The 2019–20 East of Scotland Football League (known as the Central Taxis East of Scotland League for sponsorship reasons) was the 91st season of the East of Scotland Football League, and the 6th season as the sixth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system. The season began on 27 July 2019. Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic were the reigning champions but could not defend their title after being promoted to the Lowland Football League.
The league reverted to a two-tier setup for the first time since 2015, featuring a Premier Division of 16 teams and a First Division containing two seeded parallel conferences each with 12 teams.
On 13 March 2020, the league was indefinitely suspended due to the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak before it was officially curtailed on 24 April 2020. Bo'ness United were declared champions of the Premier Division on a 'points per game' method while Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale and Tynecastle were declared winners of their respective First Division conferences.
Teams The following teams changed division after the 2018–19 season.
To East of Scotland Football League Relegated from Lowland Football League Whitehill Welfare Transferred from East Superleague Glenrothes Transferred from East Premier League North Kinnoull
From East of Scotland Football League Promoted to Lowland Football League Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Withdrawn Eyemouth United
Premier Division
Teams The Premier Division contains the top five teams from each of the three Conferences in the 2018–19 season, the best 6th-placed team (Sauchie Juniors) and Whitehill Welfare who were relegated from the Lowland League.
Stadia and locations Team Location Home groundCapacitySeats FloodlitBlackburn United Blackburn New Murrayfield ParkBlackburn United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,500 0 YesBo'ness UnitedBo'ness Newtown ParkBo'ness United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,500 0 YesBroxburn Athletic Broxburn Albyn ParkBroxburn Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,000 0 YesCamelon JuniorsCamelon Carmuirs ParkCamelon Juniors, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 YesCrossgates Primrose Crossgates Humbug ParkCrossgates Primrose, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 NoDunbar UnitedDunbar New Countess ParkDunbar United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,500 0 YesDundonald Bluebell Cardenden Moorside ParkDundonald Bluebell, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 YesHill of Beath Hawthorn Hill of Beath Keirs ParkHill of Beath Hawthorn, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 Yes Jeanfield Swifts Perth Riverside StadiumJeanfield Swifts, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,000 0 YesLinlithgow Rose Linlithgow PrestonfieldLinlithgow Rose, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,264 301 YesMusselburgh Athletic Musselburgh Olivebank StadiumMusselburgh Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,500 0 NoNewtongrange Star Newtongrange New Victoria ParkNewtongrange Star, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,300 30 YesPenicuik Athletic Penicuik Penicuik ParkPenicuik Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 Yes Sauchie Juniors Sauchie Beechwood ParkSauchie Juniors, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 5,000 200 YesTranent Juniors Tranent Foresters ParkTranent, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,300 44 Yes Whitehill Welfare Rosewell Ferguson ParkWhitehill Welfare, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,614 192 No
League table
Results
First Division The teams who did not qualify for the Premier Division, along with Glenrothes, were ranked according to their position and points in each Conference before being assigned into two seeded First Division Conferences A and B. Kinnoull later took the place of Eyemouth, who withdrew from the league.
Conference A
Stadia and locations Team Location Home groundCapacitySeats Floodlit Burntisland Shipyard Burntisland Recreation ParkBurntisland Shipyard, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 NoCraigroyston Edinburgh St Mark's ParkCraigroyston, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 25 May 2018. 2,000 0 NoDunipace Denny Westfield ParkDunipace, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 YesHaddington AthleticHaddingtonMillfield ParkHaddington Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,500 0 Yes Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Riccarton CampusHeriot-Watt Uni, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 200 0 Yes Kinnoull Perth Tulloch ParkKinnoull, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 6 June 2019. 1,200 0 Yes Leith Athletic Edinburgh Peffermill 3GLeith Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 500 0 Yes Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale Edinburgh Saughton Sports ComplexLothian Thistle Hutchison Vale , nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 YesOakley United Oakley Blairwood ParkOakley United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 No Ormiston Ormiston New Recreation ParkOrmiston, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 No Peebles Rovers Peebles Whitestone ParkPeebles Rovers, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 2,250 250 NoSt Andrews United St Andrews Recreation ParkSt Andrews United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 No
League table
Conference B
Stadia and locations Team Location Home groundCapacitySeats FloodlitArniston RangersGorebridge Newbyres ParkArniston Rangers, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 3,000 0 No Coldstream Coldstream Home ParkColdstream, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 NoDalkeith Thistle Dalkeith King's ParkDalkeith Thistle, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 YesEasthouses Lily MW Easthouses Newbattle ComplexEasthouses Lily MW, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,500 100 YesEdinburgh United Edinburgh Paties Road StadiumEdinburgh United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,500 200 No Glenrothes Glenrothes Warout Stadium Glenrothes, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 26 April 2019. 5,000 730 No Hawick Royal Albert United Hawick Albert ParkHawick Royal Albert, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,000 500 YesInverkeithing Hillfield Swifts Inverkeithing Ballast BankInverkeithing Hillfield Swifts , nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 7 July 2018. 1,000 0 No Preston Athletic Prestonpans Pennypit ParkPreston Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,500 313 Yes Stirling University Reserves Stirling Gannochy Sports CentreStirling University Reserves , nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 Yes Tweedmouth Rangers Berwick-upon-Tweed Old ShielfieldTweedmouth Rangers, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 No Tynecastle Edinburgh Meggetland Sports ComplexTynecastle, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 4,388 500 Yes
League table
Results Teams in each Conference play each other twice, once at home and once away. Teams also play each team from the other Conference once (six home and six away), for a total of 34 games.
First Division play-offs Play-offs were due to be held to decide the overall First Division winner, and if necessary the third team to be promoted to the Premier Division. These were subsequently cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Notes Club has an SFA Licence (as of July 2019) and are eligible to participate in the Lowland League promotion play-off should they win the Premier Division.
References