| Founded | 1921 |
|---|---|
| Abolished | 1937 |
| Region |  Scotland |
| Most championships | Dalbeattie Star (6 titles) |
TheSouthern Counties League was a leagueassociation football tournament for teams in southernScotland.
Clubs in the Southern Counties Football Association, based in the south and west of Scotland, tried several times to form a league competition. The most successful of these initial attempts was 1897–98, under the presidency of W. T. Hay ofDumfries,[1] which had seven clubs, and which played long enough to declare a champion inNewton Stewart, which earned 11 points from its 6 games; the only club which came close to playing all its fixtures wasNithsdale, which played 11 times.[2] The organizational shambles however was such thatVale of Dryfe withdrew before the season kicked off,Thornhill before playing a match (replaced byDumfries Hibernians), andthe 6th G.R.V. quit after it had four matches postponed at late notice because of clashing cup commitments.[3] One attempt to raise funds - a match between a Counties side and aGlasgow Football Association side at Cresswell Park in Dumfries - only raised £16[4] and the visitors had an easy 9–3 win.[5]
After abortive seasons in 1910–11[6] and 1914–15,[7] was properly established in 1921–22 and, apart from two seasons, ran almost until theSecond World War.
The League never had more than 11 members, which it achieved in 1931–32, and even thenNithsdale Wanderers only played four fixtures before withdrawing.St Cuthbert's Wanderers was the only club to enter every season.
The League was formally abandoned in July 1937, as the Southern Counties FA voted instead to reintroduce theSouth of Scotland Cup on a home-and-away principle.[8]
An attempt to re-start the League after theSecond World War was thwarted by a protest fromWigtown & Bladnoch, on the basis that the new membership had excludedWigtownshire clubs in favour of twoAyrshire sides (the "A" sides ofAyr United andKilmarnock),[9] so the members formed a new competition instead, called theSouth of Scotland League.
| Team | Seasons | First season | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creetown | 6 | 1927–28 | 1936–37 |
| Dalbeattie Star | 9 | 1922–23 | 1933–34 |
| Douglas Wanderers | 7 | 1924–25 | 1934–35 |
| Garlieston | 6 | 1928–29 | 1936–37 |
| Mid-Annandale | 4 | 1922–23 | 1932–33 |
| Newton Stewart Athletic | 9 | 1924–27 | 1936–37 |
| Nithsdale Wanderers | 3 | 1930–31 | 1932–33 |
| Queen of the South "A" | 3 | 1930–31 | 1932–33 |
| St Cuthbert's Wanderers | 12 | 1922–23 | 1936–37 |
| Solway Star | 4 | 1928–29 | 1932–33 |
| Stranraer "A" | 9 | 1924–25 | 1936–37 |
| Tarff Rovers | 7 | 1928–29 | 1936–37 |
| Thornhill | 2 | 1922–23 | 1930–31 |
| Whithorn | 5 | 1932–33 | 1936–37 |
| Wigtown & Bladnoch | 7 | 1930–31 | 1936–37 |