Midlands Football League

Last updated

Midlands Football League
Founded2021
CountryFlag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Confederation UEFA
Divisions2
Number of clubs20
Level on pyramid 6–7
Promotion to Lowland Football League
Domestic cup(s) Scottish Cup (SFA licensed clubs and league winners)
North and Tayside Inter-Regional Cup
League cup(s)Midlands League Cup
Current champions Dundee North End (2nd title)
(2024–25)
Most championships Carnoustie Panmure and Dundee North End (2 titles each)
Website Midlands League
Current: 2025–26 Midlands Football League

The Midlands Football League is a football league based in the Tayside area of Scotland. The league sits at levels 6 and 7 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League. Until 2025, the league was run by the East Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association.

Contents

Founded in 2021, the inaugural season was contested by 19 clubs, largely from those who still remained in the SJFA East Region from the previous season. Geographically, the league covers Angus, Perth and Kinross, Dundee and Fife (all East Region clubs based further south already having left the SJFA to join the East of Scotland Football League over the previous five years). In the summer of 2025, the league broke away from the SJFA to be an independent league operated by the Scottish Football Association and split into two divisions known as the Midlands Premier League and the Midlands First Division.

The winners previously took part in an end-of-season promotion play-off with the SJFA North Superleague and North Caledonian League champions for entry to the Highland League, subject to clubs meeting the required licensing criteria. However, due to the splitting of the Lowland League into the Lowland League East and Lowland League West for the season 2026–27, the Midlands League has now become a feeder for the Lowland League East rather than the Highland League.

History

Background

The Tayside Junior Football League (originally named the Midlands League) had existed in the region since 1969. It was formed as one of the six new regions of the SJFA in part of a wider restructure of Scottish junior football, bringing several local junior leagues from the area together. It operated until 2002 when it merged with the Fife League and the East (Lothians) League to form a new larger East Region. [1]

From 2017, most of the East Region clubs departed the junior ranks to join the senior East of Scotland League which was part of the pyramid with promotion to the Lowland League, including some former Tayside teams from Perthshire. [2] By 2020, there were only 30 teams left in the East Region, which was restructured into two regional leagues of North and South. At the end of the season, all of the South teams (mostly from West Lothian) departed to join the senior ranks, leaving only the North teams (former Tayside Junior members) remaining which went on to join the pyramid system underneath the Highland League.

Formation

On 1 April 2021, the Scottish Junior Football Association stated their aim to establish a Midlands League for the 2021–22 season at Tier 6 of the Scottish football pyramid. [3]

Although there was no official announcement of the league's formation, the SJFA East Region announced the fixtures for the 2021–22 season straight away on 21 June, with 19 clubs shown as league members, Dundee St James and Letham being new clubs in addition to all members of the 2020–21 East Premiership North. [4]

On 5 July 2021, it was announced that subject to SFA approval, the Midlands league would be joined at Tier 6 by the SJFA North Superleague and North Caledonian League to form a fully-integrated level below the Highland League from 2021–22. [5]

In February 2025, the SJFA announced that the SJFA East Region and SJFA North Region would split and form their own independent leagues under the Scottish Football Association, with the East Region maintaining the Midlands Football League and splitting it into two divisions, the Midlands Premier League and the Midlands First Division. [6]

Member clubs

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Dundee
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Angus
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Location of teams in the Midlands Football League
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Location of teams in the Midlands Football League within Angus and Fife
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Location of teams in the Midlands Football League within Dundee

Midlands Premier League

ClubLocationHome GroundCapacitySeatsFloodlit
Broughty Athletic Dundee Whitton Park [7] 2,5000Yes
Carnoustie Panmure Carnoustie Laing Park [8] 1,5000No
Downfield Dundee Downfield Park [9] 2,50013Yes
Dundee North End Dundee North End Park [10] 2,0000Yes
East Craigie Dundee Craigie Park [11] 3,3000No
Kirriemuir Thistle Kirriemuir Westview Park [12] 2,00032Yes
Letham Perth Seven Acres ParkTBC0Yes
Lochee Harp Dundee Lochee Community Sports HubTBC0Yes
Lochee United Dundee Thomson Park [13] 3,2000Yes
Tayport Tayport Canniepairt [14] 2,0000Yes

Midlands First Division

ClubLocationHome GroundCapacitySeatsFloodlit
Arbroath Victoria Arbroath Ogilvy Park [15] 4,0000Yes
Blairgowrie Blairgowrie Davie Park [16] 2,5000No
Brechin Victoria Brechin Victoria Park [17] 600100Yes
Coupar Angus Coupar Angus Foxhall Park [18] 1,8000Yes
Dundee St James Dundee Fairfield ParkTBC0No
Dundee Violet Dundee Glenesk Park [19] 2,0000No
Forfar United Forfar Guthrie Park [20] 2,5000No
Forfar West End Forfar Strathmore Park [21] 2,5000No
Montrose Roselea Montrose Links Park [22] 4,9361,338Yes
Scone Thistle Scone Farquharson Park [23] 1,0000No

Seasons

SeasonChampionsLeague Cup
2021–22 Carnoustie Panmure Lochee United
2022–23 Carnoustie Panmure (2)Carnoustie Panmure
2023–24 Dundee North End Not Played
2024–25 Dundee North End (2) Downfield

Cup competitions

References

  1. ↑ "Tayside Region Junior League". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  2. ↑ McLauchlin, Brian (7 June 2018). "East of Scotland League vote signals exodus of 25 junior clubs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  3. ↑ "SJFA PYRAMID STATEMENT". Scottish Junior FA. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  4. ↑ "MIDLAND LEAGUE FIXTURES RELEASED". Scottish Junior FA. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "SCOTTISH FOOTBALL PYRAMID UPDATE".
  6. ↑ "@scottishjuniors on X: 'STATEMENT'". x.com. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  7. ↑ Broughty Athletic, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  8. ↑ Carnoustie Panmure, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Downfield, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  10. ↑ Dundee North End, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  11. ↑ East Craigie, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  12. ↑ Kirriemuir Thistle, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  13. ↑ Lochee United, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  14. ↑ Tayport, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  15. ↑ Arbroath Victoria, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  16. ↑ Blairgowrie, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  17. ↑ Brechin Victoria, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  18. ↑ Coupar Angus, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  19. ↑ Dundee Violet, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  20. ↑ Forfar United, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  21. ↑ Forfar West End, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  22. ↑ Montrose Roselea, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  23. ↑ Scone Thistle, Non League Scotland, Retrieved 29 July 2021.
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