The East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) is a league of football teams from south-east Scotland formed in 1923. It is one of Scotland's three "senior" non-leagues which sit below the Scottish Football League (SFL), the other two being the Highland Football League and the South of Scotland Football League (SoSFL).
Its clubs are largely drawn from the Edinburgh, Lothians and Scottish Borders areas, although with a number of clubs having opted to join their ranks from the SoSFL in recent years: (Annan Athletic, who left when elected to the SFL in 2008; Threave Rovers, who subsequently left to rejoin the SoSFL; and Dalbeattie Star, who resigned as members in July 2009 to concentrate on the SoSFL) mean there are other clubs, Gretna 2008 and Stirling University, from other areas too.
The EoSFL is split into two divisions. Up until the end of the 2010-11 season there were 12 clubs in the Premier Division and 12 in the First Division. Two clubs are promoted and relegated between the two divisions at the end of each season. The current league sponsor is Central Taxis.
The EoSFL oversees the leagues and League Cup competitions; the East of Scotland Football Association (EoSFA) is a technically independent body, which organises all the other cups. Most of the officials sit on both bodies, and the Executive Committee is a joint organisation. The current President of the EoSFA is Morain Scott (of Coldstream) while the President of the EoSFL is Tom Allison (of Lothian Thistle). The secretary of both organisations is John Greenhorn (Ormiston).
The EoSFL also organises an Under-19 league, along with a League Cup and Challenge Cup. Current members are Spartans, Tynecastle, Whitehill Welfare, Edinburgh City, Lothian Thistle, Civil Service Strollers, Preston Athletic and Berwick Rangers. The Under-19 teams of Hearts, Hibs and Livingston do not participate in EoSFL competitions. All 11 teams play in the Scottish Football Association's Scottish Youth Cup annually.
The EoSFL and EoSFA are full members of the Scottish Football Association.
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Heriot-Watt University and Preston Athletic are relegated to the First Division, joining newly elected Duns F.C., while Gretna 2008 and Leith Athletic are promoted to the Premier Division. The 2011-12 league will be sponsored by Central Taxis.
All 25 clubs enter the King Cup, Image Printers East of Scotland Qualifying Cup and South Challenge Cup, which also includes South of Scotland League clubs as well as full SFA members Girvan, Glasgow University and Burnisland Shipyard. All clubs, with the exception of Duns, enter the East of Scotland Qualifying Leagues with progression to the League Cup.
In addition, the following clubs are also members of the EoSFA only, playing in the national leagues:
All have little involvement in EoSFA competitions: Hearts and Hibs contest the East of Scotland Shield (although this competition is held irregularly), while Berwick Rangers and Livingston participate in the East of Scotland (City) Cup. From the 2010/11 season Berwick Rangers Reserves will play in the East of Scotland First Division.
An earlier East of Scotland League existed between 1896 and 1906 when the supplementary Edinburgh Football League changed its name after accepting Dundee as a member. There is no connection between the two incarnations of the league.
The EoSFL is generally not viewed as being as strong as the Highland League (with fewer of their club sides defeating SFL sides in the Scottish Cup competition as opposed to the HFL) but is still regarded as being stronger than the SoSFL. A number of the sides in the EoSFL have applied to join the SFL in recent years, with Gala Fairydean applying in 1994, 2000 and 2002, Preston Athletic applying in 2000 and 2002, Annan Athletic in 2000 and Edinburgh City attempting to join in 2002.
In 2004, Threave Rovers pulled out of the League to concentrate their efforts on the South of Scotland Football League. This left the League with an uneven number of clubs and they were expected to fill the vacancy in the Summer of 2005, with Gala Rovers widely touted as likely candidates. However this did not happen. The only change that happened at that year's Annual General Meeting of the League was that Tollcross United announced they would be competing as Tynecastle from the 2005–06 season.
In 2006, Peebles Rovers merged with several local amateur sides to become Peebles, who took Rovers place in the league. At the 2007 AGM, agreement was reached to admit the reserve side of Berwick Rangers as the twelfth member of the First Division. They have also entered the League Cup, but no other cups, in 2007–08. However, the reserves lasted only one season following Berwick Rangers' relegation to the fourth tier of Scottish football. They have been replaced by Stirling University.
Gretna 2008 entered the league in 2008, formed in the wake of the financial disaster that befell Gretna's former club, Gretna F.C. The original club had meteorically risen from the Third Division to the SPL in three years due to the support of multimillionaire Brooks Mileson. However, they were not competitive in the SPL in their only season in that league in 2007–08, and Mileson was forced to withdraw his support due to a health crisis that would ultimately claim his life. The debt-ridden club resigned its place in the SFL, and was liquidated in August 2008. In the meantime, local supporters formed a new club to keep senior football in the town—although Gretna 2008 has initially had to play its home matches in nearby Annan.
Gretna 2008 took the place in the EoSFL, though not the league position, of Annan Athletic, which was elected by the SFL to take the place in the Third Division that Gretna F.C. was forced to resign. Annan Athletic had been in the EoSFL Premiership, while Gretna 2008 began its life in the EoSFL First Division.
The admission of Duns F.C. prior to the 2011-12 season brings the number of sides in the EoSFL to 25, the highest it has ever been.
Attendances in the EoSFL are not particularly high as clubs in the Edinburgh area must compete with a number of SFL and SPL clubs and in the Borders area the sport of Rugby Union is more popular. Crowds vary from in the hundreds at Gretna, Spartans and Preston, to handfuls at Eyemouth or Easthouses. Generally, the majority of clubs attract a few dozen fans to each match.
The following clubs have seated stands and floodlights at their stadiums: Berwick Rangers Reserves, Edinburgh City, Preston Athletic, Gala Fairydean, Hawick Royal Albert, Gretna FC 2008, Spartans, and Peebles (although Peebles lack floodlights).
The following clubs have floodlights only: Edinburgh University (depending what pitch is in use), Lothian Thistle, Heriot-Watt University. Selkirk is believed to be considering fitting floodlights in the next season or two.
Champions Spartans have the newest stadium in the EoSFL, playing there for the first time in season 2009-10. Ainslie Park has a capacity of 4,000, including 504 seats. It has floodlights too. Ainslie Park also has a full size and floodlit artificial training pitch.
Ormiston, Vale of Leithen and Whitehill Welfare have covered standing provision.
The largest stadium in the EoSFL is Meadowbank Stadium, home of Edinburgh City, with a capacity of between 16,000 and 17,000 all seated, an electronic scoreboard, floodlights and various other facilities. The running track, however, means spectators are a long way from the pitch. Most cup finals tend to be played at Whitehill Welfare, Preston Athletic or Heriot-Watt University, or very occasionally at Heart of Midlothian or Hibernian's grounds.
1923–24 Coldstream
1924–25 Vale of Leithen
1925–26 Civil Service Strollers
1926–27 Civil Service Strollers
1927–28 Berwick Rangers
1928–29 Peebles Rovers
1929–30 Bathgate
1930–31 Bathgate
1931–32 Penicuik Athletic
1932–33 Peebles Rovers
1933–34 Peebles Rovers
1934–35 Peebles Rovers
1935–36 Peebles Rovers
1936–37 Jedburgh Artisans
1937–38 Penicuik Athletic
1938–39 Bo'ness
1939–40 - 1944–45 No league championship for the duration of the Second World War
1945–46 Peebles Rovers
1946–47 Berwick Rangers
1947–48 Hibernian 'B'
1948–49 Hibernian 'B'
1949–50 Heart of Midlothian 'B'
1950–51 Hibernian 'B'
1951–52 Hibernian 'B'
1952–53 Hibernian 'B'
1953–54 unfinished
1954–55 Eyemouth United
1955–56 Eyemouth United
1956–57 Eyemouth United
1957–58 unfinished
1958–59 unfinished
1959–60 unfinished
1960–61 Gala Fairydean
1961–62 Gala Fairydean
1962–63 unfinished
1963–64 Gala Fairydean
1964–65 Gala Fairydean
1965–66 Gala Fairydean
1966–67 Hawick Royal Albert
1967–68 Hawick Royal Albert
1968–69 Gala Fairydean
1969–70 Cowdenbeath 'A'
1970–71 Eyemouth United
1971–72 Spartans
1972–73 Civil Service Strollers
1973–74 Hawick Royal Albert
1974–75 Selkirk
1975–76 Selkirk
1976–77 Selkirk
1977–78 Vale of Leithen
1978–79 Vale of Leithen
1979–80 Whitehill Welfare
1980–81 Whitehill Welfare
1981–82 Whitehill Welfare
1982–83 Whitehill Welfare
1983–84 Spartans
1984–85 Whitehill Welfare
1985–86 Whitehill Welfare
1986–87 Vale of Leithen
1987–88
(Premier Division) - Whitehill Welfare
(1st Division) - Annan Athletic
1988–89
(Premier Division) - Gala Fairydean
(1st Division) - Peebles Rovers
1989–90
(Premier Division) - Annan Athletic
(1st Division) - Coldstream
1990–91
(Premier Division) - Gala Fairydean
(1st Division) - Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare
1991–92
(Premier Division) - Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare
(1st Division) - Manor Thistle F.C.
1992–93
(Premier Division) - Whitehill Welfare
(1st Division) - :*Civil Service Strollers
1993–94
(Premier Division) - Whitehill Welfare
(1st Division) - Tollcross United
1994–95
(Premier Division) - Whitehill Welfare
(1st Division) - Pencaitland
1995–96
(Premier Division) - Whitehill Welfare
(1st Division) - Edinburgh City
1996–97
(Premier Division) - Spartans
(1st Division) - Lothian Thistle
1997-98
(Premier Division) - Whitehill Welfare
(1st Division) - Peebles Rovers
1998–99
(Premier Division) - Whitehill Welfare
(1st Division) - Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare
1999–00
(Premier Division) - Annan Athletic
(1st Division) - Threave Rovers
2000–01
(Premier Division) - Annan Athletic
(1st Division) - Pencaitland & Ormiston
2001–02
(Premier Division) - Spartans
(1st Division) - Preston Rovers
2002–03
(Premier Division) - Whitehill Welfare
(1st Division) - Edinburgh University
2003–04
(Premier Division) - Spartans
(1st Division) - Kelso United
2004–05
(Premier Division) - Spartans
(1st Division) - Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare
2005–06
(Premier Division) - Edinburgh City
(1st Division) - Craigroyston
2006–07
(Premier Division) - Annan Athletic
(1st Division) - Dalbeattie Star
2007–08
(Premier Division) - Whitehill Welfare
(1st Division) - Heriot-Watt University
2008–09
(Premier Division) - Spartans
(1st Division) - Tynecastle
2009–10
(Premier Division) - Spartans
(1st Division) - Stirling University
2010–11
(Premier Division) - Spartans
(1st Division) - Gretna 2008
| Rank | Club | East of Scotland League Titles (pre 1987–1988) | East of Scotland Premier League Titles (1987–1998–present) | Total Number of Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitehill Welfare | 6 | 9 | 15 |
| 2 | Gala Fairydean | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| 3 | Spartans | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| 4 | Peebles Rovers | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 5 | Hibernian 'B' | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 6= | Annan Athletic | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 6= | Eyemouth United | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 6= | Vale of Leithen | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 9= | Civil Service Strollers | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 9= | Hawick Royal Albert | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 9= | Selkirk | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 12= | Bathgate | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 12= | Berwick Rangers | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 12= | Penicuik Athletic | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 15= | Bo'Ness | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 15= | Coldstream | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 15= | Cowdenbeath 'A' | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 15= | Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 15= | Edinburgh City | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 15= | Heart of Midlothian 'B' | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 15= | Jedburgh Artisans | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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