The West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) is a senior football league based in the west of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

. The league sits at levels 6–10 on the

Scottish football league system The Scottish football league system is a series of generally connected leagues for Scottish football clubs. The Scottish system is more complicated than many other national league systems, consisting of several completely separate systems or 'gr ...

, acting as a feeder to the

Lowland Football League The Scottish Lowland Football League (SLFL, commonly known as the Lowland League) is a senior football league based in central and southern Scotland. The league sits at level 5 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the ...

. Founded in 2020, it is currently composed of 79 member clubs competing in five divisions. Geographically, the league covers Argyll & Bute,

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine, North Ayrshi ...

East Dunbartonshire East Dunbartonshire ( sco, Aest Dunbartanshire; gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Bhreatainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the north of Glasgow and contains many of the affluent areas to the north of the city, including Bear ...

West Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire ( sco, Wast Dunbairtonshire; gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann an Iar, ) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. The area lies to the west of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's commuter to ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

Inverclyde Inverclyde ( sco, Inerclyde, gd, Inbhir Chluaidh, , "mouth of the Clyde") is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the his ...

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scot ...

, and

Renfrewshire Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Re ...

. Two clubs are also based in

Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Ki ...

. Since its formation 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 The East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) is a senior football league based in the east and south-east of Scotland. The league sits at levels 6–9 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League. ...

and

South of Scotland Football League 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, i ...

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 The Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA) is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the junior grade of football (soccer), football in Scotland. The term "junior" refers to the ...

's West Region, and four others:

amateurs Drumchapel United and

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, Kilmarnock side Bonnyton Thistle moving sideways from the

South of Scotland League 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 i ...

and

Newton Mearns Newton Mearns ( sco, The Mearns; gd, Baile Ùr na Maoirne ) is a suburban town and the largest settlement in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. It lies southwest of Glasgow City Centre on the main road to Ayrshire, above sea level. It has a populat ...

-based youth club St Cadoc's Youth Club from the Paisley, Johnstone & District League. 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 Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility fo ...

, the league was split into a top tier and lower divisions, similar to that utilised by the

. On 1 May 2020, the League confirmed that a top division of 20 teams would contest the first season in

2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

, comprising the 16 teams who had played in the

2019–20 West Region Premiership The 2019–20 West Region Premiership was the second and final season of the West Region Premiership the top tier of league competition for SJFA West Region member clubs, and the 18th season since the West Region began in 2002. It was the second s ...

, the top three placed from the West Championship and one moving 'sideways' from the

. This ran contrary to some clubs' expectations that the inaugural campaign would not use a hierarchical system, 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; the list for which was published three days later. 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. However, the league reverted to a normal home and away format following a number of withdrawals from the initial season. On 11 January 2021 the league was suspended by the

due to the escalating

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

situation. 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

– The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...

23 season. Teams in the Development League will only be promoted if they meet specified ground criteria.

Member clubs

After running with a Premier Division of 20 clubs and three Tier 7 Conferences of 15 or 16 clubs during its transitional 2021–22 season, the WoSFL has since switched to a linear structure with the Premier, First, and Second Divisions each containing 16 teams. The Third Division features 19 clubs and the Fourth Division, made up of new members and development league teams, has 12 clubs. Listed below are the 79 clubs in the WoSFL for the

2022–23 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

season.

Premier Division

Arthurlie Arthurlie is an area of the town of Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, Scotland. History of Arthurlie The lands of Arthurlie were held in medieval times by the Stewart family, a branch of the noble Stewarts of Darnley. Later the lands became the prop ...

* Auchinleck Talbot *

Beith Juniors Beith Juniors Football Club are a Scottish football club from the town of Beith, North Ayrshire. Members of the Scottish Junior Football Association, they compete in the West of Scotland Football League. Beith play at Bellsdale Park. Their ma ...

Cambuslang Rangers Cambuslang Rangers Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire. Nicknamed ''The Lang'', ''Camby'' or ''The Wee Gers'', were formed in 1899, they play at Somervell Park and wear blue strips (uniforms). They ...

Clydebank Clydebank ( gd, Bruach Chluaidh) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick (with Bowling and Milton beyond) to the west, and the Yoker and Drumchapel areas ...

Cumnock Juniors Cumnock Juniors Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Cumnock, Ayrshire. The Nock play their home games at Townhead Park and compete in the West of Scotland Football League. History Birthed in 1912, they have a history of local ...

Darvel Darvel ( sco, Dairvel, gd, Darbhail) is a small town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is at the eastern end of the Irvine Valley and is sometimes referred to as "The Lang Toon" ( en, the Long Town). The town's Latin motto, , means "Not for o ...

Glenafton Athletic Glenafton Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football club, based in New Cumnock, Ayrshire. Members of the Scottish Junior Football Association, they play in the West of Scotland Football League. The club has won the Scottish Junior Cup twice ...

* Hurlford United *

Irvine Meadow XI Irvine Meadow XI Football Club is a Scottish football club, based in Irvine, North Ayrshire. They currently compete in the . The club's home ground is Meadow Park in central Irvine, and they play in royal blue strips. History Formed in 1897 ...

Kilwinning Rangers Kilwinning Rangers Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Kilwinning, Ayrshire. Formed in 1899, the club competes in the West of Scotland Football League, and are eligible to participate in the Scottish Cup. Nicknam ...

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed ''The Rabs'' or ''The Roy'', they were formed in 1878. They wear red and black strips and currently compete in t ...

* Largs Thistle * Petershill *

Pollok Pollok ( gd, Pollag, lit=a pool, sco, Powk) is a large housing estate on the south-western side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The estate was built either side of World War II to house families from the overcrowded inner city. Housing 30,0 ...

Troon Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with freight services and a yacht marina. Up until January 2016, P&O opera ...

First Division

* Benburb * Blantyre Victoria * Bonnyton Thistle *

Cumbernauld United Cumbernauld United Football Club are a football club based in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. They play at Guy's Meadow in the Cumbernauld Village area of the town. Formed in 1964, they currently compete in the , having previously pla ...

* Drumchapel United * Gartcairn * Johnstone Burgh * Kilbirnie Ladeside * Neilston * Rossvale *

Rutherglen Glencairn Rutherglen Glencairn Football Club is a Scottish football (soccer), football club based in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, near Glasgow. Nicknamed ''The Glens'' and formed in 1896, they play at The Hamish B Allan Stadium (New Southcroft Park). G ...

Shotts Bon Accord Shotts Bon Accord Football Club are a Scotland, Scottish association football, football club based in the town of Shotts, North Lanarkshire. History Shotts Bon Accord were formed in 1950 and currently compete in the . In 1995 Shotts were s ...

* St Cadoc's * St Roch's * Thorniewood United *

Whitletts Victoria Whitletts Victoria Football Club are a Scottish football club, historically based in the Whitletts area of Ayr, South Ayrshire. The club currently play in the . Nicknamed ''The Vics'', the club were formed in 1944 and currently play at Dam Par ...

Second Division

* Ardeer Thistle *

Ashfield Ashfield may refer to: People * Ashfield (surname) Places Australia * Ashfield, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney ** Municipality of Ashfield, a former local government area in Sydney ** Electoral district of Ashfield, a former electoral dist ...

* Craigmark Burntonians * Forth Wanderers * Glasgow Perthshire * Glasgow United *

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

Greenock Juniors Greenock Juniors Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Greenock, Inverclyde. They compete in and play home matches at Ravenscraig Stadium, on Auchmead Road - a five-minute walk from Branchton railway station. The club were de ...

Kilsyth Rangers Kilsyth Rangers Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire. Nicknamed ''The Wee Gers'', they were formed in 1913 and play at Duncansfield Park, which used to be one of the bigger ''non-league'' f ...

Maryhill Maryhill ( gd, Cnoc Màiri) is an area of the City of Glasgow in Scotland. Maryhill is a former burgh. Maryhill stretches over along Maryhill Road. The far north west of the area is served by Maryhill railway station. History Hew Hill ...

* Maybole Juniors * Muirkirk Juniors *

Renfrew Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire (historic), Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the House of Stewart, Royal Stewarts" ...

St Anthony's ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

Wishaw Wishaw ( sco, Wishae or Wisha ; gd, Camas Neachdain) is a large town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the edge of the Clyde Valley, south-east of Glasgow city centre. The Burgh of Wishaw was formed in 1855 within Lanarkshire. it form ...

Yoker Athletic Yoker Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Clydebank near Glasgow. Yoker is an area of Glasgow adjacent to Clydebank, however Yoker's stadium lies just outside the Glasgow boundary. Nicknamed the ''Whe Ho'', the club wer ...

Third Division

* Ardrossan Winton Rovers * Bellshill Athletic * Carluke Rovers * Dalry Thistle * East Kilbride Thistle *Finnart *

Girvan Girvan ( gd, Inbhir Gharbhain, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ayr, ...

* Irvine Victoria *

Kello Rovers Kello Rovers Football Club are a Scottish football club, based in the town of Kirkconnel, Dumfries and Galloway. Nicknamed ''Super K'', they were formed in 1903, and they play at Nithside Park. Currently playing in the , they wear black and whi ...

Lanark United Lanark United Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Lanark, South Lanarkshire. Nicknamed ''the Yowes'', they were formed in 1920, and play at Moor Park. They currently compete in the and play in blue strips (uniforms ...

Larkhall Thistle Larkhall Thistle Football Club is a football club from Larkhall, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Formed in 1878, "the Jags" are Scotland's oldest continuous Junior football club and currently compete in the . The team plays in red and white st ...

* Lesmahagow * Lugar Boswell Thistle * Newmains United *

Port Glasgow Port Glasgow ( gd, Port Ghlaschu, ) is the second-largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19,426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16,617 persons. The most rece ...

* Royal Albert * Saltcoats Victoria * Vale of Clyde * Vale of Leven

Fourth Division

* BSC Glasgow * Campbeltown Pupils * Easterhouse Academy * Eglinton * Glenvale * Harmony Row * Kilsyth Athletic * Rossvale Academy * St. Peter's * Thorn Athletic * Threave Rovers * West Park United

Seasons

Cup competitions

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,SFA South Region Challenge Cup The North and South Region Challenge Cups are regional senior non-league competitions run by the Scottish Football Association. The southern tournament is open to full member non-league clubs in the south of the country, while similar stipulations ...

: 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 Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is s ...

clubs in the south of Scotland and has 165 entrants for the 2022–23 season - 16 from the Lowland League, 58 from the EoSFL, 12 from the SoSFL, and 79 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 neither SFA nor SJFA members, 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 79 WoSFL sides compete in this straight knock-out tournament without replays. *

Scottish Junior Cup The Scottish Junior Cup is an annual football competition organised by the Scottish Junior Football Association. The competition has been held every year since the inception of the SJFA in 1886 and, as of the 2022–23 edition, 108 teams compete ...

(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.

Holders

''2021–22 winners unless stated.'' *South Region Challenge Cup: Auchinleck Talbot *West of Scotland League Cup: Hurlford United *Strathclyde Cup: Drumchapel United *Cup Winners Shield: Drumchapel United

Notes

References

External links

Official website
{{UEFA sixth level leagues 6 Scot Sports leagues established in 2020 2020 establishments in Scotland Football in Dumfries and Galloway Football in East Ayrshire Football in East Dunbartonshire Football in East Renfrewshire Football in Glasgow Football in Inverclyde Football in North Ayrshire Football in North Lanarkshire Football in Renfrewshire Football in South Ayrshire Football in South Lanarkshire Football in West Dunbartonshire