West of Scotland Football League

West of Scotland Football League

Founded	2020
Country	Scotland
Confederation	UEFA
Divisions	3
Conferences	3 (Tier 7)
Number of teams	74
Level on pyramid	6–8
Promotion to	Lowland Football League
Domestic cup(s)	Scottish Cup (licensed clubs) South Region Challenge Cup Scottish Junior Cup (SJFA members)
League cup(s)	West of Scotland League Cup
Website	wosfl.co.uk
Current: 2021–22 West of Scotland Football League

The West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) is a senior football league based in the west of Scotland. The league sits at level 6 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League.

Founded in 2020, it is currently composed of 74 member clubs competing in five divisions. Geographically, the league covers Argyll & Bute, Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire. One club is based in Dumfries and Galloway.

The winners take part in an end of season promotion play-off with the East of Scotland Football League and South of Scotland Football League champions, subject to clubs meeting the required licensing criteria.

History[]

On 14 April 2020, the Lowland League announced it had approved 67 applications to join the new league, which included all 63 clubs from the Scottish Junior Football Association's West Region,^[a] and four others: Glasgow amateurs Drumchapel United and Glasgow University, Kilmarnock side Bonnyton Thistle moving sideways from the South of Scotland League and Newton Mearns-based youth club St Cadoc's Youth Club from the Paisley, Johnstone & District League.^[1]

Initial plans for the inaugural season would have seen the league operate a conference format in order to facilitate all 67 clubs at the same level. However, following a video conference with the Scottish Football Association, the league was split into a top tier and lower divisions, similar to that utilised by the East of Scotland Football League.^[2]

On 1 May 2020, the League confirmed that a top division of 20 teams would contest the first season in 2020–21, comprising the 16 teams who had played in the 2019–20 West Region Premiership, the top three placed from the West Championship and one moving 'sideways' from the South of Scotland Football League.^[2] This ran contrary to some clubs' expectations that the inaugural campaign would not use a hierarchical system,^[3][4] but the league stated "that option was not on the table" due to legal issues. Teams below the top division would be distributed into three balanced conferences;^[5] the list for which was published three days later.^[6]

On 17 September 2020, the League announced that the Premier Division would be split into two groups based on the Points Per Game formula that was used to declare the league winners of the SJFA West Region. There would be two phases to the season. In Phase 1, teams would play other teams within their group twice, home and away. Phase 2 consisted of a further ten games, five home and five away, with teams being drawn against teams from the other group.^[7] However, the league reverted to a normal home and away format following a number of withdrawals from the initial season.^[8]

On 11 January 2021 the league was suspended by the Scottish Football Association due to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic situation.^[9]

On 12 May 2021, the league announced the formation of the Development League, with nine teams becoming initial members. The Development League will become Division 4 when the WOSFL changes to a linear structure for the 2022–23 season. Teams in the Development League will only be promoted if they meet specified ground criteria.^[10]

Member clubs[]

BSC Glasgow

Campbeltown Pupils

Finnart

Glenvale

Harmony Row

Harthill Royal

Kilsyth Athletic

St. Peter's

Arthurlie

Bellshill Athletic

Craigmark Burntonians

Forth Wanderers

Girvan

Glasgow University

Irvine Victoria

Johnstone Burgh

Lesmahagow Juniors

Lugar Boswell Thistle

Maryhill

Maybole Juniors

Muirkirk Juniors

Saltcoats Victoria

Shotts Bon Accord

Whitletts Victoria

Annbank United

Ardeer Thistle

Ashfield

Cambuslang Rangers

Carluke Rovers

Dalry Thistle

Gartcairn

Greenock Juniors

Kello Rovers

Newmains United

Port Glasgow Juniors

Renfrew

Royal Albert

St Cadoc's

Thorniewood United

Ardrossan Winton Rovers

Drumchapel United

East Kilbride Thistle

Glasgow Perthshire

Kilsyth Rangers

Lanark United

Larkhall Thistle

Neilston

Petershill

St Anthony's

St Roch's

Vale of Clyde

Vale of Leven

Wishaw

Yoker Athletic

Auchinleck Talbot

Beith Juniors

Benburb

Blantyre Victoria

Bonnyton Thistle

Clydebank

Cumbernauld United

Cumnock

Darvel

Glenafton Athletic

Hurlford United

Irvine Meadow

Kilbirnie Ladeside

Kilwinning Rangers

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy

Largs Thistle

Pollok

Rossvale

Rutherglen Glencairn

Troon

Location of teams in 2021–22 West of Scotland League
– Premier Division
– Tier 7 Conference A – Tier 7 Conference B – Tier 7 Conference C
– Division Four

Premier Division (Tier 6)[]

• Auchinleck Talbot
• Beith Juniors
• Benburb
• Blantyre Victoria
• Bonnyton Thistle
• Clydebank
• Cumbernauld United
• Cumnock Juniors
• Darvel
• Glenafton Athletic
• Hurlford United
• Irvine Meadow XI
• Kilbirnie Ladeside
• Kilwinning Rangers
• Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
• Largs Thistle
• Pollok
• Rossvale
• Rutherglen Glencairn
• Troon

Conferences (Tier 7)[]

Division Four (Tier 8)[]

• BSC Glasgow
• Harthill Royal

Seasons[]

Cup competitions[]

• Scottish Cup: For full SFA members, who all enter at the preliminary round stage. Knock-out tournament, with replays until the quarter-finals.
• SFA South Region Challenge Cup: This competition was introduced in 2007–08 as a replacement for the Scottish Qualifying Cup (South) which was abolished under the new Scottish Cup format. It is for all senior non-league clubs in the south of Scotland and has 161 entrants for the 2021–22 season - 16 from the Lowland League, 58 from the EoSFL, 12 from the SoSFL, and 75 from the WoSFL. Reserve teams do not take part. The first and second rounds are regionalised, otherwise it is a straight knock-out tournament, without replays.
• Strathclyde Cup (sponsored by Strathclyde Demolition): Competition for the 18 WoSFL clubs who are not already competing in the Scottish Cup or Scottish Junior Cup, usually played on the same weekends as Junior Cup matches. Straight knock-out tournament, without replays. The winner goes on to play in the East, South and West of Scotland Cup-Winners Shield against the East's Alex Jack Cup winner and the Southern Counties FA's Alba Cup winners for a place in the following season's Scottish Cup.
• West of Scotland League Cup (sponsored by The Kilmarnock Pie): All 74 WoSFL sides compete in this straight knock-out tournament without replays.
• Scottish Junior Cup (sponsored by Macron): Competition for the 53 WoSFL clubs who remain members of the SJFA after moving from the Junior leagues. Knock-out tournament without replays, drawn matches go straight to a penalty shootout, two legged semi-finals.

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website