North Caledonian Football Association


The North Caledonian Football Association is a football association operating throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and is a Recognised Body of the SFA and as such has its senior football competitions officially registered with the Scottish Football Association.

History

The introduction of the North of Scotland Junior Cup in 1888 prompted to the formation of a new junior association for the region, and following the first cup final, the North of Scotland Junior Football Association was formed.
The Association's league competition was later introduced in 1896 as the "North of Scotland Junior League" with the initial aim of providing a league format for its junior members and predominantly the "2nd XI" teams from senior Highland Football League clubs. Upon its formation these teams mostly came from the Inverness area. By 1906 though, the Association had welcomed several new member teams from outside the Inverness-shire area, specifically Nairn Thistle and Dingwall Victoria United broadening the coverage of the league across the North. Other clubs from across the Highland counties followed suit, with Muir of Ord and Tore United among those to join.
By 1948, the league had dropped its junior status and became known as the North of Scotland "2nd XI" League or "Highland Reserve League", having dropped its junior tag and instead becoming recognised as a senior football league. By the 1970s, the Highland League reserve teams which had frequently entered teams gradually dropped out with most finding that it was not financially viable to run "2nd XI" or reserve teams each year.
In a bid to shake the stigma of the "2nd XI" tag the remaining football clubs in the league took the decision to rename the league and at the 1984 annual general meeting of the North of Scotland 2nd XI Football Association in Bonar Bridge, member clubs voted unanimously to change the name of the association to the North Caledonian Football Association and the name of the league competition to the North Caledonian Football League.
In 2020, it was announced that the North Caledonian League is working with the Highland League and North Region Junior FA to form a sixth tier of the Scottish football league system for the far north of the country, with a view to feeding eligible clubs via promotion into the Highland League. It was also announced, along with 4 teams being added to the ranks that the league would be temporarily split into two divisions.

Membership

As well as holding membership of the North Caledonian FA, member clubs are also governed by the constitution of the Scottish Football Association, and as such disciplinary and registration matters are handled by the Scottish Football Association. This is a unique situation in that member clubs are not required to be full members of the Scottish Football Association, despite their players holding senior SFA registrations.
Golspie Sutherland are the only North Caledonian FA member club to hold full membership of the Scottish Football Association and since season 2007-08 they have obtained direct entry to the Scottish Cup. Previously, they were required to enter the Scottish Qualifying Cup.
Since 2013, membership has been extended beyond the Highlands to senior clubs in the Islands, with Orkney, Shetland and Lewis & Harris all entering teams.
Member teams have previously included reserve teams of Highland Football League clubs alongside teams from throughout the Highlands and Islands region..

Competitions

North Caledonian League

A senior Scottish FA registered competition, the North Caledonian League is an annual league competition which runs from September to April, with teams playing each other both home and away with the champion determined after all games have been played.
Over the years, the North Caledonian League has often been characterized by the number of clubs who have used it as a 'stepping-stone' to the professional ranks of Scottish football. Among those to have 'graduated' from the league are Rothes, Wick Academy and Fort William who left to join the Highland Football League as well as the reserve teams of the Scottish Football League clubs Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County.

Cups

The North Caledonian Cup was the first competition to be contested under the auspices of the North Caledonian FA during the latter part 1887-88 season and it remains part of the season calendar today.Member teams of the North Caledonian FA also compete in two other cup competitions:
Several other cups have been contested or awarded during the Association's history, each of which are now inactive:

League and cup members

Guest members for entry into cup competitions only

TeamLocationHome groundRef.
Lewis & HarrisLewis & HarrisJubilee Park, Dingwall
ShetlandShetlandSir George's Park, Thurso


Leagues for 2020–21 Season

Division 1
Division 2
The 2008–09 season saw the league reduced to ten teams following the withdrawal of Dornoch City and Inverness City joining the Junior leagues. Late applicants Tain Thistle took the league membership up to ten teams for the start of the season.
Fort William entered a reserve side in the league for season 2009–10 as the first Highland Football League "reserve" side to compete since 1999. Helmsdale based Bunillidh Thistle withdrew whilst Alness United took a year out, and former members Dingwall Thistle returned to complete a ten-team league.
Season 2010–11 saw Alness return after a one-year absence whilst Tain Thistle withdrew after two seasons.
Clachnacuddin again entered a reserve side for season 2011–12, whilst Fort William Reserves dropped out due to problems with pitch availability. Before the season started, both Bonar Bridge and Invergordon withdrew, leaving just eight teams in the league. The following season 2012–13, Invergordon returned while Balintore and Dingwall Thistle both withdrew from the league.
Invergordon again withdrew from competition for the 2013–14 season, however, the void was filled by a new team from Dornoch in Sutherland United. That same season, a newly formed Shetland team and Lewis & Harris both registered for competition in the North Caledonian Cup.
The following season, 2014–15, Shetland and Lewis & Harris also competed in the Jock Mackay Cup, while a new team, Orkney, was accepted as a member of the league – the first Islands team to do so.
Invergordon returned following a two-year period of abeyance, however, along with Muir of Ord Rovers, Sutherland United withdrew from the competition after just their second season, taking the number of competing teams down to six for season 2015–16.
However, a total of eight teams registered for league competition in 2016–17, with St Duthus returning to represent Tain and a new team Inverness Athletic was also accepted.
In 2020, two new clubs, Loch Ness and Scourie joined the league, along with returnees, Nairn County 'A' and Alness United.

Previous champions

Club performance

ClubWinnersSeason
Clachnacuddin reserves
14
1903–04, 1904–05, 1909–10, 1926–27, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1936–37, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1963–64, 1991–92
Golspie Sutherland
10
1974–75, 1975–76, 1992–93, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2014-15, 2018–19
Nelson FC
10
1898–99, 1899–1900, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1907–08, 1908–09, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1920–21, 1925–26
Inverness Thistle reserves
8
1900–01, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1934–35, 1947–48, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1962–63
Caledonian reserves
5
1948–49, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1969–70
Halkirk United
5
1993–94, 2010–11, 2011-12, 2013–14, 2015-16
Invergordon
5
1946–47, 1976–77, 1987–88, 2001–02, 2016-17
Inverness Citadel reserves
5
1897–98, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1910–11, 1921–22
Wick Academy
5
1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1986–87
Alness United
4
1972–73, 1973–74, 2000–01, 2004–05
Dingwall Thistle
4
1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1977–78
Thurso
4
1999–2000, 2002–03, 2009–10, 2012–13
Balintore
3
1989–90, 1990–91, 2005–06
Brora Rangers reserves
2
1966–67, 1967–68
Bunillidh Thistle
2
1982–83, 1988–89
Dingwall Victoria United
2
1919–20, 1927–28
Inverness Caledonian Thistle reserves
2
1994–95, 1997–98
Inverness District Asylum FC
2
1932–33, 1933–34
Muir of Ord Rovers
2
1983–84, 1985–86
Nairn County reserves
2
1935–36, 1954–55*
Ross County reserves
2
1965–66, 1996–97
Albert FC
1
1913–14
Avoch Rovers
1
1964–65
Buckie Thistle reserves
1
1954–55*
Catch-my-Pal FC
1
1924–25
Elgin City reserves
1
1953–54
Fearn Thistle
1
1995–96
Fort William
1
1984–85
Fortrose Union
1
1923–24
Highland Light Infantry FC
1
1938–39
Inverness Celtic
1
1896–97
Orkney
1
2017-18

* - Shared title
BOLD indicates the team is still playing within the NCFA
Italics indicates the team is defunct or merged with another team that does not play in the NCFA