020Junior clubs in the west are about to get the best of both worlds, The Scotsman, 19 April 2020 53 of those clubs kept their membership of the SJFA in order to enter the Scottish Junior Cup. A similar move had also greatly reduced the East Region's membership two years earlier when 25 clubs joined the East of Scotland Football League ahead of the 2018–19 season, with a further 20 clubs making the move over the next three years. TierEast Region (ERSJFA)North Region (NRJFA)6Midlands League 19 clubs playing 36 games
↑ 1 promotion playoff spot to Highland LeagueNorth Region League Premier Division 14 clubs playing 26 games
↑ 1 promotion playoff spot to Highland League
↓ 2 relegation spots7North Region League Championship
16 clubs playing 30 games
↑ 4 promotion spots
Leagues by period Before WWIIAfter WWII1st re-organisation2nd re-organisationPyramidDumfries & District Amateur Junior League
1945–1951Border Junior League
1912–1922East of Scotland Junior League 1922–1929Border Junior League
1926–1929Edinburgh & District Junior League 1892–1897Leith & District League 1897–1898Midlothian Junior League 1929–1941Edinburgh & District Junior League
1945–1968East Region Junior League
1968–2002SJFA East Region League
2002–2021East of Scotland Junior League 1904–1922Midlothian Junior League
1892–1922Linlithgowshire Junior League
1904–1922East Lothian Junior League 1893–1915Fife Junior League
1913–1919Fife Junior League
1919–1921Fife County Junior League 1921–1968Fife Region Junior League
1968–2002West of Fife Junior League
1919–1921East Neuk Junior League 1908–1922Angus Junior League
1897–1969Tayside Region Junior League
1969–2002Midlands League
2021–Arbroath & District League 1893–1924Montrose Junior League 1892–1906Kincardineshire Junior League 1907–1932Montrose and Kincardineshire League
1932–1936Montrose & Kincardineshire Junior League
1936–1939Kincardineshire Junior League
1946–1955Dundee & District Junior League 1894–1969Perthshire Junior League
1928–1969Perthshire Junior League 1899–1929Aberdeenshire & District Junior League
1901–1968North Region Junior League 1968–2001SJFA North Region League 2001–Morayshire Junior League
1905–1968Buckie & District Junior League 1905–1936Ross-shire Junior League 1920–1945North of Scotland Junior League
1896–1935North of Scotland Junior League
1935–1938→ North of Scotland 2nd XI League
1935–Kilmarnock & District Junior League 1895–1921Ayrshire Region Junior League
1968–2002SJFA West Region League
2002–2020Ayr & District Junior League 1896–1922South Ayrshire Junior League 1926–1932South Ayrshire Junior League 1920–1926Ayrshire Junior League 1899–1905Cumnock & District Junior League 1902–1914Irvine & District Junior League 1907–1920Western Junior League 1919–1927Western Intermediate League
1927–1931Western League 1931–1968Central Region Junior League
1968–2002Renfrewshire Junior League 1897–1934Glasgow Junior League
1895–1927Scottish Intermediate League
1927–1931Scottish Central Junior League
1931–1968Lanarkshire Junior League
1891–1968Stirlingshire Junior League 1896–1927Clackmannanshire Junior League 1896–1909Dumbartonshire Junior League
1898–1913Scottish Junior League 1908–1947Campbeltown & District Junior League 1930–1940
Cup competitions