List of Scottish Football League clubs

The Scottish Football League ("SFL") was established in 1890, initially as an amateur league as professionalism had not been legalised in Scottish football.[1] In 1893 a Second Division was formed, with the existing single division renamed the First Division. The Second Division was discontinued during the First World War but revived in 1921.[2] A Third Division was added in 1923 but collapsed three years later as a number of its member clubs found themselves unable to complete their fixtures for financial reasons, with many folding altogether. After the Second World War the divisions were rebranded as Division A and Division B and a Division C was added. This included a mixture of new member clubs and the reserve teams of clubs from the higher divisions, but this division was dropped in 1955.[3]

Third Lanark enjoyed great success in the early days of Scottish football but disbanded in the 1960s.

A major re-organisation of the SFL in 1975 led to the existing two divisions being split into three smaller divisions, with a new Premier Division at the highest level. This structure remained in place until 1998, when the teams then in the Premier Division broke away to form the Scottish Premier League, which supplanted the Premier Division as the highest level of football in Scotland.[4] In 2013 the two leagues merged to form the new Scottish Professional Football League, ending the 123-year existence of the SFL.

For the whole history of the SFL, there was no mechanism in place for club(s) at the bottom of the league to be relegated.[5] A number of clubs who resigned or were expelled from the SFL went on to play in non-league football, either in senior leagues such as the East of Scotland Football League or in leagues governed by the Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA).[6][7] Whenever a club left the league (for example, when Gretna was liquidated in 2008), a new club was elected in its place.[8] This closed-shop system was changed soon after the leagues merged, when a play-off between the bottom-placed SPFL club and the winner of a play-off between the Highland League and Lowland League champions was introduced in 2015. Edinburgh City became the first club to be promoted to the SPFL when they won a playoff against East Stirlingshire in 2016.[9]

Clubs

The tables show the first and last seasons in which each club competed in the league. Some clubs' membership was intermittent between their first and last seasons. Clubs shown in bold were among the founder members of the league. Where a former club has become defunct, any phoenix club formed as a successor side is noted.

Former member clubs currently playing in the SPFL
ClubFirst SFL
season		Last SFL
season		Notes
Aberdeen1904–051997–98[10]
Airdrieonians[note 1]2002–032012–13[11]
Albion Rovers1903–042012–13[12]
Alloa Athletic1921–222012–13[13]
Annan Athletic2008–092012–13[14]
Arbroath1921–222012–13[15]
Ayr United1910–112012–13[16]
Brechin City1923–242012–13[17]
Celtic1890–911997–98[18]
Clyde1891–922012–13[19]
Cowdenbeath1905–062012–13[20]
Dumbarton1890–912012–13[21]
Dundee1893–942011–12[22]
Dundee United1910–111997–98[23]
Dunfermline Athletic1912–132012–13[24]
East Fife1921–222012–13[25]
Elgin City2000–012012–13[26]
Falkirk1902–032012–13[27]
Forfar Athletic1921–222012–13[28]
Hamilton Academical1897–982012–13[29]
Heart of Midlothian1890–911997–98[30]
Hibernian1893–941998–99[31]
Inverness Caledonian Thistle1994–952009–10[32]
Kilmarnock1895–961997–98[33]
Livingston1995–962012–13[34]
Montrose1923–242012–13[35]
Morton1893–942012–13[36]
Motherwell1893–941997–98[37]
Partick Thistle1893–942012–13[38]
Peterhead2000–012012–13[39]
Queen of the South1923–242012–13[40]
Queen's Park1900–012012–13[41]
Raith Rovers1902–032012–13[42]
Rangers1890–912012–13[43]
Ross County1994–952011–12[44]
St Johnstone1897–982008–09[45]
St Mirren1890–912005–06[46]
Stenhousemuir1921–222012–13[47]
Stirling Albion1946–472012–13[48]
Stranraer1949–502012–13[49]

Other former member clubs
ClubFirst SFL
season		Last SFL
season		Current statusNotes
Abercorn1890–911914–15Defunct effectively from 1920 due to being unable to secure a new ground, officially in 1922 (an annual club dinner however was held until 1939).[50]
Airdrieonians1894–952001–02Officially defunct, but former owners took over the Clydebank club and renamed it as Airdrie United, before re-adopting the name Airdrieonians in 2013.[51][52]
Armadale1921–221931–32Defunct, reconstituted as Armadale Thistle currently playing in the SJFA East Region Premiership South[53]
Arthurlie1901–021928–29Reformed in 1931, currently competing in the West of Scotland League (withdrawn)[6][54][55]
Ayr1897–981909–10Merged with Ayr Parkhouse to form Ayr United[56][57]
Ayr Parkhouse1902–031909–10Merged with Ayr to form Ayr United[57][58]
Bathgate1921–221928–29[note 2]Defunct[59]
Beith1923–241925–26Reformed as Beith Juniors and currently competing in the West of Scotland League Premier Division[6][60][61][55]
Berwick Rangers1951–522012–13Playing in the Lowland League[62]
Bo'ness1921–221931–32Merged with Bo'ness Cadora to form Bo'ness United and currently competing in the Lowland League[63][64][55]
Broxburn United1921–221925–26Defunct[65][55]
Cambuslang1890–911891–92Defunct[66][55]
Clackmannan1921–221925–26Defunct[67]
Clydebank (original club)1914–151930–31Defunct[68][55]
Clydebank (second club)1965–662001–02Taken over by the former owners of the defunct Airdrieonians, who renamed the club as Airdrie United whilst selling the rights to the name Clydebank FC to that side's supporters club, which currently competes in the West of Scotland League Premier Division[52][69][55]
Cowlairs1890–911894–95Defunct[70]
Dumbarton Harp1923–241924–25Defunct - although amateur side continues[71]
Dundee Wanderers1894–951894–95Defunct[72]
Dykehead1923–241925–26Defunct[73]
East Stirlingshire1900–012012–13Playing in the Lowland League[74]
Edinburgh City1931–321948–49Defunct. The name was revived in 1986 when Postal United were renamed Edinburgh City; this club gained promotion from the Lowland League to the SPFL in 2016[75][76]
Galston1923–241925–26Defunct[77]
Gretna2002–032006–07[note 3]Defunct, though a 'new' club set up by its supporters, Gretna 2008, play in the Lowland League at the same ground[78][79]
Helensburgh1923–241925–26Defunct[80]
Johnstone1912–131925–26Defunct[81]
King's Park1921–221938–39Technically defunct - but see Stirling Albion[82][55]
Leith Athletic1891–921952–53Defunct - revived version of the club currently competing in the East of Scotland League First Division Conference A[83]
Linthouse1895–961899–1900Defunct[84][55]
Lochgelly United1914–151925–26Defunct[85]
Meadowbank Thistle1974–751994–95Relocated and became Livingston. The current club considers its founding date to be 1995.[86][87]
Mid-Annandale1923–241925–26Defunct, revived version of the club currently competing in the South of Scotland League[7][88][55]
Nithsdale Wanderers1923–241926–27Defunct, revived version of the club currently competing in the South of Scotland League[7][89][55]
Northern1893–941893–94Defunct[90][55]
Peebles Rovers1923–241925–26Competing in the East of Scotland League First Division Conference B[91][92][55]
Port Glasgow Athletic1893–941910–11Officially defunct, however the current Port Glasgow Juniors celebrated their "centenary" in 1993.[93][55]
Renton1890–911897–98Defunct in 1922. Resurrected several times, most recently in 2008[94]
Royal Albert1923–241925–26Reformed in 1928, currently competing in the West of Scotland League (withdrawn)[6][95][55]
Solway Star1923–241925–26Defunct[96]
St Bernard's1893–941938–39Defunct, revived version of the club joined local Edinburgh & District Amateur League[97][55]
Third Lanark1890–911966–67Defunct 1967, however amateur side has continued haphazardly in Glasgow amateur leagues[98][55]
Thistle1893–941893–94Defunct[99][55]
Vale of Leven1890–911925–26Reformed in 1939, currently competing in the West of Scotland League Conference B[6][100][55]

See also

Notes
  1. Formally a continuation of Clydebank, who relocated to Airdrie in 2002 and were renamed Airdrie United. The name was changed in 2013 to Airdrieonians, the same name as the original Airdrieonians club that was liquidated in 2002.
  2. Bathgate resigned during the 1928–29 season and the club's record was expunged from the table.
  3. Gretna officially returned to the Scottish League upon being relegated from the Scottish Premier League at the conclusion of the 2007–08 season, but resigned from the league before the start of the subsequent season.

References
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