The Scottish Football League ("SFL") was established in 1890, initially as an amateur league as professionalism had not been legalised in Scottish football. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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). Whenever a club left the league (for example, when Gretna was liquidated in 2008), a new club was elected in its place. 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.
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 SFLseasonLast SFLseasonNotesAberdeen1904–05 1997–98AirdrieoniansFormally 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 2002.2002–03 2012–13Albion Rovers1903–04 2012–13Alloa Athletic1921–22 2012–13Annan Athletic2008–09 2012–13Arbroath1921–22 2012–13Ayr United1910–11 2012–13Celtic1890–91 1997–98Clyde1891–92 2012–13Cowdenbeath1905–06 2012–13Dumbarton1890–91 2012–13Dundee1893–942011–12Dundee United1910–111997–98Dunfermline Athletic1912–13 2012–13East Fife1921–22 2012–13Elgin City2000–01 2012–13Falkirk1902–03 2012–13Forfar Athletic1921–22 2012–13Hamilton Academical1897–98 2012–13Heart of Midlothian1890–91 1997–98Hibernian1893–94 1998–99 Inverness Caledonian Thistle1994–95 2009–10 Kilmarnock1895–96 1997–98Livingston1995–96 2012–13Montrose1923–24 2012–13Morton1893–94 2012–13Motherwell1893–94 1997–98Partick Thistle1893–94 2012–13Peterhead2000–01 2012–13Queen of the South1923–24 2012–13Queen's Park1900–01 2012–13Raith Rovers1902–03 2012–13Rangers1890–91 2012–13Ross County1994–95 2011–12St Johnstone1897–98 2008–09St Mirren1890–912005–06 Stenhousemuir1921–22 2012–13Stirling Albion1946–47 2012–13Stranraer1949–50 2012–13
Other former member clubs ClubFirst SFLseasonLast SFLseasonCurrent statusNotesAbercorn1890–91 1914–15 Defunct effectively from 1920 due to being unable to secure a new ground, officially in 1922 (an annual club dinner however was held until 1939). Airdrieonians1894–95 2001–02 Officially defunct, but former owners took over the Clydebank club and renamed it as Airdrie United, before re-adopting the name Airdrieonians in 2013.Armadale1921–22 1931–32 Defunct, reconstituted as Armadale Thistle currently playing in the Arthurlie1901–02 1928–29 Reformed in 1931, currently competing in the Ayr1897–98 1909–10 Merged with Ayr Parkhouse to form Ayr United Ayr Parkhouse1902–03 1909–10 Merged with Ayr to form Ayr United Bathgate1921–22 1928–29Bathgate resigned during the 1928–29 season and the club's record was expunged from the table. Defunct Beith1923–24 1925–26 Reformed as Beith Juniors and currently competing in the Berwick Rangers1951–52 2012–13Playing in the Bo'ness1921–22 1931–32 Merged with Bo'ness Cadora to form Bo'ness United and currently competing in the Brechin City1923–24 2012–13Playing in Highland Football LeagueBroxburn United1921–22 1925–26 Defunct Cambuslang1890–91 1891–92Defunct Clackmannan1921–22 1925–26Defunct Clydebank (original club)1914–15 1930–31 Defunct Clydebank (second club)1965–66 2001–02 Taken 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 Cowlairs1890–91 1894–95Defunct Dumbarton Harp1923–24 1924–25Defunct - although amateur side continues Dundee Wanderers1894–95 1894–95Defunct Dykehead1923–24 1925–26Defunct East Stirlingshire1900–01 2012–13Playing in the Edinburgh City1931–32 1948–49Defunct. 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 Galston1923–24 1925–26 Defunct Gretna2002–03 2006–07Gretna 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.Defunct, though a 'new' club set up by its supporters, Gretna 2008, play in the at the same groundHelensburgh1923–24 1925–26Defunct Johnstone1912–13 1925–26Defunct King's Park1921–22 1938–39Technically defunct - but see Stirling Albion Leith Athletic1891–92 1952–53Defunct - revived version of the club currently competing in the Linthouse1895–96 1899–1900Defunct Lochgelly United1914–15 1925–26Defunct Meadowbank Thistle1974–75 1994–95Relocated and became Livingston. The current club considers its founding date to be 1995.Mid-Annandale1923–24 1925–26 Defunct, revived version of the club currently competing in the Nithsdale Wanderers1923–24 1926–27 Defunct, revived version of the club currently competing in the Northern1893–94 1893–94Defunct Peebles Rovers1923–24 1925–26Competing in the Port Glasgow Athletic1893–94 1910–11 Officially defunct, however the current Port Glasgow Juniors celebrated their "centenary" in 1993. Renton1890–91 1897–98 Defunct in 1922. Resurrected several times, most recently in 2008 Royal Albert1923–24 1925–26Reformed in 1928, currently competing in the Solway Star1923–24 1925–26 Defunct St Bernard's1893–94 1938–39 Defunct, revived version of the club joined local Edinburgh & District Amateur League Third Lanark1890–91 1966–67 Defunct 1967, however amateur side has continued haphazardly in Glasgow amateur leagues Thistle1893–94 1893–94 Defunct Vale of Leven1890–91 1925–26Reformed in 1939, currently competing in the
See also List of Scottish Professional Football League clubs Timeline of Scottish football
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