EDINBURGH FOOTBALL LEAGUE & EAST OF SCOTLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Main index

 

In the mid 1890s, the Scottish League fixture list ran to only 18 games. Because of this several clubs banded together to form supplementary competitions.

One of these was the Edinburgh League which was formed in 1894 by Hibernian, Heart of Midlothian, Leith Athletic and St Bernards. It changed its name to the East of Scotland League in 1896 when Dundee and East Stirlingshire joined. The latter only lasted for one season but weren’t replaced. Raith Rovers entered in 1898 and when they left in 1903, Aberdeen and Falkirk took their place. The last change in the membership was when St Bernards left in 1906. Like all the other supplementary leagues, this one was also plagued by a lack of dates. Many fixtures doubled up as Scottish League matches, and many more were played in the following season. The East of Scotland League eventually disbanded in 1908. It was replaced the following season by the North Eastern Cup, a straight knockout tournament.

In 1899 Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian also entered the newly formed Inter City Football League along with former Glasgow Football League clubs. Dundee also joined in 1902 and all three continued to play in both leagues.

 

Champions (For the McRae Cup)

1894-95 Heart of Midlothian

1895-96 Heart of Midlothian

1896-97 Heart of Midlothian

1897-98 Heart of Midlothian

1896-97 Heart of Midlothian

1899-00 Heart of Midlothian

1900-01 Dundee

1901-02 Hibernians

1902-03 Dundee

1903-04  Heart of Midlothian

1904-05 Heart of Midlothian or Dundee

1905-06 Heart of Midlothian or Aberdeen (A play-off in August 1906 finished 3-3)

1906-07 Dundee

1907-08

 

 

Membership

Aberdeen                                                            1903-1908

Dundee                                                                                  1896-1908

East Stirlingshire                                                   1896-1897

Falkirk                                                               1903-1908

Heart of Midlothian                                                              1894-1908

Hibernian                                                                               1894-1908

Leith Athletic                                                                        1894-1908

Raith Rovers                                                                          1898-1903

St Bernards                                                                            1894-1907

 

Results and Tables

 

1894-95

Hearts

Hibs

Leith

St Bernards

Heart of

Midlothian

X

Apr 20

1-2

Apr 13

3-2

May 25

6-0

Hibernian

 

Dec 8

1-2

X

Mar 23

2-1

Apr 15

1-1

Leith Athletic

May 11

1-5

Jan 19

3-6

X

X

St Bernards

May 4

0-5

Mar 30

1-5

 

X

 

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

Heart of Midlothian

Hibernian

St Bernards

Leith Athletic

6

6

4

4

5

4

0

0

0

1

1

0

1

2

3

4

22

17

2

7

6

9

17

16

10

9

1

0

 

 

1895-96

Hearts

Hibs

Leith

St Bernards

Heart of

Midlothian

X

Apr 20

7-1

May 16

2-2

Apr 4

4-2

Hibernian

 

Mar 21

0-1

X

 Apr 11

2-2

Feb 29

5-0

Leith Athletic

Apr 25

1-5

May 2

3-3

X

May 9

3-0

St Bernards

Mar 7

1-2

Mar 20

1-3

 

X

 

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

Heart of Midlothian

Hibernian

Leith Athletic

St Bernards

6

6

5

5

5

2

1

0

1

2

3

0

0

2

1

5

21

14

11

4

7

14

12

17

11

6

5

0

 

 

1896-97

Dundee

ES

Hearts

Hibs

Leith

St Bernards

Dundee

X

Mar 6

3-0

Feb 27

1-1

Apr 12

3-1

May 1

0-0 

 

East Stirlingshire

 

X

Jan 4

1-1

Feb 27

2-7

 May 15

1-3

Apr 3

3-1

Heart of

Midlothian

Apr 3

3-2

May 1

8-0

X

Apr 19

4-3

Mar 27

3-0

Mar 20

4-0

Hibernian

 

May 15

3-2

May 3

1-3

Mar 13

5-1

X

Apr 17

1-0

Feb 6

1-2

Leith Athletic

Apr 10

1-3

 Apr 24

2-1

May 8

2-2

Apr 3

1-3

X

Apr 19

3-1

St Bernards

 Apr 24

2-1

 May 8

6-0

Apr 10

0-1

May 1

1-2

May 10

3-0

X

 Different results and dates  have also been noted for the following games

Dundee                                                                0          Leith Athletic                                          1                      Mar 13

Dundee                                                                3          Hibernian                                                2                      Mar 27

 

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

Heart of Midlothian

Hibernian

Dundee

East Stirlingshire

St Bernards

Leith Athletic

10

10

6

6

7

7

6

6

3

2

2

1

3

0

1

1

0

1

1

4

2

3

5

5

28

27

14

9

8

7

14

19

9

21

14

16

15

12

7

5

4

3

 

 

1897-98

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Leith

St Bernards

Dundee

X

 Mar 5

1-3

 Mar 19

 1-3

 Apr 26

0-1

 Feb26

2-2

Heart of

Midlothian

 Apr 27

3-1

X

Feb 12

2-1

Apr 9

3-0

Apr 2

3-1

Hibernian

 

Apr 16

3-1

Mar 26

1-1

X

Mar 12

3-3

Mar 5

2-1

Leith Athletic

 Apr 20

2-3

Apr 30

1-3

Apr 2

1-3

X

Apr 4

3-1

St Bernards

Apr 18

1-1 

Mar 12

2-1

Apr 9

1-1

 

X

 

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

Heart of Midlothian

Hibernian

St Bernards

Leith Arthletic

Dundee

8

8

7

7

8

6

4

1

2

1

1

3

3

1

2

1

1

3

4

5

19

17

9

11

10

8

11

13

16

18

13

11

5

5

4

 

 

1898-99

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Leith

Raith

St Bernards

Dundee

X

Feb 25

0-3

Apr 10

0-0

Mar 4

1-1 

Feb 18

3-0 

 

Heart of

Midlothian

May 13

4-2

X

Apr 29

3-1

Apr 8

4-2

Feb 4

4-1

Apr 22

2-1

Hibernian

 

Apr 22

5-0

Apr 1

1-1

X

Not played 

Mar 4

5-0

Mar 11

4-1

Leith Athletic

 

Mar 11

3-2

May 6

2-0

X

 

Apr 29

2-2

Raith Rovers

Mar 11

3-2

Apr 3

2-3

Apr 15

2-1

Jan 7

2-2

X

Feb 25

4-4 

St Bernards

Apr 16

0-2

Apr 15

0-2

Jan 7

2-1

 

 Apr 7

7-1

X

 

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

Heart of Midlothian

Hibernian

Leith Athletic

Raith Rovers

St Bernards

Dundee

10

9

6

9

8

8

8

3

2

2

2

2

1

2

3

3

2

1

1

4

1

4

4

5

28

18

12

11

17

10

13

11

11

31

18

16

17

8

7

7

6

5

 

 

1899-1900

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Leith

Raith

St Bernards

Dundee

X

Apr 9

1-0

Oct 9

1-4

Jan 1

3-1

 Mar 17

3-2

Apr 14

2-1

Heart of

Midlothian

Mar 24

2-1

X

Aug 19

3-1

Apr 14

0-0

Jan 6

7-0

Aug 26

4-0

Hibernian

 

Aug 26

1-2

May 12

0-0

X

Jan 20

4-0

May 2 %

3-4

May 14

3-2

Leith Athletic

Mar 10

3-2 

Aug 15

1-2

Apr 7

1-2

X

Mar 31

3-0 

Apr 21

0-2

Raith Rovers

 Apr 7

2-0

 

1-3

Oct 2

2-2

Nov 25

4-0 

X

Jan 20

1-1

St Bernards

 Apr 16

0-2

Apr 30

3-1

Apr 23

1-2

 Feb 24

3-0

Mar 10

6-1

X

Notes:

                % played at Kirkcaldy

 

 

 

 

 P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

Heart of Midlothian

Hibernian

Dundee

St Bernards

Raith Rovers

Leith Athletic

10

10

10

10

10

10

6

5

6

4

3

2

2

2

0

1

2

1

2

3

4

5

5

7

22

22

17

19

17

9

8

16

16

16

28

22

14

12

12

9

8

5

 

 

1900-01

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Leith

Raith

St Bernards

Dundee

X

May 4

4-1

Apr 8

2-0

Jan 1

4-0

Mar 2

3-2 

Sep 22

3-1 

Heart of

Midlothian

Mar 16

0-1

X

 

Aug 15

1-3

Nov 24

6-0

Jan 5

4-3

Hibernian

 

Apr 8

2-0 

Aug 18

3-2

X

Nov 3

1-2

Nov 10

3-2

Apr 29

2-1

Leith Athletic

Apr 20

0-2 %

Mar 30

0-3

May 6

0-6  *

X

 Jan 19

3-0

Apr 21

0-2

Raith Rovers

Mar 2

0-1 

 

 

 Oct 27

2-0

X

Mar 3

3-3 

St Bernards

 Dec 8

1-1

 

2-1 

 

 Aug 25

3-0

 Apr 24

2-2

X

Notes:

                % played at Dens Park, Dundee

                * played at Easter Road, Edinburgh

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

Dundee

Hibernian

St Bernards

Heart of Midlothian

Leith Athletic

Raith Rovers

10

7

9

8

10

8

8

5

3

3

3

1

1

0

3

0

0

2

1

2

3

5

7

5

21

17

18

18

8

11

7

9

16

16

24

21

17

10

9

6

6

4

 

 

1901-02

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Leith

Raith

St Bernards

Dundee

X

Jan 4

1-0

 

Apr 19

5-1

 

Feb 8

6-1 

Heart of

Midlothian

Mar 22

0-0

X

Jan 1

1-1

Apr 5

2-1

 

Apr 14

2-1

Hibernian

 

 >Oct 11

2-1

Mar 8

2-0

X

Dec 28

3-2

Dec 7

1-0

 

Leith Athletic

 May 10

2-1

May 12

0-1

May 1

0-1

X

 

Apr 26

1-2 %

Raith Rovers

 Mar 8

1-1

 

4-3 

Apr 7

1-1

Mar 15

1-0

X

Jan 1

2-2

St Bernards

May 3

2-1

Aug 19

1-2

Apr 28

2-3

Apr 12

3-0

May 5

3-3 *

X

Notes:

                % played at Royal Gymnasium, Edinburgh

                * played at Stark’s Park, Kirkcaldy also recorded as 1-1

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

Hibernian

Heart of Midlothian

Dundee

Raith Rovers

St Bernards

Leith Athletic

8

9

8

7

9

9

6

4

3

2

3

1

2

2

2

4

2

0

0

2

3

1

4

8

14

11

16

12

17

7

7

11

9

11

20

19

12

10

8

8

8

2

 

 

1902-03

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Leith

Raith

St Bernards

Dundee

X

 

w-l

 Jan 3

2-1

Jan 2

4-1

Apr 25

6-1 

Jan 24

4-0 

Heart of

Midlothian

May 9

4-1

X

Aug 15

2-1

Feb 7

3-0

May 11

4-1

Aug 18

1-0

Hibernian

 

Apr 18

0-1

Jan 1

0-1

X

May 9

2-2

 

Sep 1

4-1

Leith Athletic

Sep 21

1-3 %

May 4

1-2

 

X

Mar 28

3-2

 

Raith Rovers

May 13

0-1

Apr 6

0-4

 Oct 6

1-1

Apr 11

1-1

X

 

St Bernards

 Apr 25

2-3

May 2

1-1

Dec 27

2-3 

Feb 28

1-0 

 

X

Notes:

                % game held over until 1903-04 season – Dundee won title after the win therefore must have beaten Hearts in their outstanding match. The table below does not include the goals from that game.

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

Dundee

Heart of Midlothian

Hibernian

Leith Athletic

St Bernards

Raith Rovers

10

10

8

8

7

7

9

8

2

1

1

0

0

1

2

2

1

2

1

1

4

5

5

5

25

22

12

9

7

6

10

5

12

18

16

20

18

17

6

4

3

2

 

 

1903-04

Aberdeen

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Falkirk

Leith

St Bernards

Aberdeen

 

X

 Mar 12

2-3

 

0-2 

Jan 4

1-1

Feb 27

3-1 

Feb 1

3-1 

Mar 26

1-1 

Dundee

 

X

 

 Mar 19

1-0

 

 

 

Heart of

Midlothian

 

Apr 18

6-1

X

 

 

Mar 12

3-0

Nov 7

2-0

Hibernian

 

 

 May 7

2-4

Sep 21

0-1

X

 

Apr 9

3-0

Apr 16

1-2

Falkirk

 

 

 

Sep 8

1-5

May 6

2-4

X

May 14

3-1

Apr 9

2-1

Leith Athletic

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

St Bernards

 

 

 

 

Apr 16

1-2 

 

May 7

2-2 

X

 Note:

Aberdeen 3              Falkirk     1              Feb 27   also noted as 3-0

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Heart of Midlothian

Hibernian

Aberdeen

Dundee

Falkirk

St Bernards

Leith Athletic

5

8

6

4

5

6

5

5

3

2

3

2

1

0

0

1

2

0

0

2

1

0

4

2

1

3

3

4

17

13

10

9

9

7

4

2

12

9

10

14

10

14

10

7

6

6

4

4

1

 

 

1904-05

Aberdeen

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Falkirk

Leith

St Bernards

Aberdeen

 

X

Sep 26

1-0

May 1

3-1

Jan 3

3-1

May 1

2-0

 

Jan 2

6-2 

Dundee

Apr 29

2-1

X

Apr 10

3-0

 Oct 10

1-1

Feb 11

0-1

Jan 2

6-0

Mar 18

6-0

Heart of

Midlothian

May 10

1-1

Jan 4

0-0

X

Aug 15

2-0 abd

Aug 23

1-2

Mar 25

4-0

Apr 29

4-1

Hibernian

 

 

Apr 17

1-2

Oct 8

2-2

X

Aug 28

0-1

Apr 29

2-1

Sep 5

1-1

Falkirk

 

 

 Apr 15

1-1

Sep 5

1-2

Apr 11

2-0

X

Apr 8

2-0 

 

Leith Athletic

Apr 22

2-0 

Apr 1

2-1 

May 13

1-2

Feb 25

1-2

Aug 16

X

Apr 17

1-1

St Bernards

 

 

May 8

1-2

 May 13

0-3

 Apr 22

2-2

 

X

 Notes:

both Hibernian  v St. Bernards games played at Easter Road.

The table below includes the abandoned Hearts v Hibernian game on August 15.

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Heart of Midlothian

Dundee

Aberdeen

Falkirk

Hibernian

Leith Athletic

St Bernards

12

11

8

9

11

9

8

6

5

5

5

3

2

0

3

3

1

2

3

1

3

3

3

2

2

5

6

5

20

22

17

12

13

8

8

13

8

9

8

16

20

25

15

13

11

12

9

5

3

 

 

1905-06

Aberdeen

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Falkirk

Leith

St Bernards

Aberdeen

 

X

May 7

1-2 

 

May 5

2-0

 Apr 14

4-0

 

 

Dundee

 

 

X

 

 Apr 9

0-0

 Feb 10

2-1

 

Mar 24

2-0 

Heart of

Midlothian

Mar 24

1-3

Mar 17

3-1

X

 

 

May 14

3-2

 

Hibernian

 

 

 

Aug 15

0-1

X

 

Apr 7

1-0

 

Falkirk

 

 

 

May 8

0-5

May 2

1-0

X

 

Jan 2

3-2

Leith Athletic

May 7

2-3

May 5

2-2

 

 

Apr 21

2-0 

X

 

St Bernards

 

0-0* 

 

May 5

0-5

Apr 4

0-0

 

May 2

2-0

X

 Notes:

The clubs played each other once only

*This scoreline is probably wrong. The likely result was a win for Aberdeen as they played Hearts in August 1906 for the title, the game ending 3-3.

The table below reflects this scenario.

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Heart of Midlothian

Aberdeen

Dundee

St Bernards

Falkirk

Hibernian

Leith Athletic

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

5

5

3

1

2

1

1

0

0

2

2

0

2

1

1

1

1

3

4

3

3

18

13

9

4

5

1

8

6

5

7

11

15

4

11

10

10

8

4

4

4

3

 

 

1906-07

Aberdeen

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Falkirk

Leith

St Bernards

Aberdeen

 

X

 

 

 

 Sep 10

6-1

 

 

Dundee

 

X

 

Aug 15

2-1

 

 May 4

5-1

Apr 27

2-1

Heart of

Midlothian

Aug 15

3-3

 

X

 

Aug 20

5-2

 

 

Hibernian

 

 

 

 

X

 

Jan 26

1-1

 

Falkirk

 

 

 

 

Feb 2

1-1

X

 

Feb 11

2-0

Leith Athletic

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

St Bernards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

By beating Leith 5-4 on 5 May 1907, Dundee were declared champions having won 11 out of 12 points – they were the only side to play all six of their fixtures. St Bernards finished bottom after completing only 2 of their scheduled 6 matches and were not re-elected.

 

 

 

 

1907-08

Aberdeen

Dundee

Hearts

Hibs

Falkirk

Leith

Aberdeen

 

X

 

 

 

Apr 29

1-1

 

Dundee

 

X

 

Oct 14

1-1

 

 

Heart of

Midlothian

Apr 27

2-1

 

X

Jan 1

0-4

Aug 21

4-0

 

Hibernian

 

 

 

 

X

 

Aug 15

2-0

Falkirk

 

 

 

 

Aug 19

1-1

X

Aug 26

3-0

Leith Athletic

 

 

Aug 19

0-1

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

Hibernian

Heart of Midlothian

Falkirk

Aberdeen

Dundee

Leith Athletic

4

4

4

2

1

3

2

3

1

1

0

0

2

0

2

1

1

0

0

1

1

0

0

3

8

7

5

2

1

0

2

5

6

3

1

6

6

6

4

3

1

0

 

Last Update 6 March 2007

Additional dates and results supplied by Stuart Robertson

 

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