Scottish
Football League
Elections
1893-2008
|
See also Eastern League
1912-1914 Eastern League
1915-1923 Scottish Alliance
1891-1897 Scottish Alliance
1919-1938 Southern Counties League
1921-1923 Southern Counties League
1927-1937 |
When the Scottish
League needs to expand its membership or replace an outgoing club, it uses an
election procedure when it admits new members. Certain criteria, such as
ground potential and financial stability are used when assessing new
applicants, and these are put to the entire League membership to vote upon to
determine who the successful clubs are. |
In 1893, the League decided to form a
Second Division and used the Scottish Alliance, the principal non-League
competition, as the backbone for the new competition. Abercorn and Clyde,
who were not re-elected at the initial
AGM, were also granted a place in the new section as was Hibernian who had
recently restarted after taking a season.
|
1893 Ballot taken to determine which
clubs would form the new Second Division |
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Club |
Votes |
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League |
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Abercorn Clyde Hibernian Cowlairs Morton Motherwell Partick Thistle Port Glasgow
Athletic Northern Thistle |
|
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Scottish League Scottish League Scottish Alliance Scottish Alliance Scottish Federation Scottish Alliance Scottish Alliance Scottish Alliance Scottish Alliance |
On 20 October 1897,
Renton resigned from the Second Division for financial reasons – they could not
meet the £10 guaranteed gate money for visiting clubs. As they had only
completed four games it was decided that a replacement club would be elected to
fulfil the rest of the fixtures.
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1897 Ballot taken to find replacement for
Renton, who resigned on 20 October 1897 |
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Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Hamilton
Academical Albion
Rovers Arthurlie East
Stirlingshire Falkirk Raith
Rovers Victoria United |
|
Elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not elected |
Scottish
Combination Central
Combination Central
Combination Northern League |
In 1912 the League decided to increase the
membership by two clubs.
|
1912 Ballot taken to
increase size of Second Division |
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Club |
Votes |
|
League |
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Dunfermline
Athletic Johnstone Bathgate Galston Peebles Rovers |
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Elected Elected Not
elected Not
elected Not elected |
Central
League Scottish
Union Central
League Scottish Union Eastern League |
In 1917, because of the financial hardship
caused by the Great War, the League requested that the three most northerly
clubs stepped down. Clydebank were then co-opted to even up the division.
|
1917 Ballot taken to determine which club
would even up the League |
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Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Clydebank Albion
Rovers Stevenston
United Aberdeen Dundee Raith Rovers |
|
Elected Not
elected Not
elected These clubs were asked to withdraw to ease
travelling |
Western
League Western
League Western
League First
Division First
Division First Division |
After
hostilities ceased, Aberdeen, Dundee and Raith Rovers all returned. As this left
an uneven number again, a vote was taken for an additional club.
|
1919 Ballot taken to determine which club
would even up the League |
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Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Albion
Rovers Cowdenbeath Aberdeen Dundee Raith Rovers |
11 10 |
Elected Not elected These clubs returned to the League after
their two year hiatus. |
Western League |
Between 1919 and 1921, the League found
itself at odds with the Central League which was angry that the Second Division
hadn’t been restarted in 1919. As the latter were not members of the
Inter-League Board, they could sign players without paying transfer fees which
meant more money was available for wages. Clubs such as Dunfermline and St
Bernards could entice star players, ensuring attendances at Central League
grounds rivalled Scottish League ones. In 1921, the Scottish League finally
relented and applications were requested from any club wishing to form a Second
Division. The entire Central League were elected as was a number of clubs from
other leagues.
|
1921 Clubs re-forming
the Second Division |
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Club |
Votes |
|
League |
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Alloa
Athletic Arbroath Armadale Bathgate Bo’ness Broxburn
United Clackmannan Cowdenbeath Dundee
Hibernian Dunfermline
Athletic East
Fife East
Stirlingshire Forfar
Athletic Johnstone King’s
Park Lochgelly
United St
Bernards St
Johnstone Stenhousemuir Vale of Leven |
|
Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected |
Central
League Scottish
Alliance Central
League Central
League Central
League Central
League Central
League Central
League Central
League Central
League Central
League Central
League Scottish
Alliance Western
League Central
League Central
League Central
League Central
League Central
League Western League |
In 1923, the League took the, in hindsight,
ludicrous decision to create a Third Division. Even from the outset it seems they
had reservations about this. The clubs would enter as Associate Members thus
have no vote. There would be sixteen clubs in membership, but if less than
fourteen failed to fulfil their fixtures, only one club instead of two would be
promoted. The whole section subsequently collapsed in 1926.
|
1923 Clubs forming the
Third Division |
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Club |
Votes |
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League |
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Arthurlie Beith Brechin
City Clackmannan Dumbarton
Harp Dykehead East
Stirlingshire Galston Helensburgh Mid-Annandale Montrose Nithsdale
Wanderers Peebles
Rovers Queen
of the South Royal
Albert Solway Star Arbroath Athletic |
|
Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Elected Not elected |
Western
League Western
League Eastern
League Eastern
League Western
League Western
League Second
Division Western
League Western
League Southern
Counties League Eastern
League Western
League Western
League Western
League Western
League Western League Eastern League |
Incredibly the Third Division was increased
in size to seventeen clubs.
|
1924 Additional club |
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Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Leith Athletic |
|
Elected |
Scottish Alliance |
Bathgate resigned in
February 1929 and their record expunged on 12 March 1929. Although Arthurlie
also resigned, on 17 April 1929, their record was allowed to stand as they had
completed their matches against the leading clubs. A ballot was taken at the
Scottish League’s AGM to replace them.
|
1929 Ballot taken to determine who would
replace Arthurlie and Bathgate |
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Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Montrose Brechin
City Nithsdale Wanderers |
31 24 17 |
Elected Elected Not Elected |
Scottish
Alliance Scottish
Alliance Scottish Alliance |
After being re-elected at the Scottish
League’s AGM, Clydebank subsequently disbanded on 26 June 1931 so another
ballot was taken to replace them.
|
1931 Ballot taken to determine who would
replace Clydebank |
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Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Edinburgh
City Nithsdale Wanderers |
25 7 |
Elected Not Elected |
Edinburgh
& District League Southern Counties League |
In 1964 East
Stirlingshire moved from Falkirk to Clydebank and merged with the local Junior club.
After a legal challenge this move was aborted and after "de-merging" of East Stirlingshire
returned to Falkirk. The new Clydebank club then applied for a League place, a
vote was taken to elect the new Clydebank to the League. Despite there being an
odd number of clubs in membership at this time, only19 were in favour, with 18
against. As a two-thirds majority was needed, Clydebank failed to gain
admission.
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1965 Additional club |
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Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Clydebank |
19 18 |
Not elected |
|
Common sense prevailed a year later
when a vote was taken to even up the
Division to twenty clubs.
|
1966 Additional club |
|
|
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|
Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Clydebank Gala
Fairydean Hawick Royal Albert |
|
Elected Not
elected Not elected |
Combined
Reserve League East
of Scotland League East of Scotland League |
To prepare for the reconstruction of the
divisions into Premier-First-Second it was necessary to elect a 38th member.
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1974 Additional club |
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|
Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Ferranti
Thistle Inverness
Thistle Elgin
City Forres
Mechanics Gateshead
United Hawick
Royal Albert Ross County |
21 16 |
Elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not elected |
East
of Scotland League Highland
League Highland
League Highland
League East
of Scotland League Highland League |
In 1994 the divisions were being
re-organized into four sections and it was necessary to admit two more clubs.
|
1994 Additional clubs |
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|
Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Caledonian
Thistle Ross
County Gala
Fairydean Elgin
City Gretna |
68 57 35 10 2 |
Elected Elected Not
elected Not
elected Not elected |
Highland
League Highland
League East
of Scotland League Highland
League Northern Premier League |
In 1998, the Scottish Premier League was
formed by ten clubs. When this was increased to twelve in 2000, the Scottish
League had to admit two more clubs to enable it to continue with three
divisions of ten clubs each.
|
2000 Additional clubs |
|
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Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Peterhead Elgin
City Annan
Athletic Cove
Rangers Gala
Fairydean Gretna Preston Athletic |
16 |
Elected Elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not elected |
Highland
League Highland
League East
of Scotland League Highland
League East
of Scotland League Northern
Premier League East of Scotland League |
Peterhead were elected on the first
ballot. Elgin City gained 16 of the 23
votes in the second ballot and were also elected.
Airdrieonians disbanded at the end of the
2001-02 season. A vote was then taken to replace them
|
2000 Ballot taken to replace
Airdrieonians |
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|
|
|
Club |
Votes |
|
League |
|
Gretna Airdrie
United Cove
Rangers Edinburgh
City Gala
Fairydean Huntly Preston Athletic |
16 11 |
Elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not
elected Not elected |
Northern
Premier League Highland
League East
of Scotland League East
of Scotland League Highland
League East of Scotland League |
Gretna (elected) beat Airdrie United 16
votes to 11 on the second ballot. Other clubs seeking election were Gala
Fairydean, Preston Athletic, Cove Rangers, Huntly and Edinburgh City.
The owners of Airdrie United bought out the
homeless, playerless and cashless Clydebank, moved the club to Airdrie and
renamed it Airdrie United. Whereas Gretna had to start their League career in
the Third Division, Airdrie United took over Clydebank’s Second Division place.
On 3 June 2008, Gretna disbanded and
resigned from the Scottish League. A vote was the taken to replace them.
|
2008 Ballot taken to replace Gretna |
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|
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|
Club |
Votes |
|
League |
First
ballot
Annan Athletic Cove Rangers Spartans Edinburgh City Preston Athletic Second
ballot
Annan Athletic Cove Rangers Spartans Third
ballot
Annan Athletic Cove Rangers |
14 8 5 1 1 14 9 6 17 12 |
Not elected Not elected Not elected Elected Not elected |
East of Scotland League Highland League East of Scotland League East of Scotland League East of Scotland League East of Scotland League Highland League East of Scotland League East of Scotland League Highland League |
The total number of votes cast read as
follows
|
|
|
|
Club |
Votes |
|
Annan Athletic Cove Rangers Spartans Edinburgh City Preston Athletic |
45 29 11 1 1 |
Sources include: scottishleague.net
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