The Scottish Football League Third Division was the fourth tier of the Scottish football league system between 1994 and 2013.
22-681: The Scottish football league system had operated with three divisions in the Scottish Football League (SFL) from 1975. In 1994, as part of reconstruction to allow the admission of Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County to the league, the SFL was recalibrated to give four divisions of 10 teams. The fourth tier was named the Third Division. In 1998, the Premier Division (top flight) clubs broke away to form
44-544: A plurality of adult male governing bodies (with Seniors, Juniors, Amateurs and Welfarers - see below). It was not uncommon for a given town or county to have clubs in as many as three or four separate systems. Moves towards creating a pyramid system began in 2008 under the tenure of Scottish Football Association (SFA) chief executive Gordon Smith , with discussions between the SFA and the regional and junior leagues. On 7 May 2013 Scottish Premier League clubs unanimously agreed on
66-531: A result it was impossible for clubs in regional leagues to progress into the national leagues, unless a vacancy opened in the Scottish Football League . The final example of this was ahead of the 2008–09 season, where Gretna 's demise allowed Annan Athletic to take their place. Overall, the structure of men's football in Scotland was among the most fractured and multi-faceted in Europe , being unique in having
88-475: A victory, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss. b. ^ Team failed to gain promotion via play-offs 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 'grades' of leagues and clubs. As well as senior football there
110-713: Is also affiliated to the SAFA. As of 2022–23 there are 360 teams – in 12 geographic leagues containing a total of 31 league divisions – playing Saturday football under a regular August–May season. In addition there are 137 teams playing in four specialist Saturday Morning leagues (including one for Glasgow Colleges Amateur Football Association ) in Dundee and Glasgow , plus 22 teams playing in Strathclyde Evangelical Churches Football League . There are also 90 teams playing in
132-672: Is junior football, and also amateur football and welfare football. In senior football in Scotland there is one national league, the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), which has four divisions. There are also several regional leagues (most notably the Highland Football League and since 2013 the Lowland Football League ). From 2014–15 , a promotion/relegation play-off between the two regional leagues and
154-866: The Scottish Cup , along with clubs in other divisions who are full members of the Scottish Football Association. Up to three non-SFA members can qualify for the Scottish Cup each season by winning the East, South or West leagues, or the East, South and West Cup-Winners Shield. All 42 SPFL clubs compete in the Scottish League Cup , along with the Highland and Lowland champions, and one additional invited team. The Scottish Challenge Cup features 30 SPFL clubs from outside
176-660: The SJFA East Region of 19 clubs; and the SJFA North Region of 34 clubs (4 clubs withdrew for 2022–23). This represents a total of 53 teams across 3 divisions. The term 'junior' refers not to the age of the players but the level of football played. These two regions joined the pyramid system at tier 6 below the Highland League in 2021–22. Members of the SJFA, consisting of 114 teams in total from
198-520: The Scottish Premier League (SPL). The Third Division continued as the fourth tier of the league system, but was now the third tier of the SFL. In 2013, the SFL and SPL merged to form the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). The SPFL named its fourth tier as Scottish League Two , which effectively replaced the Third Division. The Third Division consisted of ten teams throughout its existence. From 1994 until 2005, each season
220-468: The Scottish Professional Football League and are played on a regional not a national basis. The Lowland League was created in 2013–14 and runs in parallel with the Highland League to form level five on the pyramid. Since 2014–15 the two league winners have played off against each other, with the winner then playing the team finishing 10th in League Two in a promotion/relegation play-off for a place in
242-475: The West of Scotland Football League (80 clubs, 5 divisions). At end of season, round robin promotion play-offs take place between the winners of feeder leagues of the Highland and Lowland League respectively (subject to each club meeting licensing criteria) for promotion to tier 5. At the start of the 2024–25 season , this totalled 291 teams across 20 divisions. All clubs in tier 5 and above automatically enter
SECTION 10
#1732772353787264-546: The Premiership, Under 21s teams, and four from the Highland and Lowland leagues. The SFA South Region Challenge Cup is for all 164 non-league clubs in the Lowland area (excluding reserve or B teams). The SFA North Region Challenge Cup existed between 2007 and 2009. There are also a variety of smaller cup tournaments at league and regional level. The Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA) manages two regions:
286-871: The SPFL national league was introduced for the first time. Two clubs based in England play in the senior Scottish system - Berwick Rangers in the Lowland League and Tweedmouth Rangers in the East of Scotland League . A small number of English amateur clubs in the lowest levels of the game, based on or around the Anglo-Scottish border , also compete in Border Amateur Football League for geographical and travel reasons. Until 2013 Scottish football had no pyramid league system , and as
308-658: The SPFL. Below the Highland League is the Midlands League (20 clubs); North Caledonian Football League (12 teams, including one reserve team); and the North Region League (31 clubs, 2 divisions). Below the Lowland League is the East of Scotland Football League (58 clubs, including one reserve team, 4 divisions); the South of Scotland Football League (12 clubs, including one reserve team); and
330-586: The Senior development structure (the Aberdeenshire & District League ). In 2020, as part of a long process to form an integrated footballing pyramid structure , all 63 West Region Junior clubs decided to depart and join the newly founded West of Scotland Football League , a feeder to the Lowland League. Between 2017 and 2020 more than half of the East Region clubs departed the junior ranks, joining
352-583: The Summer Saturday leagues (season 2022), most of which are located in the Highland; 244 teams are in the Sunday League system. 60 clubs 14 clubs ↓ TBC relegation spots 14 clubs ↑ TBC promotion spots ↓ TBC relegation spots 14 clubs ↑ TBC promotion spots ↓ TBC relegation spots 9 clubs ↑ TBC promotion spots 9 clubs Scottish Football Association Too Many Requests If you report this error to
374-402: The introduction of a pyramid structure to Scottish football along with the reintroduction of a single governing body for the 42 clubs competing at a national level, a revised financial distribution model, and the possibility of a promotion/relegation play-off between the top two divisions. The current system has been in place since 2013–14 , when the Scottish Professional Football League
396-683: The pyramid later in July. Again separate from the above, and generally agreed to lie 'below' the senior and junior levels, are the hundreds of clubs in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association which oversees 50 leagues - although this includes Sunday League football and futsal competitions. Prestige centres around the historic Scottish Amateur Cup . A number of Senior and Junior clubs run reserve teams in Amateur football. Student and Police football
418-572: The senior East of Scotland Football League which is also below the Lowland League. The remaining clubs in the East Premiership South made the same move to the East of Scotland League for season 2021–22, and the East Premiership North clubs formed the Midlands League at tier 6 below the Highland League. The North Region also joined the pyramid structure at the same level. The northern leagues at that level entered
440-530: The top two teams were promoted to the Second Division . From 2005 until 2013, only the champion was automatically promoted to the Second Division at the end of each season. The clubs that finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th entered a play-off with the 9th placed team of the Second Division. There was no relegation from the Third Division. The teams played each other four times with three points for
462-742: The two regions as well as the East of Scotland League and West of Scotland League (5 teams are in abeyance for 2022–23), participate in the Scottish Junior Cup . Up to three non-SFA members can qualify for the Scottish Cup each season by winning the Midlands League, North Superleague, or the Junior Cup. Banks O' Dee also enter senior tournaments in the Aberdeenshire Cup and Shield , and run an Under-20s team in
SECTION 20
#1732772353787484-2354: Was formed by a merger of the Scottish Premier League (tier 1) and the Scottish Football League (tiers 2–4). At the same time, the Lowland Football League (tier 5) was founded, and from 2014 to 2021 the leagues below (tier 6) began to be incorporated as each joined the system. For each division, its official name, number of clubs, number of games, and promotion/relegation spots are given: Scottish Premiership 12 clubs playing 38 games ↓ 1 relegation spot + 1 relegation playoff spot Scottish Championship 10 clubs playing 36 games ↑ 1 promotion spot + 3 promotion playoff spots ↓ 1 relegation spot + 1 relegation playoff spot Scottish League One 10 clubs playing 36 games ↑ 1 promotion spot + 3 promotion playoff spots ↓ 1 relegation spot + 1 relegation playoff spot Scottish League Two 10 clubs playing 36 games ↑ 1 promotion spot + 3 promotion playoff spots ↓ 1 relegation playoff spot Highland Football League 18 clubs playing 34 games ↑ 1 promotion playoff spot ↓ 1 relegation playoff spot Lowland Football League 18 clubs playing 34 games ↑ 1 promotion playoff spot ↓ 1 relegation spot 20 clubs playing 28 games ↑ 1 promotion playoff spot 12 clubs playing 22 games ↑ 1 promotion playoff spot 16 clubs playing 30 games ↑ 1 promotion playoff spot ↓ 2 relegation spots + 1 relegation playoff spot 16 clubs playing 30 games ↑ 1 promotion playoff spot ↓ 3 relegation spots 12 clubs playing 22 games ↑ 1 promotion playoff spot 16 clubs playing 30 games ↑ 1 promotion playoff spot ↓ 3 relegation spots 15 clubs playing 28 games ↑ 2 promotion spots + 3 promotion playoff spots 16 clubs playing 30 games ↑ 3 promotion spots ↓ 3 relegation spots 16 clubs playing 30 games ↑ 3 promotion spots ↓ 3 relegation spots 15 clubs playing 28 games ↑ 3 promotion spots ↓ 2 relegation spots 16 clubs playing 30 games ↑ 3 promotion spots ↓ 3 relegation spots 11 clubs playing 30 games ↑ 3 promotion spots 16 clubs playing 30 games ↑ 3 promotion spots ↓ 3 relegation spots 16 clubs playing 30 games ↑ 3 promotion spots The leagues below level four are classed as " non-league football ", meaning they are outside
#786213