The Fife Junior Football League was a football league competition under the jurisdiction of the Scottish Junior Football Association, which operated as the top league in Fife until a merger in 2002; it existed for a further four years as a second-tier league before the name was discontinued in 2006.
History The league was formed in 1913 from a merger between smaller competitions across the county, initially the Howe of Fife League (played between 1892 and 1913) and the West Fife County League (1893 to 1913), later joined by teams from the East Neuk League (1908 to 1924). It continued during World War I and had periods where there were sufficient numbers involved to have West and East sections whose winners would play off for the title. Due to anticipated problems with travelling distances, the Fife clubs chose not to join the Intermediate dispute of the late 1920s, instigated by clubs in the West of Scotland who broke away from the SJFA.
The league stopped for six seasons during World War II and lost a number of member teams in the late 1940s, but was still running in 1968 and considered sufficiently strong to form one of six 'regions' across Scotland in a re-organisation of Junior football at that time. The Fife area suffered from an economic decline in the subsequent decades, owing to the collapse of the mining industry which had provided the main source of employment in most towns and villages, with several teams folding and others struggling to continue as small isolated communities became impoverished and residents moved away.
As membership of the Fife League fell steadily, a few well-run clubs who had joined more recently than its oldest members became dominant, and in 2002 these teams were invited to form the new regional Superleague in the east of the country along with the leading teams in the East (Lothians) League and the Tayside League. Fife's setup was retained as a feeder division to the Superleague along with the other historic districts until 2006, when they were fully integrated into the East Region; Fife's section became the Central Division below the Super League and a new Premier Division, but it was disbanded in 2013, meaning the county was no longer represented separately in the Junior grade.
Later movement of Fife clubs In 2018, a large group of East Junior clubs (including five from the Kingdom) followed the path taken by Kelty Hearts a year earlier and joined the East of Scotland Football League to take part in the Scottish football pyramid. With Glenrothes making the same switch in 2019, this left eight local clubs in the East Region, including Tayport and Kennoway Star Hearts who never played in the old Fife Junior League. A further seven clubs left for the senior ranks in 2020, leaving Tayport as the only Junior club remaining in Fife.
Champions 1913–1968 era Key: Club also won the Scottish Junior Cup (doubles in bold).Club were also runners-up in the Scottish Junior Cup. SeasonTowns, Fields and Clubs of Fife, via Scottish Football Historical Archive, 2012Fife County Junior League, Scottish Football Historical Archive, 20 December 2020WinnerRunner-up1913–14 Glencraig CelticKingseat Athletic1914–15Windygates RoversGlencraig Celtic1915–16Glencraig CelticDenbeath Star1916–17Denbeath StarGlencraig Celtic1917–18Denbeath StarGlencraig Celtic1918–19Glencraig CelticHearts of Beath1919–20Inverkeithing UnitedGlencraig Celtic1920–21 Kingseat JuniorsHearts of Beath1921–22Kingseat JuniorsWellesley Juniors1922–23Dunnikier Colliery JuniorsKelty Rangers1923–24East Fife JuniorsCupar Juniors1924–25Newburgh West EndDunnikier Colliery Juniors1925–26Anstruther RangersKelty Rangers1926–27St Andrews UnitedWellesley Juniors 1927–28St Andrews United Lochgelly Celtic1928–29St Andrews UnitedWellesley Juniors 1929–30Rosslyn JuniorsWellesley Juniors 1930–31Bowhill RoversRosslyn Juniors 1931–32Rosslyn JuniorsBowhill Rovers 1932–33Rosslyn JuniorsInverkeithing United 1933–34Inverkeithing UnitedBowhill Rovers 1934–35Bowhill RoversHearts of Beath 1935–36Hearts of BeathBowhill Rovers 1936–37Blairhall CollieryHearts of Beath 1937–38 Lochgelly Albert Thornton Hibs 1938–39 Lochore WelfareRosslyn Juniors 1939–40Dunnikier Colliery JuniorsHearts of Beath 1940–41Hearts of BeathKelty North End 1941–42Not played 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 Lochgelly AlbertBlairhall Colliery 1947–48 Lochore Welfare Auchtermuchty Juniors 1948–49 Lochgelly Albert Kinglassie Colliery 1949–50 Rosyth Recreation Lochgelly Albert 1950–51 Steelend Victoria Nairn Thistle 1951–52Dundonald BluebellSt Andrews United 1952–53 Thornton HibsDundonald Bluebell 1953–54 Lochore WelfareGlencraig Colliery 1954–55 Lochgelly AlbertDundonald Bluebell 1955–56 Lochore Welfare Lochgelly Albert 1956–57Dundonald Bluebell Lochore Welfare 1957–58Dundonald BluebellSt Andrews United 1958–59 Thornton HibsSt Andrews United 1959–60St Andrews UnitedFrances Colliery 1960–61St Andrews UnitedBlairhall Colliery 1961–62 Lochore WelfareSt Andrews United 1962–63 Lochore Welfare Thornton Hibs 1963–64 Lochore WelfareSt Andrews United 1964–65St Andrews United Lochore Welfare 1965–66Glenrothes Lochore Welfare 1966–67Glenrothes Lochore Welfare 1967–68GlenrothesNewburgh Juniors Notes
1968–2002 era Club also won the Scottish Junior Cup (doubles in bold).Club were also runners-up in the Scottish Junior Cup. SeasonFife Region Junior League, Scottish Football Historical Archive, 15 December 2020WinnerRunner-up 1968–69 Thornton Hibs Lochore Welfare 1969–70GlenrothesNewburgh Juniors 1970–71GlenrothesOakley United 1971–72Oakley United Lochore Welfare 1972–73Newburgh Juniors Lochgelly Albert 1973–74 Lochgelly AlbertGlenrothes 1974–75GlenrothesNewburgh Juniors 1975–76Glenrothes Comrie Colliery 1976–77Newburgh JuniorsGlenrothes 1977–78 GlenrothesNewburgh Juniors 1978–79Oakley UnitedClackmannan Juniors 1979–80Oakley UnitedTulliallan Thistle 1980–81Halbeath JuniorsKelty Hearts 1981–82Leven Juniors Lochore Welfare 1982–83Dundonald BluebellKelty Hearts 1983–84GlenrothesDundonald Bluebell 1984–85GlenrothesClackmannan Juniors 1985–86Oakley UnitedGlenrothes 1986–87Hill of Beath HawthornOakley United 1987–88Oakley UnitedHalbeath Juniors 1988–89Hill of Beath Hawthorn Thornton Hibs 1989–90St Andrews UnitedHill of Beath Hawthorn 1990–91Kelty HeartsNewburgh 1991–92Kelty HeartsHill of Beath Hawthorn 1992–93Kelty HeartsHill of Beath Hawthorn 1993–94Hill of Beath HawthornOakley United 1994–95Hill of Beath HawthornKelty Hearts 1995–96Hill of Beath HawthornKelty Hearts 1996–97Kelty HeartsHill of Beath Hawthorn 1997–98Hill of Beath HawthornKelty Hearts 1998–99Kelty HeartsHill of Beath Hawthorn 1999–2000Hill of Beath HawthornKelty Hearts 2000–01Oakley UnitedHill of Beath Hawthorn 2001–02Hill of Beath HawthornGlenrothes Notes
List of winners Club1919–1968 era1968–2002 eraOverall Win R-up First win Last win Win R-up First win Last win Win R-upGlenrothes 3 01965–66 1967–68 7 41969–70 1984–85 10 4Hill of Beath Hawthorn 0 0N/A 8 61986–87 2001–02 8 6 Lochore Welfare 7 41947–48 1963–64 0 3N/A 7 7St Andrews United 6 51927–28 1964–65 1 01989–90 6 6Oakley United 0 0N/A 6 31971–72 2000–01 6 3Kelty Hearts 0 0N/A 5 61990–91 1998–99 5 6 Lochgelly Albert 4 21937–38 1954–55 1 11973–74 5 3Dundonald Bluebell 3 21951–52 1957–58 1 11982–83 4 3Newburgh 1 11924–25 2 31972–73 1976–77 3 4Glencraig Celtic 3 41913–14 1918–19 0 0N/A 3 4Rosslyn Juniors 3 21929–30 1932–33 0 0N/A 3 2Hearts of Beath 2 51935–36 1940–41 0 0N/A 2 5Bowhill Rovers 2 31930–31 1934–35 0 0N/A 2 3Denbeath Star 2 11916–17 1917–18 0 0N/A 2 1Inverkeithing United 2 11919–20 1933–34 0 0N/A 2 1Kingseat Juniors 2 11920–21 1921–22 0 0N/A 2 1Dunnikier Colliery Juniors 2 11922–23 1939–40 0 0N/A 2 1 Thornton Hibernian 1 21958–59 1 11968–69 2 3Blairhall Colliery 1 21936–37 0 0N/A 1 2 Steelend Victoria 1 01950–51 0 1N/A 1 1Halbeath Juniors 0 0N/A 1 11980–81 1 1 Rosyth Recreation 1 01949–50 0 0N/A 1 0Windygates Rovers 1 01914–15 0 0N/A 1 0East Fife Juniors 1 01923–24 0 0N/A 1 0Anstruther Rangers 1 01925–26 0 0N/A 1 0Wellesley Juniors 0 4N/A 0 0N/A 0 4Kelty Rangers 0 2N/A 0 0N/A 0 2Clackmannan Juniors 0 0N/A 0 2N/A 0 2Leven Juniors 0 0N/A 1 01981–82 1 0Cupar Juniors 0 1N/A 0 0N/A 0 1 Lochgelly Celtic 0 1N/A 0 0N/A 0 1 Auchtermuchty Juniors 0 1N/A 0 0N/A 0 1 Kinglassie Colliery 0 1N/A 0 0N/A 0 1 Nairn Thistle 0 1N/A 0 0N/A 0 1Glencraig Colliery 0 1N/A 0 0N/A 0 1Frances Colliery 0 1N/A 0 0N/A 0 1Tulliallan Thistle 0 0N/A 0 1N/A 0 1 Notes
References
Fife Junior History, Eric R. Thomson Non-League Scotland (archive version), with club progression by season 1990 to 2007) Scottish Junior FA Structure, Scottish Junior Football Association