2023–24 Highland Football League

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Breedon Highland League
Season 2023–24
Dates29 July 2023 – 27 April 2024
Champions Buckie Thistle
Matches played306
Goals scored1,124 (3.67 per match)
Biggest home win Fraserburgh 11–0 Strathspey Thistle
(20 April 2024)
Biggest away winStrathspey Thistle 1–10 Brora Rangers
(6 March 2024)
Highest scoring
  • Strathspey Thistle 1–10 Brora Rangers
    (6 March 2024)
  • Fraserburgh 11–0 Strathspey Thistle
    (20 April 2024)
Longest winning run10 matches:
Brechin City & Fraserburgh
Longest unbeaten run19 matches:
Banks o' Dee
Longest winless run16 matches:
Clachnacuddin & Strathspey Thistle
Longest losing run14 matches:
Strathspey Thistle
2024–25 →
All statistics correct as of 27 April 2024.

The 2023–24 Highland Football League (known as the Breedon Highland League for sponsorship reasons) was the 121st season of the Highland Football League, and the 10th season as part of the fifth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system. Brechin City were the reigning champions, and were one of three teams that could have won the title in the final round of games, along with Buckie Thistle and Fraserburgh.

Contents

Buckie Thistle's 1–0 win – a sixth consecutive win to finish the season – over Keith gave them their 12th Highland League title on goal difference from Brechin City, [1] with Fraserburgh three points behind in third, having won their last ten games. However, Buckie Thistle were not eligible for the pyramid play-off as they did not hold a bronze-level club licence. [2]

Teams

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Location of teams in 2023-24 Highland Football League

Stadia and locations

All grounds are equipped with floodlights as required by league regulations.

TeamLocationStadiumCapacitySeats
Banks o' Dee Aberdeen Spain Park876122
Brechin City Brechin Glebe Park 4,0831,519
Brora Rangers Brora Dudgeon Park2,000250
Buckie Thistle Buckie Victoria Park 3,000400
Clachnacuddin Inverness Grant Street Park 2,074154
Deveronvale Banff Princess Royal Park 2,651360
Formartine United Pitmedden North Lodge Park 1,800300
Forres Mechanics Forres Mosset Park 2,700502
Fraserburgh Fraserburgh Bellslea Park 1,865480
Huntly Huntly Christie Park 2,200270
Inverurie Loco Works Inverurie Harlaw Park 2,500250
Keith Keith Kynoch Park 2,362370
Lossiemouth Lossiemouth Grant Park 2,050250
Nairn County Nairn Station Park2,250250
Rothes Rothes Mackessack Park1,731167
Strathspey Thistle Grantown-on-Spey Seafield Park1,600150
Turriff United Turriff The Haughs 2,135135
Wick Academy Wick Harmsworth Park 2,412300

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
1 Buckie Thistle (C)3426359834+6481Ineligible for the Pyramid play-off
2 Brechin City 3426359028+6281
3 Fraserburgh 34253610237+6578
4 Banks o' Dee 3421948733+5472
5 Formartine United 3422668743+4472
6 Brora Rangers 3417896446+1859
7 Huntly 34166128161+2054
8 Nairn County 34165135958+153
9 Turriff United 34153167563+1248
10 Inverurie Loco Works 34135165258−644
11 Rothes 34107174771−2437
12 Wick Academy 34106184970−2136
13 Keith 3496193561−2633
14 Forres Mechanics 3479183764−2730
15 Lossiemouth 3478193666−3029
16 Deveronvale 34510194391−4825
17 Clachnacuddin 3458214789−4223
18 Strathspey Thistle 34313035151−11610
Source: [3] [4] [5]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions

Results

Home \ Away BAN BRE BRO BUC CLA DEV FOU FOM FRA HUN INV KEI LOS NAI RTH STR TUR WIC
Banks o' Dee 0–12–22–02–24–12–14–02–02–13–02–01–13–04–04–13–24–0
Brechin City 0–02–12–36–05–11–06–10–15–02–13–12–02–03–15–05–13–1
Brora Rangers 1–21–2 [lower-alpha 1] 1–51–03–3 [lower-alpha 2] 1–43–21–23–01–14–1 [lower-alpha 3] 3–2 [lower-alpha 4] 2–11–03–14–2 [lower-alpha 5] 1–0 [lower-alpha 6]
Buckie Thistle 2–12–12–0 [lower-alpha 7] 2–36–12–03–11–0 [lower-alpha 8] 3–01–11–03–06–03–1 [lower-alpha 9] 6–14–05–2
Clachnacuddin 1–00–20–22–32–20–51–42–62–42–43–12–00–10–14–41–58–0
Deveronvale 3–30–40–30–00–00–31–12–40–62–11–03–11–32–20–30–10–0
Formartine United 1–44–33–31–13–05–02–02–22–11–16–22–25–16–14–02–43–1
Forres Mechanics 2–21–10–11–81–10–20–41–22–20–12–11–10–00–12–11–03–1
Fraserburgh 2–14–22–01–32–23–21–22–16–04–23–03–13–05–011–03–03–0
Huntly 1–32–21–02–38–05–10–13–04–11–21–12–10–04–47–04–22–1
Inverurie Loco Works 0–20–22–20–21–03–01–21–00–72–31–21–16–00–15–01–43–1
Keith 1–30–10–10–31–13–22–31–12–21–01–21–01–12–13–11–00–4
Lossiemouth 1–60–31–12–15–33–31–20–30–11–30–11–01–43–12–10–01–0
Nairn County 3–30–10–13–01–14–20–22–10–32–44–03–25–10–24–12–12–0
Rothes 2–20–20–11–33–22–12–21–10–31–41–40–01–00–38–21–33–0
Strathspey Thistle 0–61–61–100–72–15–20–10–21–51–40–21–20–30–42–41–81–6
Turriff United 0–40–32–21–34–11–31–22–03–24–04–11–20–01–33–17–13–1
Wick Academy 1–11–20–03–13–02–23–13–20–32–22–12–03–02–30–03–21–5
Source: [14] [15]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
  1. ↑ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie. [6]
  2. ↑ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie, due to an unplayable pitch at Dudgeon Park. [7]
  3. ↑ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie, due to an unplayable pitch at Dudgeon Park. [8]
  4. ↑ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie. [9]
  5. ↑ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie. [10]
  6. ↑ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie. [11]
  7. ↑ Match played at Grant Park, Lossiemouth, due to an unplayable pitch at Victoria Park. [12]
  8. ↑ Match played at Grant Park, Lossiemouth. [13]
  9. ↑ Match played at Princess Royal Park, Banff. [13]

Highland League play-off

Subject to the tier 6 champion clubs meeting the required licensing criteria for promotion, [16] [17] a play-off was scheduled to take place between the winners of the 2023–24 Midlands Football League, 2023–24 North Caledonian Football League and the 2023–24 North Region Junior Football League, with the winners then playing Strathspey Thistle, who finished bottom of the Highland League. However, none of the tier 6 champions had the required SFA licence and as such there was no promotion to, or relegation from, the Highland League.

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References

  1. ↑ Clark, Jonny (20 April 2024). "Buckie Thistle are 2023-24 Highland League champions after narrow win over Keith at Victoria Park". The Northern Scot . Highland News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  2. ↑ "Scottish FA Statement: Pyramid Play-Off Tie". Scottish Football Association . 25 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  3. ↑ "Highland League Table". BBC. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  4. ↑ "Highland Football League, Scotland - League Table". Highland Football League. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "Summary - Football League". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  6. ↑ Mew, Steven (18 April 2024). "Match Preview | Brora Rangers v Brechin City". Brechin City F.C. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  7. ↑ Clark, Will (3 April 2024). "Venue changed for Brora Rangers clash with Deveronvale tonight". The Northern Times. Highland News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  8. ↑ Law, Callum (26 January 2024). "Brora Rangers v Keith in Highland League switched to Golspie". The Press and Journal . Aberdeen Journals . Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  9. ↑ Clark, Will (21 February 2024). "Brora Rangers announce change of venue eight hours before kick-off for Highland League match with Golspie [sic]". The Northern Times. Highland News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  10. ↑ Law, Callum (26 April 2024). "Highland League preview: Brora legends bow out against Turriff; Keith and Wick battle for 12th and Clach make new signings". The Press and Journal . Aberdeen Journals . Retrieved 27 April 2024. Player-manager Ally MacDonald, goalkeeper Joe Malin, midfielder Dale Gillespie and attacker Paul Brindle are all leaving the Cattachs following the fixture at King George V Park in Golspie.
  11. ↑ Chalk, Paul (24 April 2024). "Brora Rangers edge past Wick Academy to seal sixth spot in Highland League". The Press and Journal . Aberdeen Journals . Retrieved 24 April 2024. The Cattachs, playing their final few games in Golspie due to a troublesome Dudgeon Park [...]
  12. ↑ Christie, Craig (10 April 2024). "Buckie Thistle switch crucial Highland League clash to Lossiemouth's Grant Park while Brechin City await verdict on Keith's Kynoch Park surface". The Northern Scot . Highland News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  13. 1 2 Clark, Jonathan (8 February 2024). "Buckie Thistle to play home matches at Deveronvale's Princess Royal Park and Lossiemouth's Grant Park". The Northern Scot . Highland News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  14. ↑ "Highland League Results". Highland Football League. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  15. ↑ "Highland League 2023/24 fixtures revealed". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  16. ↑ Chalk, Paul. "George Manson takes over top Highland League role at AGM". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  17. ↑ Fraser, Alasdair. "Relegation dawns for Highland League clubs as tier six north set for next season". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
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