The Scottish Junior Football Association, North Region is one of the two regions of the Scottish Junior Football Association. Its area covers Grampian and Moray as well as part of the Highland and Angus council areas – from Montrose in the south to Nairn in the west. The North Region features three region-wide divisions, having reverted from the previous setup of two regional divisions below the North Superleague used for five seasons prior to 2018.[1] It replaced the North Junior Football League (1968 to 2001) which had a similar territory and structure.
Member clubs
There are 32 clubs playing in the North Region in season 2019–20.
Super League
Main article: Scottish Junior Football North Super League
North First Division
Main article: Scottish Junior Football North First Division
| Club | Location | Home Ground | Finishing position 2017-18 |
| Banchory St. Ternan | Banchory | Milton Park | 13th in North Super League |
| Buckie Rovers | Buckie | Merson Park | 4th in North First Division (West) |
| Burghead Thistle | Burghead | Forest Park | 5th in North First Division (West) |
| Deveronside | Macduff | Myrus Centre | 2nd in North First Division (West) |
| Forres Thistle | Forres | Logie Park | 3rd in North First Division (West) |
| Fraserburgh United | Fraserburgh | College Park | 4th in North First Division (East) |
| Longside | Longside | Davidson Park | 3rd in North First Division (East) |
| Stoneywood Parkvale | Aberdeen | Arjo Wiggins Stoneywood Park | 5th in North First Division (East) |
| Sunnybank | Aberdeen | Heathryfold Park | 2nd in North First Division (East) |
North Second Division
Main article: Scottish Junior Football North Second Division
| Club | Location | Home Ground | Finishing position 2017-18 |
| Aberdeen University | Aberdeen | Hillhead Centre | 7th in North First Division (East) |
| Buchanhaven Hearts | Peterhead | Raemoss Park | 8th in North First Division (East) |
| Cruden Bay | Cruden Bay | Watson Park | 11th in North First Division (East) |
| Glentanar | Aberdeen | Woodside Sports Complex | 6th in North First Division (East) |
| Islavale | Keith | Simpson Park | 6th in North First Division (West) |
| New Elgin | Elgin | Nicol-Togneri Park | 7th in North First Division (West) |
| Newmachar United | Newmachar | Charles Gordon Park | 9th in North First Division (East) |
| Spey Valley United | Cromdale | Cromdale Park | 8th in North First Division (West) |
| Whitehills | Whitehills | School Park | 9th in North First Division (West) |
Cup competitions
There are eight cup competitions in the North Region:
- The Jim McPherson Trophy This is a pre-season charity match, similar to the FA Community Shield, played between the previous seasons North Superleague champions and North Regional Cup winners. First played for in 2015, it is named after the late Assistant Secretary and Treasurer of the North Region.[2]
- The North Regional Cup. Known as the Domino's Pizza North Regional Cup under a sponsorship arrangement, this is a knockout tournament for all North Region clubs.
- Grill League Cup. This is the opening tournament of the season. Clubs are drawn in eight groups with the group winners advancing to a knockout competition.
- McLeman Cup. Known as the PMAC Group McLeman Cup under a sponsorship arrangement, this is a knockout tournament for clubs in the North Superleague.
- Morrison Cup. Known as the AM Property Maintenance Morrison Cup under a sponsorship arrangement, this is a knockout tournament for clubs in the North First Division (East).
- Elginshire Cup. This is a tournament for clubs in the North First Division (West). Clubs are drawn in two groups with winners and runners-up advancing to the semi-final stage.
- North and Tayside Inter-Regional Cup. Known as the Quest Engineering Cup for sponsorship purposes, this is a knockout tournament involving North Region clubs and current East Region clubs who played in the former Tayside Region. First played for in 1988, the cup is administered by a joint committee and clubs play early rounds in their own region with eight sides from each area progressing to the last sixteen.
- The Archibald Cup This was added for North First Division (West) clubs in 2015–16 to bolster their fixture programme after the withdrawal of clubs from the league. The tournament is played in two groups with winners and runners-up progressing to the semi-finals.[3]
Holders
- Jim McPherson Trophy - Banks O' Dee (2017–18 competition)
- North Regional Cup - Banks O' Dee [4] (2017–18 competition)
- Grill League Cup - Banks O' Dee [5] (2018–19 competition)
- McLeman Cup - Newburgh Thistle [6] (2017–18 competition)
- Morrison Cup - East End [7] (2017–18 competition)
- Elginshire Cup - Nairn St. Ninian [8] (2017–18 competition)
- Inter-Regional Cup - Broughty Athletic
- Archibald Cup - East End [9] (2016–17 competition)
Roll of Honour
| Season | North Premier Division | North Division One (East) | North Division One (West) |
| 2001–02 | Formartine United | Aberdeen Lads Club | Strathspey Thistle |
| 2002–03 | Sunnybank | Turriff United | Forres Thistle |
| Season | North Superleague | North First Division (West) | North First Division (East) |
| 2013–14 | Culter | Inverness City | Cruden Bay |
| 2014–15 | Hermes | Grantown | Bridge of Don Thistle |
| 2015–16 | Banks O' Dee | Buckie Rovers | Colony Park |
| 2016–17 | Banks O' Dee | Spey Valley United | Ellon United |
| 2017–18 | Banks O' Dee | Nairn St. Ninian | Aberdeen East End |
| Season | North Super League | North First Division | North Second Division |
| 2018–19 | Banks O' Dee | Banchory St. Ternan | Buchanhaven Hearts |
| 2019–20 | All leagues null & void due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10][a] |
- ^ Using a 'points per game' algorithm applied in other leagues, Banks O' Dee (who were also leading the table when play stopped) would have been nominal champions of the Superleague; Aberdeen University would have been nominal champions in the First Division, and Forres Thistle in the Second Division.
References
External links