The Ayrshire Junior Football League, known as the Western Junior League from 1919 until 1968, was a football league competition operated in Ayrshire under the Scottish Junior Football Association which operated until a merger in 2002.

The league was formed in the aftermath of World War I, primarily from clubs in the territory which today is North Ayrshire that had participated in smaller leagues such as the Irvine & District competition.[1] After only a few years of operation, the Western clubs became embroiled in the Intermediate dispute relating to compensation payments due to clubs joining Scottish Football League teams, and along with the larger and more powerful Glasgow Junior Football League, broke away from the SJFA and its flagship tournament, the Scottish Junior Cup in 1927 to form a rival Intermediate Association, although still playing in a separate division from the Glasgow clubs.

The dispute was resolved in 1931 and the Western League resumed alongside a new Central League for the Glasgow clubs, with the former Scottish Intermediate Cup which had been contested between them now named the West of Scotland Junior Cup as an additional trophy to the Scottish Cup, with clubs from the Lanarkshire Junior Football League also taking part. The membership was soon expanded in 1934 with a group of clubs from the mining villages of south-east Ayrshire whose local league, founded in 1920 had folded[2][3] (clubs in the north had been reluctant to admit them previously due to travel difficulties involved, a factor which had also prevented local clubs joining other leagues such as the Scottish Junior Football League in the past).

In 1968 the Junior football system across Scotland was reorganised, with Lanarkshire's league merging with the Central setup. The league in Ayrshire remained largely unchanged as one of six across the country, although the name was changed from the Western League to the Ayrshire Regional League and the few clubs which had been playing in it which were not based in the region moved to the Central leagues. From 1946 to 1976 the league was divided into North and South sections with the winners in a playoff to decide the overall champion, and thereafter two merit divisions were formed with a dozen clubs in each and promotion/relegation between them. It was at this point that Auchinleck Talbot, Scottish Cup winners in the 1940s but never a consistent force and without a major trophy in several years, rose to dominate the Junior grade at both regional and national levels, which generally continued into the 21st century.[4]

The divisional setup remained until 2002, when the largest clubs in Ayrshire and Central merged under a two-tier Super League within a new Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region to increase the number of lucrative matches to be played between them (the three regions in the east of the country did likewise). A lower division of the West Region was designated specifically for legacy Ayrshire clubs in parallel with two for Central clubs, until 2018 when it was decided to organise all divisions on a regional basis. Some local cups still retained the link to Ayrshire.

Champions

1919–1968 era

Key:

Club also won the Scottish Junior Cup[5][6] (doubles in bold).
Club were also runners-up in the Scottish Junior Cup.[5][6]
Season Winner[7] Runner-up Other member in Scottish Cup final[5][6]
1919–20 Ardrossan Winton Rovers
1920–21 Kilwinning Rangers
1921–22 Irvine Meadow Kilwinning Rangers
1922–23 Kilwinning Rangers
1923–24 Saltcoats Victoria Ardeer Thistle
1924–25 Ardeer Thistle
1925–26 Saltcoats Victoria
1926–27 Saltcoats Victoria
1927–28 Western Intermediate League
1928–29
1929–30
1930–31
1931–32 Kilwinning Rangers Irvine Meadow
1932–33 Irvine Meadow
1933–34 Ardrossan Winton Rovers Kilwinning Rangers
1934–35 Glenafton Athletic Kilwinning Rangers
1935–36 Cumnock Juniors Irvine Victoria
1936–37 Cumnock Juniors Glenafton Athletic
1937–38 Johnstone Athletic Saltcoats Victoria
1938–39 Saltcoats Victoria Ardeer Recreation
1939–40 Johnstone Athletic Auchinleck Talbot
1940–41 Ardeer Recreation
1941–42 Ardeer Recreation
1942–43 Ardeer Recreation Hurlford United
1943–44 Ardeer Recreation Kilmarnock Juniors
1944–45 Ardeer Recreation Hurlford United
1945–46[8] Saltcoats Victoria Muirkirk
1946–47[8] Neilston Juniors Lugar Boswell Thistle
1947–48[8] Kilbirnie Ladeside Auchinleck Talbot Irvine Meadow
1948–49[8] Irvine Meadow Annbank United Auchinleck Talbot
1949–50[9] Kilbirnie Ladeside Annbank United Cumnock Juniors
1950–51[9] Irvine Meadow Craigmark Burntonians
1951–52[9] Kilbirnie Ladeside Cumnock Juniors
1952–53[9] Cumnock Juniors Kilbirnie Ladeside Annbank United
1953–54[9] Lugar Boswell Thistle Irvine Meadow
1954–55[9] Irvine Meadow Auchinleck Talbot
1955–56[9] Lugar Boswell Thistle Irvine Meadow
1956–57[9] Irvine Meadow Auchinleck Talbot
1957–58[9] Irvine Meadow Whitletts Victoria
1958–59[9] Glenafton Athletic Irvine Meadow
1959–60[10] Ardeer Thistle Darvel
1960–61[10] Irvine Meadow Glenafton Athletic
1961–62[10] Glenafton Athletic Irvine Meadow
1962–63[10] Glenafton Athletic Beith Juniors Irvine Meadow
1963–64[10] Glenafton Athletic Beith Juniors
1964–65[10] Beith Juniors Kello Rovers
1965–66[10] Kilwinning Rangers Glenafton Athletic
1966–67[10] Darvel Beith Juniors
1967–68[10] Kilbirnie Ladeside Craigmark Burntonians

1968–2002 era

Key:

Club also won the Scottish Junior Cup[6] (doubles in bold).
Club were also runners-up in the Scottish Junior Cup.[6]
Season[11] Winner Runner-up Other member in Scottish Cup final[6]
1968–69[10] Beith Juniors Kello Rovers
1969–70[12] Irvine Meadow Hurlford United
1970–71[12] Irvine Meadow Cumnock Juniors
1971–72[12] Cumnock Juniors Kilbirnie Ladeside
1972–73[12] Hurlford United Irvine Meadow
1973–74[12] Cumnock Juniors Irvine Victoria
1974–75[12] Kello Rovers Kilbirnie Ladeside
1975–76[12] Kilbirnie Ladeside Cumnock Juniors
1976–77[13] Kilbirnie Ladeside Cumnock Juniors
1977–78[13] Auchinleck Talbot Cumnock Juniors
1978–79[13] Auchinleck Talbot Beith Juniors Cumnock Juniors
1979–80[13] Auchinleck Talbot Craigmark Burntonians
1980–81[13] Cumnock Juniors Auchinleck Talbot
1981–82[13] Cumnock Juniors Auchinleck Talbot
1982–83[14] Glenafton Athletic Kello Rovers
1983–84[14] Cumnock Juniors Auchinleck Talbot
1984–85[14] Cumnock Juniors Annbank United
1985–86[14] Auchinleck Talbot Irvine Meadow
1986–87[14] Auchinleck Talbot Craigmark Burntonians Kilbirnie Ladeside
1987–88[15] Auchinleck Talbot Cumnock Juniors
1988–89[15] Irvine Meadow Auchinleck Talbot Cumnock Juniors
1989–90[15] Auchinleck Talbot Cumnock Juniors
1990–91[15] Auchinleck Talbot Kilbirnie Ladeside
1991–92[15] Auchinleck Talbot Kilwinning Rangers Glenafton Athletic
1992–93[16] Glenafton Athletic Irvine Meadow
1993–94[16] Irvine Meadow Auchinleck Talbot Largs Thistle
1994–95[16] Auchinleck Talbot Beith Juniors
1995–96[16] Cumnock Juniors Glenafton Athletic
1996–97[16] Auchinleck Talbot Glenafton Athletic
1997–98[17] Cumnock Juniors Auchinleck Talbot
1998–99[17] Kilwinning Rangers Auchinleck Talbot
1999–2000[17] Kilwinning Rangers Auchinleck Talbot
2000–01[17] Auchinleck Talbot Glenafton Athletic
2001–02[17] Glenafton Athletic Cumnock Juniors Auchinleck Talbot

Notes

List of winners

Club 1919–1968 era 1968–2002 era Overall
Win R-up[a] First win Last win Win R-up First win Last win Win R-up[a]
Auchinleck Talbot 0 4 N/A 12 8 1978–79 2000–01 12 12
Irvine Meadow 8[b] 4[c] 1921–22 1960–61 4 3 1969–70 1993–94 12 7
Cumnock Juniors 3 1 1935–36 1952–53 8 7 1971–72 1997–98 11 8
Glenafton Athletic 5 2 1934–35 1963–64 3 3 1982–83 2001–02 8 5
Kilbirnie Ladeside 4 1 1947–48 1967–68 2 3 1975–76 1976–77 6 4
Kilwinning Rangers 4[d] 0 1920–21 1965–66 2 1 1998–99 1999–2000 6 1
Ardeer Recreation 6 0 1940–41 1959–60 0 0 N/A 6 0
Saltcoats Victoria 5 0 1923–24 1945–46 0 0 N/A 5 0
Beith Juniors 1 3 1964–65 1 2 1968–69 2 5
Ardrossan Winton Rovers 2 0 1919–20 1933–34 0 0 N/A 2 0
Lugar Boswell Thistle 2 0 1953–54 1955–56 0 0 N/A 2 0
Johnstone Athletic 2 0 1937–38 1939–40 0 0 N/A 2 0
Kello Rovers 0 0 N/A 1 2 1974–75 1 2
Hurlford United 0 0 N/A 1 1 1972–73 1 1
Neilston Juniors 1 0 1946–47 0 0 N/A 1 0
Darvel 1 0 1966–67 0 0 N/A 1 0
Ardeer Thistle 1 0[c] 1924–25 0 0 N/A 1 0
Annbank United 0 1 N/A 0 1 N/A 0 2
Craigmark Burntonians 0 1 N/A 0 2 N/A 0 3
Whitletts Victoria 0 1 N/A 0 0 N/A 0 1
Irvine Victoria 0 0 N/A 0 1 N/A 0 1

Notes

  1. ^ a b Records from the 1919–1968 era are incomplete as per cited sources; not all runners-up are accounted for (missing South section finalist when winner was from North section).
  2. ^ Also won the Western Intermediate League on 1 occasion.
  3. ^ a b Also runners-up in the Western Intermediate League on 1 occasion.
  4. ^ Also won the Western Intermediate League on 2 occasions.

References

  1. ^ Irvine & District Junior Football League 1892-1920; Including the Ayrshire Junior League (1892-93 & 1900-1905), North Ayrshire Junior League (1903-04) and Northern District Junior League (1904-1907), Scottish Football Historical Archive
  2. ^ South Ayrshire Junior Football League 1920-1932 (Known as Ayrshire Southern League (1926-27) and Ayrshire Junior League (1928-1931), Scottish Football Historical Archive
  3. ^ The South Ayrshire Junior League 1920-1932, James McAuley, via Scottish Football Historical Archive
  4. ^ Club History, Auchinleck Talbot F.C.
  5. ^ a b c "Scottish Junior Cup > Finals 1886 to 1956". Scottish Football Association (archive version, 2018). Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Scottish Junior Cup > Finals 1957 - Present [2009]". Scottish Football Association (archive version, 2018). Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  7. ^ Ayrshire Junior League & Cup Competitions, Scottish Football Historical Archive
  8. ^ a b c d North Ayrshire League - 1940s, Beith Juniors F.C.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j North Ayrshire League - 1950s, Beith Juniors F.C.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j North Ayrshire League - 1960s, Beith Juniors F.C.
  11. ^ Ayrshire Junior Region Football League 1968-2002, Scottish Football Historical Archive (archive version, 2014)
  12. ^ a b c d e f g North Ayrshire League - 1970s, Beith Juniors F.C.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Ayrshire Division 1 1976 to 1982, Beith Juniors F.C.
  14. ^ a b c d e Ayrshire Division 1 1982 to 1987, Beith Juniors F.C.
  15. ^ a b c d e Ayrshire Division 1 1987 to 1992, Beith Juniors F.C.
  16. ^ a b c d e Ayrshire Division 1 1992 to 1997, Beith Juniors F.C.
  17. ^ a b c d e Ayrshire Division 1 1997 to 2002, Beith Juniors F.C.
Categories