 | |
| Founded | 31 January 1888 |
|---|---|
| Country | Scotland |
| Divisions | 1 |
| Number of clubs | 12 |
| Level onpyramid | 6 |
| Promotion to | Highland Football League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Scottish Cup (SFA licensed clubs and league winners) |
| Current champions | Invergordon (8th title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | Clachnacuddin reserves (14 titles) |
| Website | northcaleyfa.co.uk |
| Current:2024–25 North Caledonian Football League | |
TheNorth Caledonian Football Association is a seniorfootball association operating throughout theHighlands and Islands of Scotland and is a recognised body of theScottish Football Association (SFA) and as such has its senior football competitions officially registered with the SFA.
The formation of the Inverness Junior Football Association on 31 January 1888 saw the introduction of the Inverness Junior Cup. After the final in 1888 the association was renamed the North of Scotland Junior Football Association and the competition theNorth of Scotland Junior Cup.
The Association's league competition was later introduced in 1896 as the "North of Scotland Junior League" with the initial aim of providing aleague format for its junior members and predominantly the "2nd XI" teams from seniorHighland Football League clubs. Upon its formation these teams mostly came from the Inverness area. By 1906 though, the Association had welcomed several new member teams from outside theInverness-shire area, specifically Nairn Thistle and Dingwall Victoria United (later re-formed asRoss County) broadening the coverage of the league across the North. Other clubs from across the Highland counties followed suit, with Muir of Ord and Tore United among those to join.
In 1935 the league dropped its junior status, possibly due to the Scottish Junior Football Association's objections to Senior clubs involvement, and became known as the North of Scotland "2nd XI" League (it was also known colloquially as either the Highland Reserve League or Highland Alliance, the latter a nod to the southern reserve league the Scottish Football Alliance). It was recognised as a senior football league with teams eligible to apply for Scottish FA membership.
In 1947–48 season, the league's membership consisted of a record 26 clubs, split into a three-division regional set-up with the top clubs in each section playing off for the Championship. In 1948 it reverted to a single division with a much reduced membership.
By the late 1960s/early 1970s, theHighland League reserve teams which had dominated the league gradually dropped out of contention, with most finding that it was not financially viable to run "2nd XI" or reserve teams at a senior level. At the same time, the league began to see an influx of senior football teams joining from the surrounding counties of Easter Ross, Caithness and Sutherland.
By the 1980s, the league had representation from teams all across the North, including as far asFort William. In a bid to shake off the "2nd XI" tag (and the inference of being "second best" to the Highland League) the member clubs in the league took the decision to rename the league at the 1984annual general meeting of the North of Scotland 2nd XI Football Association in Bonar Bridge, where teams voted unanimously to change the name of the association to the North Caledonian Football Association and the name of the league competition to the North Caledonian Football League.
In 2020, it was announced that the North Caledonian League was working with the Highland League and North Region Junior FA to form a sixth tier of theScottish football league system for the far north of the country, with a view to feeding eligible clubs via promotion into theHighland League.[1] It was also announced, along with 4 teams being added to the ranks (2 of which are returning sides) that the league would be temporarily split into two divisions.
In April 2021, it was announced that subject to SFA approval, the North Caledonian League would be joined at Tier 6 by theNorth Super League and a rebranded Midlands League (the remainingJunior East Region clubs that play in Tayside) to form a fully-integrated tier below the Highland League from the2021-22 season.[2] The leagues at that level entered the Scottish pyramid later in July.[3]
In June 2022, it was announced that the winner of the league, no matter whether they were SFA Licensed or not, would qualify directly to theScottish Cup preliminary round, starting withInvergordon, who won the2021-22 season. However, it was also confirmed that if an already SFA Licensed team (Golspie Sutherland andFort William) or a reserve team (Clachnacuddin andNairn County) were to win the league, the Scottish Cup spot would not pass down to the highest ranked team that would otherwise be eligible.Invergordon became the first team to qualify for the Scottish Cup via this method, however they were beaten 5–1 in their opening game byNewtongrange Star.
As well as holding membership of the North Caledonian FA, member clubs are also governed by the constitution of the Scottish Football Association, and as such disciplinary and registration matters are handled by theScottish Football Association. This is a unique situation in that member clubs are not required to be full members of theScottish Football Association, despite their players holding senior SFA registrations (professional and amateur).
Golspie Sutherland are the only North Caledonian FA member club to hold full membership of theScottish Football Association and since season2007–08 they have obtained direct entry to theScottish Cup. Previously, they were required to enter theScottish Qualifying Cup (North).
Since 2013, membership has been extended beyond theHighlands to senior clubs in theIslands, withOrkney,Shetland andLewis & Harris all entering teams.
Member teams have previously included reserve teams ofHighland Football League clubs alongside teams from throughout theHighlands and Islands region.[4]
A seniorScottish FA registered competition, the North Caledonian League is an annual league competition which runs from July/August to April, with teams playing each other both home and away with a championship team determined after all games have been played.
Over the years, the North Caledonian League has been characterised by the number of clubs who have used it as a 'stepping-stone' to theprofessional ranks of Scottish football. Among those to have 'graduated' from the league areWick Academy andFort William who left to join theHighland Football League, and much earlierRoss County, who played in the league under their former name ofDingwall Victoria United between 1896 and 1929 before renaming to join theHighland Football League.
The league has also been home in recent years to the reserve teams ofScottish Football League clubsInverness Caledonian Thistle andRoss County.
TheNorth Caledonian Cup (also previously referred to as the North of Scotland Reserve Cup or PCT North Cup) was the first competition to be contested under the auspices of the North Caledonian FA during the latter part of the 1887–88 season and it remains part of the season calendar today. Member teams of the North Caledonian FA also compete in theFootball Times Cup, which has existed as part of the North Caledonian FA season since the 1920s.
Several other cups have been contested or awarded during the Association's history, each of which are inactive or played for when season time allows:
| Team | Location | Ground | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alness United | Alness | Dalmore Park | [5] |
| Bonar Bridge | Bonar Bridge | Migdale Playing Fields | [6] |
| Bunillidh Thistle | Helmsdale | Couper Park | [7] |
| Clachnacuddin 'A' | Inverness | Bught Park | [8] |
| Fort William | Fort William | Claggan Park | [9] |
| Golspie Sutherland | Golspie | King George V Park | [10] |
| Halkirk United | Halkirk | Morrison Park | [11] |
| Invergordon | Invergordon | Recreation Grounds | [12] |
| Inverness Athletic | North Kessock | Ferry Brae Park | [13] |
| Orkney | Kirkwall | Kirkwall Grammar School | [14] |
| St Duthus | Tain | Grant Park | [15] |
| Thurso | Thurso | Sir George's Park | [16] |
The2008–09 season saw the league reduced to ten teams following the withdrawal of Dornoch City andInverness City joining the Junior leagues. Late applicantsTain Thistle took the league membership up to ten teams for the start of the season.Fort William entered a reserve side in the league for season2009–10 as the firstHighland Football League "reserve" side to compete since 1999.Helmsdale basedBunillidh Thistle withdrew whilstAlness United took a year out, and former membersDingwall Thistle returned to complete a ten-team league. Season2010–11 sawAlness return after a one-year absence whilstTain Thistle withdrew after two seasons.
Clachnacuddin again entered a reserve side for season2011–12, whilst Fort William Reserves dropped out due to problems with pitch availability.[17] Before the season started, bothBonar Bridge andInvergordon withdrew, leaving just eight teams in the league. The following season2012–13, Invergordon returned whileBalintore and Dingwall Thistle both withdrew from the league.
Invergordon again withdrew from competition for the2013–14 season, however, the void was filled by a new team from Dornoch inSutherland United. That same season, a newly formedShetland team[18] andLewis & Harris both registered for competition in the North Caledonian Cup. The following season,2014–15, Shetland and Lewis & Harris also competed in the Jock Mackay Cup, while a new team,Orkney,[19] was accepted as a member of the league – the firstIslands team to be admitted.Invergordon returned a year later following a two-year period of abeyance, however, along withMuir of Ord Rovers,Sutherland United withdrew from the competition after just their second season, taking the number of competing teams down to six for season2015–16.
The league experienced an upturn in interest from Highland sides in 2016. A total of eight teams registered for league competition in2016–17, withSt Duthus returning to representTain[20] and a new teamInverness Athletic was also accepted.[21] The league grew in numbers again in 2017 with the revival ofBunillidh Thistle after almost ten years absence, and for the2019–20 season,Bonar Bridge reformed and were admitted to the league.
In 2020, two new clubs,Loch Ness andScourie joined the league, along with returnees,Nairn County 'A' andAlness United - taking the membership of the league to 13 teams for the first time in over 20 years. For the2020–21 season, clubs agreed to play in two leagues of six (Bunillidh opted out) during theCOVID-19 pandemic as a means of reducing the number of games, with Golspie winning League One, and Alness winning League Two.[22] In2021–22,Scourie folded after losing all 10 of their games the previous season, andBunillidh again opted out and Invergordon qualified for the Scottish Cup after winning the title. In2022–23,Fort William andClachnacuddin Reserves returned to the league after 36 and 10 years, respectively.
In the 2024–25 season, Loch Ness pulled out before the season began and, for the first time since 2020, Bunillidh Thistle returned to the league, with a new side, Inverness Thistle, entering discussions to join the league for the 2025–26 season.[23]
| Club | Winners | Season(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Clachnacuddin reserves | 14 | 1903–04, 1904–05, 1909–10, 1926–27, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1936–37, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1963–64, 1991–92 |
| Golspie Sutherland | 11 | 1974–75, 1975–76, 1992–93, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09,2014–15,2018–19,2020–21 |
| Nelson FC | 10 | 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1907–08, 1908–09, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1920–21, 1925–26 |
| Invergordon | 8 | 1946–47, 1976–77, 1987–88, 2001–02,2016–17,2021–22,2023–24,2024–25 |
| Inverness Thistle reserves | 7 | 1900–01, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1934–35, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1962–63 |
| Caledonian reserves | 5 | 1948–49, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1969–70 |
| Halkirk United | 5 | 1993–94, 2010–11,2011–12, 2013–14,2015–16 |
| Inverness Citadel reserves | 5 | 1897–98, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1910–11, 1921–22 |
| Wick Academy | 5 | 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1986–87 |
| Alness United | 4 | 1972–73, 1973–74, 2000–01, 2004–05 |
| Dingwall Thistle | 4 | 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1977–78 |
| Thurso | 4 | 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2009–10, 2012–13 |
| Balintore | 3 | 1989–90, 1990–91, 2005–06 |
| Brora Rangers reserves | 2 | 1966–67, 1967–68 |
| Bunillidh Thistle | 2 | 1982–83, 1988–89 |
| Dingwall Victoria United | 2 | 1919–20, 1927–28 |
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle reserves | 2 | 1994–95, 1997–98 |
| Inverness District Asylum FC | 2 | 1932–33, 1933–34 |
| Muir of Ord Rovers | 2 | 1983–84, 1985–86 |
| Nairn County reserves | 2 | 1935–36, 1954–55* |
| Ross County reserves | 2 | 1965–66, 1996–97 |
| Albert FC | 1 | 1913–14 |
| Avoch Rovers | 1 | 1964–65 |
| Buckie Thistle reserves | 1 | 1954–55* |
| Catch-my-Pal FC | 1 | 1924–25 |
| Elgin City reserves | 1 | 1953–54 |
| Fearn Thistle | 1 | 1995–96 |
| Fort William | 1 | 1984–85 |
| Fortrose Union | 1 | 1923–24 |
| Highland Light Infantry FC | 1 | 1938–39 |
| Inverness Celtic | 1 | 1896–97 |
| Loch Ness | 1 | 2022–23 |
| Orkney | 1 | 2017–18 |
* - Shared title
BOLD indicates the team is currently playing within the NCFA
Italics indicates the team is defunct or merged with another team that does not play in the NCFA
| Season | Player of the Year | Young Player of the Year | Goalkeeper of the Year | Top Goalscorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Blair Morrison (Invergordon) | Robbie Murray (Golspie Sutherland) | Kit Fletcher (Fort William) * | Sam Urquhart (Loch Ness) – 21 |
| 2022–23 | Ben Kelly (Invergordon) | Gary Pullen (Golspie Sutherland) | No award | Allan MacPhee (Loch Ness) – 29 |
| 2021–22 | Liam Bremner (Golspie Sutherland)[24] | Cameron Montgomery (Thurso) | No award | Liam Bremner (Golspie Sutherland) – 30 |
| 2020–21 | No award | No award | No award | Ben Bruce (St Duthus) – 9 |
| 2019–20 | No award | No award | No award | Liam Bremner (Golspie Sutherland) – 18 |
| 2018–19 | Gordon Finlayson (Alness United)[25] | Shaun Urquhart (Golspie Sutherland) | No award | Darran Goller (Invergordon) – 17 |
| 2017–18 | Thorfinn Stout (Orkney) | Connor Ross (Inverness Athletic) | No award | Thorfinn Stout (Orkney) – 19 |
| 2016–17 | Kai Cruickshank (Invergordon) | Conor Cormack (Thurso) | No award | Lukasz Geruzel (Golspie Sutherland) / Graham Macnab (Halkirk United) – 10 |
| 2015–16 | Conor Cormack (Thurso) | Mark Lamont (Golspie Sutherland) – 11 | ||
| 2014–15 | Shaun Kerr (Golspie Sutherland) - 8 | |||
| 2013–14 | Shaun Kerr (Golspie Sutherland) - 10 | |||
| 2012–13 | ||||
| 2011–12 | Grant MacNab (Halkirk United) | Shaun Robertson (Alness United) | No award | Chris Sutherland (Halkirk United) – 17 |
| 2010–11 | John Mcleod (Dingwall Thistle)[26] | Liam Bremner (Halkirk United) | No award | Mark Nichol (Thurso) – 36 |
| 2009–10 | ||||
| 2008–09 | Angus Macdonald (Balintore) | Liam Rostock (Bonar Bridge) | No award | Mark Nichol (Halkirk United) |
| 2007–08 | ||||
| 2006–07 | ||||
| 2005–06 | ||||
| 2004–05 | ||||
| 2003–04 | ||||
| 2002–03 | Michael Gray (Thurso) | |||
| 2001–02 | Graham Stewart (Invergordon) | |||
| 2000–01 | Ian Young (Dornoch) | |||
| 1999–00 | Alan Bokas (Bunillidh Thistle) | |||
| 1998–99 | Will Skinner (Balintore) | No award | DJ McCarthy (Tain St Duthus) | Gary Anderson (Golspie Sutherland) – 20 |
| 1997–98 | Gordon Lowe (Balintore) | No award | John Mackenzie (Golspie Sutherland) | Gordon Lowe (Balintore) |
| 1996–97 | Kenny Wood (Balintore) | No award | Kenny Wood (Balintore) | John Black (Golspie Sutherland) – 33 |
| 1995–96 | Steve Murray (Fearn Thistle) | No award | DJ McCarthy (Tain St Duthus) | Billy Read (Fearn Thistle) – 24 |
| 1994–95 | Drew O'Donnell (Fearn Thistle) | No award | Donnie Munro (Balintore) | John O'Brien (Halkirk United) |
| 1993–94 | Eoin Ross (Bonar Bridge) | No award | Terry Mackay (Halkirk United) – 22 | |
| 1992–93 | ||||
| 1991–92 | James Winter (Tain St Duthus) | No award | Bruce McNair (Ross County 'A') – 21 | |
| 1990–91 | Kenny Taylor (Fearn Thistle) | No award | Alan Brindle (Balintore) – 26 | |
| 1989–90 | ||||
| 1988–89 | Jim Kennedy (Tain St Duthus) | No award | ||
| 1987–88 | Duggie Norris (Bunillidh Thistle) | No award |
*Goalkeeper of the Year award was presented between 1994–95 and 2002–03 as the Jock Watt Trophy. From 2023–24 onwards, the winner listed is the named goalkeeper in the association's Team of the Season.
