Scottish Junior Football League


The Scottish Junior Football League was a Scottish football competition that, through various incarnations, existed from 1892 to 1947.
It was based in the west of Scotland and largely consisted of Junior clubs that were not considered good enough for the major leagues of the time i.e. the Glasgow Junior Football League, the Central Junior Football League and the Lanarkshire Junior Football League.

History

The first SJL was formed in 1892 but, despite its title, was effectively a Glasgow district league. It was formed by ten clubs: five from the city and five from the neighbouring districts. Ashfield, Benburb, Parkhead and Vale of Clyde were among its founding members. While it was seen as reasonably successful by the district sides, the city sides did not share that view and all five left at the end of the season. The league continued for one more season but was wound up in 1894.
The second SJL was a continuation of the Glasgow and District Junior League. It lost three of its city members in 1900, and after replacing them decided to rename itself. Its main problems were its inability to attract any of the major sides – these clubs aspired to be in the GJL – and its high turnover in membership. In all the league lasted only four years.
The third, and main, SJL was formed by seven of the clubs who lost their places in the Glasgow Junior League "great betrayal" scandal of 1908. Twelve teams enlisted in its initial season including Bellshill Athletic, Blantyre Victoria and Pollok. Given little hope by its critics, this version prospered and lasted until 1946. It was initially confined to the Glasgow district, but soon extended to include sides from Bute, Clackmannanshire, Ayrshire and Stirlingshire. After a year, a Second Division was added with automatic promotion and relegation. Because of World War I, it operated with one division from 1915 until 1919, when the Second Division was reintroduced. The SJL's main problem was it remained in the shadow of the GJL, to which most of its members aspired. Over the years the SJL lost many of its stronger clubs including Shawfield and Shettleston in 1921. A protest to the Scottish Junior Football Association was lost on a technicality, however the loss of St Anthony's and St Roch's a year later led to another protest to the SJA and a subsequent charge of poaching. The GJL refused to hand these two clubs back, resulting in another of the GJL's splits with the SJA. The resulting formation of a Second Division saw the SJL lose a further five clubs. After the dispute was over a year later, the SJL admitted some of the GJL's discarded teams.
In 1923 the SJL re-organised its divisions into East and West sections – the winners playing off for the title – but the Second Division was reintroduced after two years.
The Intermediate dispute of 1927 saw the defection of eight of its clubs to the new Scottish Intermediate Football League, and the subsequent recruitment of several clubs from the defunct Stirlingshire Junior Football League made it necessary to return to the East/West sections.
The wide geographical spread of its clubs made life difficult for the league after 1939. Two wartime editions were played in 1939–40 and 1940–41 but the league subsequently suspended its operations for the rest of World War II. An attempted revival in 1945 was put off for a year, but the Central Junior Football League's refusal to hand back co-opted teams from the war essentially killed the SJL off. It attempted one more season and disbanded.
During its lifetime, the league provided an avenue for many clubs to participate in the Junior game. The principal leagues of the time were more or less closed shops, and the SJL's members may never have played at this level had it not been around.

Winners

SeasonChampions
1892–93Baillieston Thistle
1893–94Baillieston Thistle
1894–1899No competition
1899–1900Cambuslang Rangers
1900–01Baillieston Thistle
1901–02Kisyth Emmett
1902–03Airdriehill Shamrock
1903–04Kilbirnie Ladeside
1904–1908No competition
1908–09Bellshill Athletic
1909–10Port Glasgow Athletic Juniors
Division 2: Vale of Grange
1910–11Port Glasgow Athletic Juniors
Division 2: Milngavie Allander
1911–12Vale of Grange
Division 2: Croy Celtic
1912–13Neilston Victoria
Division 2: Inkerman Rangers
1913–14Port Glasgow Athletic Juniors
Division 2: Thornliebank
1914–15Renfrew Juniors
Division 2: Airdriehill Shamrock
1915–16Renfrew Juniors
1916–17St. Anthony's
1917–18Burnbank Athletic
1918–19St. Anthony's
1919–20St. Anthony's
Division 2: Duntocher Hibernian
1920–21St. Anthony's
Division 2: St. Roch's
1921–22St. Roch's
Division 2: East Kilbride Thistle
1922–23Duntocher Hibernian
Division 2: Gartsherrie Athletic
1923–24Baillieston Juniors
1924–25Baillieston Juniors
1925–26Kilsyth Rangers
Division 2: Johnstone Rovers
1926–27Croy Celtic
Division 2: Govan Cleansing Department
1927–28Maryhill Hibernians
1928–29Alva Albion Rangers
1929–30Port Glasgow Athletic Juniors
1930–31Dumbarton Harp
1931–32Rothesay Royal Victoria
1932–33Maryhill Hibernians
1933–34Milngavie
1934–35Bute Athletic
1935–36Rothesay Royal Victoria
1936–37Rothesay Royal Victoria
1937–38Grange Rovers
1938–39St Ninians Thistle
1939–40Alva Albion Rangers
1940–41Maryhill Harp
1941–46No competition
1946–47Dunoon Athletic

SeasonWinners
1918–19St. Anthony's
1919–20Wishaw YMCA
1920–21Kilsyth Emmet
1921–22St. Anthony's
1922–23Dumbarton Harp
1923–24Paisley Juniors
1924–25Bridgeton Waverley
1925–26Port Glasgow Athletic Juniors
1926–27Yoker Athletic
1927–28Dunipace Juniors
1928–29Dunblane Rovers
1929–30Dunblane Rovers
1930–31Kilsyth Rangers
1931–32Denny Hibernian
1932–33Bute Athletic
1933–34St Ninians Thistle
1934–35Rothesay Royal Victoria
1935–36Cumbernauld Thistle
1936–37Forth Rangers
1937–38Grange Rovers
1938–39Dunipace Juniors
1939–40Scottish Dyes
1940–41Maryhill Harp
1941–46No competition
1946–47Alva Albion Rangers

SeasonWinners-
1919–20Duntocher Hibernian-
1920–21St. Roch's-
1921–22Condorrat Rovers-
1922–23Dumbarton Juniors-
1923–24Vale of Leven Juniors-
1924–25Duntocher Hibernian-
1925–26Vale of Leven Juniors-
1926–27Govan Cleansing Department-
1927–28Maryhill Hibernians-
1928–29Coats Juniors-
1929–30Port Glasgow Athletic Juniors-
1930–31Grange Rovers-
1931–32Cumbernauld Thistle-
1932–33Milngavie-
1933–34Baillieston Juniors-
1934–35St Francis-
1935–36Twechar United-
1936–37Kilsyth Rangers-
1937–38Baillieston Juniors-
1938–39Twechar United-
1939–40Baillieston Juniors