The South of Scotland Football League (SoSFL) is a senior football league based in south-west Scotland. The league sits at level 6 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League.
Founded in 1946, it is currently composed of 11 member clubs in a single division. Geographically, the league currently covers Dumfries and Galloway although clubs have previously also been located in East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire.
Since 2014–15 it has featured in the senior pyramid system. The winners take part in an end of season promotion play-off with the East of Scotland Football League and West of Scotland Football League champions, subject to clubs meeting the required licensing criteria.
History Original league A league of the same name briefly existed during the early days of competitive football. The original South of Scotland Football League was created in 1892–93 and featured seven clubs:
5th Kirkcudbrightshire Rifle Volunteers Cronberry Eglinton Lanemark Lugar Boswell Mauchline Queen of the South Wanderers Springbank
The clubs preferred to play in cup competitions and traditional friendlies, so most of the league fixtures were not played. The competition was subsequently abandoned and no championship was awarded.
Current league When league football was re-established in 1946, the Southern Counties League name could not be used because Ayr United 'A' and Kilmarnock 'A' were not members of the Southern Counties F.A.. Instead, the new competition was called the South of Scotland Football League. The first season saw the league played in two sections, East and West, but it has been played as a single league ever since.
Teams play each other on a home and away basis. In seasons where league membership has been low, clubs have played each other four times, instead of the usual twice. Recent changes in league membership have been: Stranraer Athletic withdrew from the league at the end of the 2007–08 season. The newly formed Gretna 2008, founded to replace the Gretna team that had been forced to dissolve following its meteoric rise to the Scottish Premier League between 2002 and 2007, applied to join the South of Scotland League, but then joined the East of Scotland Football League instead. Annan Athletic withdrew their reserve team from the league at the end of the 2008–09 season, so that they could concentrate on the SFL Under-19 League and the Reserve League West. Stranraer withdrew their reserve team from the league at the end of the 2011–12 season, before returning again in 2017. Dalbeattie Star and Threave Rovers withdrew from the league at the end of the 2012–13 season to join the newly formed Lowland Football League, although both have since been relegated back to the league. Threave subsequently transferred to the West of Scotland Football League for season 2022–23. After 44 Seasons in the Dumfries and District Amateur Football League, champions Lochar Thistle were elected to the league for the start of the 2013–14 season. Three new teams Dumfries YMCA, Edusport Academy and Upper Annandale were elected to the league for the 2014–15 Season. Fleet Star withdrew from the league in 2016. Crichton, who were saved from folding last season by a merger with Lochmaben Amateurs, have taken the Lochmaben name and moved to Lockerbie. Bonnyton Thistle joined the league in 2017 before moving to the newly formed West of Scotland Football League in 2020. In March 2026, the newly founded Carluke side in Saltire City announced that they would join the South of Scotland Football League for the 26-27 season.
Member clubs
TeamLocationHome groundSurfaceCapacitySeatsFloodlitAnnan Athletic reservesAnnanGalabankArtificial2,504500YesAbbey ValeNew Abbey Maryfield Park Grass 500Abbey Vale, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 48 NoCreetownCreetown Castlecary Park Grass 500Creetown, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 0 YesGretna 2008 reservesGretnaRaydale ParkArtificial1,030138YesLochar ThistleDumfries Wilson Park Grass 1,000Lochar Thistle, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 0 YesLochmabenLochmaben Whitehills Park Grass 1,000 0 NoMid-AnnandaleLockerbie New King Edward Park Artificial 500Mid-Annandale, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 50 YesNithsdale WanderersSanquhar Lorimer Park Grass 1,000Nithsdale Wanderers, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 0 YesSt Cuthbert WanderersKirkcudbright St Mary's Park Artificial 1,000St Cuthbert Wanderers, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 0 YesSaltire CityCarlukeJohn Cumming StadiumArtificial1,5000YesStranraer reserves StranraerStair ParkGrass 4,178Stranraer reserves, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,830 YesWigtown & BladnochWigtown Trammondford Park Grass 888Wigtown & Bladnoch, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 0 Yes
League membership Bold indicates a current league member.
ClubYears ActiveTitles won Abbey Vale 2001–1 Annan Athletic 1977–19872 Annan Athletic Reserves 1987–1991, 1992–2009, 2017–2019,2026- Ayr United 'A' 1946–19482Bonnyton Thistle 2017–2020Caledonian Braves Reserves 2019–2023Creetown 1946–1948, 1972– Crichton 1992–20161Dalbeattie Star 1946–1947, 1976–2001, 2009–2012, 2023–20266 Dalbeattie Star Reserves 2001–2009 Dumfries 2000–2008 Dumfries High School Former Pupils 1994–2000 Dumfries United 1987–1988Dumfries YMCA 2014–2019Edusport Academy 2014–20171 Fleet Star 2004–2016 Girvan 1951–1962, 1975–20051 Glenluce 1948–1950 Gretna Reserves 2001–2003 Gretna Community 1991–1992Gretna 2008 Reserves 2026- Greystone Rovers 1956–1958 1 Heathhall Athletic 1948–1950 Heston Rovers 2008–2021 Kilmarnock 'A' 1946–1948 Lincluden Swifts 1977–1980 1 Lochar Thistle 2013–1 Lochmaben 2016– Maxwelltown High School Former Pupils 1990–20001 Mid-Annandale 2003–Newton Stewart 1946–20263 Nithsdale Wanderers (1) 1946–1947, 1948–1950 Nithsdale Wanderers (2) 2001– Queen of the South Reserves 1972–1973, 1992–1993, 1996–1997, 2003–20041 RAF West Freugh 1948–1949Saltire City2026- St Cuthbert Wanderers 1946–8 Solway Star 1946–1947 Stranraer 1946–1949 Stranraer Reserves 1949–1988, 1990–1991, 2003–2004, 2007–2012, 2017–16 Stranraer Athletic 1995–20083 Tarff Rovers 1946–1988, 1990–2003 8 Threave Rovers 1959–1998, 2004–2012, 2016–202213 Upper Annandale 2014–2025 Whithorn 1946–1959, 1962–1963, 1964–69 Wigtown & Bladnoch 1946–2017, 2018–5
Notes: Crichton was known as Blackwood Dynamos until 1999. The club was to be called Crichton Royal, but the suffix has never been used. Dumfries was formed by the merger of Dumfries High School Former Pupils and Dumfries Amateurs. Heston Rovers Youth (formed in 1978) merged with Dumfries in 2008, retaining Heston Rovers as the name of the new club. Annan Athletic (1987–2008), Dalbeattie Star (2001–2009) and Threave Rovers (1998–2004) have all run teams in the East of Scotland League. From the 2008–09 season, Annan Athletic has played in the Scottish Football League. Dalbeattie Star and Threave Rovers joined the newly formed Scottish Lowland Football League for the 2013–14 season. The following clubs have resigned during the season: Creetown 1975–76 Girvan 1978–79 Gretna Community 1991–92 RAF West Freugh 1948–49 St Cuthbert Wanderers 1977–78 Wigtown & Bladnoch 1962–63 and 1972–73 Dumfries United resigned prior to the start of the 1987–88 season.
Cup competitions In 1950, the league's membership had been reduced to just seven clubs. To compensate for the lack of fixtures, the League Cup was introduced. The final is usually contested by the winners of two mini-leagues, but has also been played as a straight knock-out competition. There was no separate League Cup competition between 1962–1968 and 1973–1975. Instead the trophy was awarded to the runner-up in the League.
The Southern Counties Cup, also known as the Challenge Cup, is the league's main knockout competition. It has been played for since 1891, and the first winners were the 5th Kirkcudbrightshire Rifle Volunteers.
Creetown, Dalbeattie Star, Newton Stewart, St Cuthbert Wanderers, and Wigtown & Bladnoch are full members of the Scottish Football Association therefore enter the Scottish Cup, as do the winners of the league.
Holders 2024–25 winners unless stated.
SFA South Region Challenge Cup: East Kilbride Alba Cup: Lochar Thistle South & East of Scotland Cup-Winners Shield: Whitburn South of Scotland League Cup: Lochar Thistle Southern Counties FA Challenge Cup: Caledonian Braves J Haig Gordon Memorial Trophy: Edusport Academy (2018–19) SCFA Potts Cup: Stranraer WDFA Cree Lodge Cup: Lochar Thistle WDFA Tweedie Cup: No competition
List of winners SeasonOriginal League1892–935th Kirkcudbrightshire Rifle Volunteers1893–94No Competition1894–95St Cuthbert Wanderers1895–96St Cuthbert Wanderers (2)1896–976 GRV1897–98Newton Stewart1898–99 to 1909–10No Competition1910–11Douglas Wanderers1911–12No Competition1912–13No Competition1913–14Newton Stewart (2)1914–155th KOSB1915–16 to 1929–20No Competition1920–21St Cuthbert Wanderers1921–22Mid-Annandale1923–23Mid-Annandale (2)1923–24Newton Stewart (3)1924–25Dalbeattie Star1925–26No Competition1926–27No Competition1927–28St Cuthbert Wanderers1928–29St Cuthbert Wanderers1929–30Dalbeattie Star1930–31Dalbeattie Star1931–32Dalbeattie Star1932–33Dalbeattie Star1933–34Dalbeattie Star1934–35St Cuthbert Wanderers1935–36St Cuthbert Wanderers1936–37St Cuthbert Wanderers1937–38