North Region Junior Football League

Football league
North Region Junior Football League
Founded2001 (23 years ago) (2001)
Country Scotland
Number of teams30
Level on pyramid6–7
Promotion toHighland League
Domestic cup(s)Scottish Cup (licensed clubs and league winners
Scottish Junior Cup
Current championsCulter (8th title)
(2022–23)
Most championshipsCulter (8 titles)
WebsiteSJFA North Region
Current: 2023–24 North Region Junior Football League

The North Region Junior Football League is a football league based in the north east of Scotland. The league sits at levels 6–7 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Highland Football League.

Geographically, the league covers Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray.

The winners take part in an end of season promotion play-off with the Midlands Football League and North Caledonian Football League champions, subject to clubs meeting the required licensing criteria.

From 2018 to 2022, the league consisted of three divisions at Tiers 6 to 8. The 2018 league was essentially a continuation of a two division system which operated from 2003. It was split into two geographical sections at Tier 7 from 2011, with the lower (Tier 8) Division Two disbanded two years later. After five seasons of that setup, a three-division model was restored.

Member clubs for the 2021–22 season

Beginning from the 2013–14 season, the two automatically relegated clubs drop into one of two regional divisions below the North Superleague.[1] In 2016–17 and 2017–18, a play-off was introduced between the third bottom Superleague side and the runners-up in the East and West sections of the North First Division, potentially adding a third relegation place. Subsequently, there has been automatic relegation only in a deregionalised league system.

Membership of the North Region Premier Division is dependent on more stringent ground criteria than the general entry requirements to the North Region and in recent years, both Inverness City (twice), and Grantown were refused promotion to the North Superleague on this basis.[2][3]

Premier Division

Club Location Ground Finishing position 2018–19[a]
Banchory St Ternan Banchory Milton Park 1st in North First Division
Bridge of Don Thistle Aberdeen Aberdeen Sports Village 2nd
Colony Park Inverurie Colony Park 9th
Culter Peterculter Crombie Park 5th
Deveronside Macduff Myrus Centre 2nd in North First Division
Dyce Juniors Dyce Ian Mair Park 8th
East End Aberdeen New Advocates Park 11th
Ellon United Ellon The Meadows 12th
Hall Russell United Bridge of Don Denmore Park 10th
Hermes Bridge of Don Lochside Park 4th
Maud Maud Maud Pleasure Park 6th
Montrose Roselea Montrose Links Park 3rd
Nairn St Ninian Nairn Showfield Park 7th
  1. ^ The 2019–20 season was declared null and void.[4]

Championship

Club Location Home ground Finishing position 2018–19[5]
Aberdeen University Aberdeen Hillhead Centre 2nd, Second Division
Buchanhaven Hearts Peterhead Raemoss Park 1st, Second Division
Dufftown Dufftown Westburn Park 13th, North Superleague
Fraserburgh United Fraserburgh College Park 3rd
Longside Longside Davidson Park 6th
Stonehaven Stonehaven Glenury Park 14th, North Superleague
Stoneywood Parkvale Aberdeen Clark Commercial Park 4th
Sunnybank Aberdeen Heathryfold Park 5th

Champions and season summaries

Year Winner Runners-up Relegated Promoted Champions' progression
in Scottish Cup
2001–02 Formartine United Culter Buchanhaven Hearts Aberdeen Lads Club N/A
2002–03 Sunnybank Culter Deveronside Turriff United N/A
2003–04 Culter Sunnybank Cruden Bay
Aberdeen Lads Club
Maud
Ellon United
N/A
2004–05 Culter (2) Glentanar East End
Maud
Parkvale
Fraserburgh United
N/A
2005–06 Culter (3) Formartine United Fraserburgh United
FC Stoneywood
Dyce Juniors
Islavale
N/A
2006–07 Culter (4) Sunnybank Islavale
Glentanar
East End
Maud
3rd Round 2007–08
2007–08 Banks O' Dee Sunnybank Formartine United
Parkvale
Banchory St. Ternan
Lewis United
2nd Round 2008–09
2008–09 Banks O' Dee (2) Sunnybank Hillhead
Stonehaven
Buchanhaven Hearts
FC Stoneywood
2nd Round 2009–10
2009–10 Sunnybank (2) Culter East End
Buchanhaven Hearts
Fraserburgh United
Stonehaven
3rd Round 2010–11
2010–11 Culter (5) Hall Russell United Fraserburgh United Forres Thistle 3rd Round 2011–12
2011–12 Hermes Stonehaven Forres Thistle
Sunnybank
Fraserburgh United
Deveronside
1st Round 2012–13
2012–13 Culter (6) Dyce Juniors Lewis United
Fraserburgh United
New Elgin
East End
3rd Round 2013–14
2013–14 Culter (7) Banks O' Dee East End
Longside
Inverness City
Cruden Bay
2nd Round 2014–15
2014–15 Hermes (2) Maud New Elgin
Cruden Bay
Bridge of Don Thistle
Dufftown
2nd Preliminary round 2015–16
2015–16 Banks O' Dee (3) Hermes Ellon United
FC Stoneywood
Buckie Rovers
Colony Park
2nd Round 2016–17
2016–17 Banks O' Dee (4) Dyce Juniors Buckie Rovers
Deveronside
Ellon United
Montrose Roselea
3rd Round 2017–18
2017–18 Banks O' Dee (5) Hermes Banchory St. Ternan
Inverness City
Aberdeen East End
Nairn St. Ninian
1st Preliminary round 2018–19
2018–19[6] Banks O' Dee (6) Bridge of Don Thistle Dufftown
Stonehaven
Banchory St. Ternan
Deveronside
2nd Round 2019–20
2019–20[7] Season declared Null and void on 2 May 2020 after vote among SJFA North clubs, no champion was declared and no relegation applied.[4][a] 2nd Round 2020–21
2020–21 Season declared Null and void by SJFA on 16 Mar 2021, no champion was declared and no relegation applied.[8] N/A
2021–22 Banks O' Dee (7) Bridge of Don Thistle Deveronside Stonehaven
Stoneywood Parkvale
Dufftown
1st Round 2022–23
2022–23 Culter (8) Hermes Dufftown
Banchory St Ternan
Sunnybank
Fraserburgh United
Rothie Rovers
Buchanhaven Hearts
Newmachar United
  1. ^ Using a 'points per game' algorithm applied in other leagues, Banks O' Dee (who were leading the table by a big margin) would have been nominal champions.

North Region League Championship

Season Winners Runner Up Third
2018–19[5] Banchory St. Ternan Deveronside Fraserburgh Utd
2019–20[9] Null and void[4][a]
2021–22 Stonehaven Stoneywood Parkvale Dufftown
2022–23 Sunnybank Fraserburgh United Rothie Rovers
  1. ^ Using the 'points per game' algorithm applied in other leagues, Aberdeen University would have been nominal champions ahead of Fraserburgh United.

References

  1. ^ Easton, Richard (9 June 2013). "Clubs agree to league reconstruction". SJFA, North Region. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  2. ^ "Inverness City's future under threat". Inverness Courier. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  3. ^ Easton, Richard. "Superleague play off to take place at Colony Park". North Region SJFA. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Clark, Will (2 May 2020). "North junior football season is declared null and void as season over for Nairn St Ninian". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  5. ^ a b McBookie.Com First Division Table 18/19, North Region Junior Football League
  6. ^ McBookie.Com Superleague Table 18/19, North Region Junior Football League
  7. ^ McBookie.Com Superleague Table 19/20, North Region Junior Football League
  8. ^ "SEASON 2020/21 ENDED". Scottish Junior FA. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  9. ^ McBookie.Com First Division Table 19/20, North Region Junior Football League
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Premier Division
Championship
Seasons
Defunct divisions
Former clubs