The East Junior Football League, also known as the Edinburgh & District Junior League, the Midlothian Junior League and the Lothians Junior League, was a football league competition operated in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Falkirk under the Scottish Junior Football Association. It had fluctuations in membership and territory but had a continuous operation as the top league in the east of Scotland until a merger in 2002; it existed as the Lothians District for a further four years as a second-tier league before the name was discontinued in 2006.

History Junior football competitions had been organised in the Edinburgh area since the 1890s, with a Edinburgh & District Junior League formed in 1892 followed by other small groups in each part of the Lothians region surrounding the city; by the 1910s, the Midlothian Junior LeagueMidlothian Junior Football League 1893-1922, Scottish Football Historical Archive (archived version, 2014) emerged as the strongest of these, drawing membership from the many small mining communities which regularly produced skilled players and attracted a loyal local support. The East of Scotland Junior League covering all parts was set up in a 1922 reorganisation, but this was at the same time as the formation of the East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL),East of Scotland Football League, Scottish Football Historical Archive (archived version, 2017) an unrelated 'senior' organisation below, and more closely linked to, the professional Scottish Football League. The majority of emerging clubs within Edinburgh and those in the Scottish Borders joined the EoSFL rather than the East Juniors, who were unable to successfully agree on a new format in this lopsided geography, with the predominant Midlothian clubs and those in East Lothian breaking away to form a new Midlothian Junior League in 1928. Those in West Lothian found themselves with little option but to apply for this 'rebel' setup, which retained the Midlothian name until its suspension during World War II. After the war, some teams from the defunct Scottish Junior Football League from further afield joined the setup, and the league was again renamed Edinburgh & District but operated with 'West' and 'Mid & East' divisions whose winners would play off for the championship.

Despite the true footballing strength of the area never being fully recognised due to the enduring split between the Juniors and the EoSFL, the Edinburgh & District Junior League was considered sufficiently strong to form the East Region, one of the six 'regions' across Scotland in a re-organisation of Junior football in 1968, requiring little adjustment to its operations (the West–east divisions remained until 1973). The period following the change was successful for the territory in terms of East member clubs reaching the Scottish Junior Cup final, achieving this 9 times (3 wins) in 15 years, compared with 15 appearances (8 wins) in the previous 42 years. This was followed by another strong spell with 7 finals (3 wins) in the 14 years from 1989.

However, the small-town teams in the region had generally declined with the closure of local heavy industry, and the surviving clubs looked to boost their income by playing more matches against the leading teams in other areas. In 2002 the new East Region Superleague was created in the east of the country in combination with the Fife League and the Tayside League. The East setup was retained as a feeder division to the Superleague as the Lothians District along with the other historic areas until 2006, when they were fully integrated into the East Region; the Lothians section became the South Division below the Super League and a new Premier Division. The pattern of local appearances in the Scottish Cup final continued at a similar rate, with 3 of 8 finalists lifting the trophy over a 12-year period.

Later movement of East clubs In 2018, a large group of East Junior clubs (18 from the old Lothians) joined the East of Scotland (EoSFL) association en masse, aspiring to gain entry to the senior Scottish Professional Football League in future years; This would mean the traditional EoSFL teams and East Juniors could finally be playing together, although with so many teams moving at once, there was not immediate parity, as the new members were placed in a multi-conference system with only one promotion place made available to the Lowland League (where the likes of Spartans had established themselves) and the majority facing some years of battling with their old rivals to make it to the next level. Back in the East Juniors, the remaining teams formed the majority of a new Super League South in 2019 along with those from Fife who had chosen not to switch.

Champions

1922–1968 era Key: Club also won the Scottish Junior Cup (doubles in bold).Club were also runners-up in the Scottish Junior Cup. SeasonTimeline Junior East, Scottish Football Historical Archive (archived version, 2017)WinnerRunner-upOther member in Scottish Cup final1922–231922/23, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange StarMusselburgh BruntoniansArniston Rangers1923–241923/24, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic 1924–251924/25, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic 1925–261925/26, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Portobello Thistle1926–271926/27, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Wallyford Bluebell 1927–281927/28, The History of Newtongrange Star Dunbar United Dalkeith Thistle 1928–291928/29, The History of Newtongrange Star Tranent Juniors Stoneyburn Juniors 1929–301929/30, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Tranent Juniors 1930–311930/31, The History of Newtongrange Star Tranent Juniors Rosewell Rosedale 1931–321931/32, The History of Newtongrange Star Dalkeith Thistle Tranent Juniors 1932–331932/33, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Musselburgh Bruntonians Tranent Juniors 1933–341933/34, The History of Newtongrange Star Blackburn Athletic Bo'ness Cadora 1934–351934/35, The History of Newtongrange Star Stoneyburn Juniors Bo'ness Cadora Tranent Juniors 1935–36 Bo'ness CadoraArniston Rangers 1936–371936/37, The History of Newtongrange Star Tranent Juniors Musselburgh Athletic 1937–381937/38, The History of Newtongrange Star Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Winchburgh Juniors 1938–391938/39, The History of Newtongrange Star Stoneyburn Juniors Whitburn Juniors 1939–401939/40, The History of Newtongrange Star Armadale Thistle Tranent Juniors 1940–41Armadale Thistle Winchburgh Juniors 1941–42Not played 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–461945/46, The History of Newtongrange Star Fauldhouse UnitedBo'ness United 1946–471946/47, The History of Newtongrange StarBo'ness United Whitburn Juniors 1947–481947/48, The History of Newtongrange Star Bo'ness UnitedArmadale Thistle 1948–491948/49, The History of Newtongrange Star Bo'ness United Armadale Thistle 1949–501949/50, The History of Newtongrange Star Armadale Thistle Arniston Rangers 1950–511950/51, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Camelon Juniors 1951–521951/52, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Broxburn Athletic Camelon Juniors 1952–531952/53, The History of Newtongrange Star Armadale Thistle Newtongrange Star 1953–541953/54, The History of Newtongrange Star Arniston Rangers Bo'ness United 1954–551954/55, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Bo'ness United 1955–561955/56, The History of Newtongrange Star Dalkeith Thistle Broxburn Athletic 1956–571956/57, The History of Newtongrange Star Haddington Athletic Broxburn Athletic 1957–581957/58, The History of Newtongrange Star Bo'ness United Ormiston Primrose Pumpherston 1958–591958/59, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Bo'ness United 1959–601959/60, The History of Newtongrange Star Loanhead Mayflower West Calder United 1960–611960/61, The History of Newtongrange Star Dalkeith Thistle Armadale Thistle Dunbar United 1961–621961/62, The History of Newtongrange StarHonours, Whitburn Junior FC Dunbar United Whitburn Juniors 1962–631962/63, The History of Newtongrange Star Sauchie Juniors Newtongrange Star 1963–641963/64, The History of Newtongrange Star Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Whitburn Juniors 1964–651964/65, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow Rose Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic 1965–661965/66, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow RoseBonnyrigg Rose AthleticWhitburn 1966–671966/67, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow RoseBonnyrigg Rose Athletic 1967–681967/68, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow Rose Newtongrange Star Notes

1968–2002 era Club also won the Scottish Junior Cup (doubles in bold).Club were also runners-up in the Scottish Junior Cup. SeasonWinnerRunner-upOther member in Scottish Cup final 1968–691968/69, The History of Newtongrange Star Bo'ness United Newtongrange Star 1969–701969/70, The History of Newtongrange Star Arniston Rangers Pumpherston Penicuik Athletic 1970–711970/71, The History of Newtongrange Star Musselburgh Athletic Broxburn Athletic Newtongrange Star 1971–721971/72, The History of Newtongrange Star Arniston Rangers Whitburn Juniors Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic 1972–731972/73, The History of Newtongrange Star Broxburn Athletic Musselburgh Athletic 1973–741973/74, The History of Newtongrange Star Broxburn Athletic Musselburgh AthleticLinlithgow Rose 1974–75 Linlithgow Rose Dalkeith Thistle 1975–761975/76, The History of Newtongrange Star Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Arniston Rangers Bo'ness United 1976–77 Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Linlithgow Rose 1977–781977/78, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow Rose Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic 1978–791978/79, The History of Newtongrange Star Penicuik Athletic Camelon Juniors Bo'ness United 1979–801979/80, The History of Newtongrange Star Camelon Juniors Linlithgow Rose 1980–811980/81, The History of Newtongrange Star Penicuik Athletic Arniston Rangers 1981–821981/82, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow Rose Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic 1982–831982/83, The History of Newtongrange Star Fauldhouse United Tranent JuniorsBo'ness United 1983–841983/84, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow Rose Broxburn Athletic Bo'ness United 1984–851984/85, The History of Newtongrange Star Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Whitburn Juniors 1985–861985/86, The History of Newtongrange Star Whitburn Juniors Linlithgow Rose 1986–871986/87, The History of Newtongrange Star Whitburn Juniors Newtongrange Star 1987–881987/88, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow Rose Whitburn Juniors 1988–89Non League Tables for 1988-1989, NonLeague Matters1988/89, The History of Newtongrange Star Whitburn Juniors Linlithgow Rose Ormiston Primrose 1989–901989/90, The History of Newtongrange Star Whitburn Juniors Bo'ness United 1990–911990/91, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Fauldhouse United 1991–921991/92, The History of Newtongrange Star Newtongrange Star Bo'ness United 1992–931992/93, The History of Newtongrange Star Fauldhouse United Whitburn Juniors 1993–941993/94, The History of Newtongrange Star Camelon Juniors Newtongrange Star 1994–951994/95, The History of Newtongrange StarCamelon JuniorsWhitburn Juniors 1995–961995/96, The History of Newtongrange Star Whitburn Juniors Arniston Rangers Camelon Juniors 1996–971996/97, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow Rose Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic 1997–981997/98, The History of Newtongrange Star Whitburn Juniors Linlithgow Rose 1998–991998/99, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow Rose Whitburn Juniors 1999–20001999/2000, The History of Newtongrange Star Linlithgow Rose Newtongrange StarWhitburn Juniors 2000–012000/01, The History of Newtongrange Star Whitburn Juniors Linlithgow Rose 2001–022001/02, The History of Newtongrange StarLinlithgow Rose Whitburn Juniors Notes

List of winners