Editing Scottish Football League (section)

==History==
{{See also|History of Scottish football}}

===Formation===
Organised football in Scotland began in 1873 with the formation of the [[Scottish Football Association]] (SFA).<ref name = "Crampsey3">{{harv|Bob Crampsey|1990|p=3}}</ref> During the next 15 years or so, clubs would play [[friendly match]]es, [[Scottish Cup]] ties and local cup (e.g. [[Glasgow Cup]] or [[East of Scotland Shield]]) ties.<ref name = "Crampsey3"/> [[The Football League]], initially containing clubs from the [[North West England|North West]] and [[Midlands (England)|Midlands]] of England, was formed in 1888.<ref name = "Crampsey5">{{harv|Bob Crampsey|1990|p=5}}</ref> This had been done in response to the professionalisation of football in England in 1885, with the regular diet of league fixtures replacing the haphazard arrangement of friendlies.<ref name = "Crampsey5"/> Many Scottish players, known as the [[Scotch Professors]], moved to the English league clubs to receive the relatively high salaries on offer.<ref name = "Crampsey6">{{harv|Bob Crampsey|1990|p=6}}</ref>

This prompted Scottish clubs into thinking about forming their own league. In March 1890, the secretary of [[Renton F.C.|Renton]] wrote to thirteen other clubs inviting them to discuss the organisation of a league.<ref name = "Crampsey6"/> All of the clubs accepted the invitation, except [[Queen's Park F.C.|Queen's Park]] and [[Clyde F.C.|Clyde]].<ref name = "Crampsey7">{{harv|Bob Crampsey|1990|p=7}}</ref> Amateur club Queen's Park, who were the oldest organised club in Scotland and had played a key role in the development of football, were opposed to the league because it would lead to professionalism and eliminate many of the smaller clubs.<ref name = "Crampsey7"/> These concerns were to prove well-founded, as six of the founder members would leave the league before 1900.<ref name = "Crampsey7"/>

The Scottish Football League (SFL) was inaugurated on 30 April 1890.<ref name = "Crampsey13">{{harv|Bob Crampsey|1990|p=13}}</ref> The first season of competition, [[1890–91 Scottish Football League|1890–91]], commenced with 11 clubs because [[St Bernard's F.C.|St Bernard's]] were not elected.<ref name = "Crampsey13"/> The eleven original clubs in membership were [[Abercorn F.C.|Abercorn]], [[Cambuslang F.C.|Cambuslang]], [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]], [[Cowlairs F.C.|Cowlairs]], [[Dumbarton F.C.|Dumbarton]], [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Heart of Midlothian]], [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]], [[Renton F.C.|Renton]], [[St Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]], [[Third Lanark A.C.|Third Lanark]] and [[Vale of Leven F.C.|Vale of Leven]].<ref>[https://www.scottishleaguehistory.com/p/how-it-all-began-early-beginnings-in.html How it all Began], Scottish League History</ref> Renton were expelled after five games of the 1890–91 season<ref name = "Crampsey20"/> for playing against [[St Bernard's F.C.|St Bernard's]], who had been found guilty of concealed professionalism. Renton raised an action against the SFA in the [[Court of Session]] and won, which meant that their SFA and SFL memberships were restored.<ref name = "Crampsey20"/>

In the [[1890–91 in Scottish football|1890–91]] season, Rangers and Dumbarton were level at the top of the league on 29 points.<ref name = "Crampsey20">{{harv|Bob Crampsey|1990|p=20}}</ref> The teams drew 2–2 in a [[play-off]] match, but no further thought had been given to separating teams by another method and the championship was shared.<ref name = "Crampsey20"/> [[Goal average]] was introduced for the [[1921–22 in Scottish football|1921–22]] season and replaced by goal difference for the [[1971–72 in Scottish football|1971–72]] season.<ref name="goals">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0010/page02.shtml|title=Scottish League formed|publisher=BBC Scotland|first=Paul |last=MacDonald}}</ref>

===Split into divisions===

The league proved to be highly successful, and in 1893, a second tier was formed by the inclusion of a number of clubs previously in the [[Scottish Football Alliance]]. Promotion was initially based on a ballot of clubs; automatic promotion was not introduced until 1922.

The onset of [[World War I]] saw Division Two but not Division One being suspended, not restarting again until 1921 when the [[Central Football League]] was absorbed as a new division with automatic promotion.

'''Note:''' in contemporary sources the divisions were often referred to as 'First' and 'Second' rather than 'One' and 'Two'; the latter format has been used throughout the site to avoid confusion with the league's [[Scottish Football League First Division|First]] and [[Scottish Football League Second Division|Second Division]], each one tier lower than their predecessor, introduced in the 1970s (see below).

===Division Three===

In 1923, the League decided to introduce a third tier. The [[Western Football League (Scotland)|Western League]] was used as its backbone<ref name="cdiv">{{Cite web |title=Scottish Football League - C Division |url=http://www.oocities.org/br1anmccoll/cdiv.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731122524/http://www.oocities.org/br1anmccoll/cdiv.htm |archive-date=Jul 31, 2023 |website=Scottish Football Historical Archive |publisher=OoCities.org}}</ref> but the new set-up lasted only three years before it collapsed under heavy financial losses. From 1926 until 1946, the League reverted to two divisions with many of the third tier clubs joining the second iteration of Scottish Football Alliance.<ref>[http://www.oocities.org/br1anmccoll/scottishalliance3.htm Scottish Football Alliance (Third version 1919-1938)], Scottish Football Historical Archive</ref>

Post-[[World War II]] reforms saw the League resume with three divisions, renamed 'A', 'B' and 'C' with the last section also including [[reserve team|reserve sides]].<ref>[http://sfha.org.uk/scottishreservelg2.htm Scottish Reserve League Competitions Part 2 1945-1955], Scottish Football Historical Archive 1 November 2020</ref><ref>[http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/CDivision.html The C Division – the "other clubs" division], Alan Bell, via Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database</ref>  In 1947, league championship trophies were introduced for the first time for the top two divisions, until then only flags had been presented to the winners. The new trophies were engraved with the names of all previous winners. <ref>{{Cite news |date=1 October 1947 |title=Scottish League Chief Honoured |pages=3 |work=[[Dundee Courier]] |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19471001/050/0003 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> 

In 1949, the 'C' Division was expanded to two sections&nbsp;– South-East (North-East from 1950) and South-West. The withdrawal of the reserves from 'C' Division in 1955 saw a return to two divisions with the 5 first teams in Division C being given automatic promotion.<ref name="cdiv"/><ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/scot3hist.html Scotland - Final Tables Third Level 1924-2004], [[RSSSF]]</ref> There were then 18 clubs in Division A and 19 in Division B. In 1956 the divisions were renamed Division 1 and Division 2.

[[Clydebank F.C. (1965)|Clydebank]] were elected to Division Two as the 20th club in 1966, but following the demise of [[Third Lanark A.C.|Third Lanark]] in 1967, Division Two kept operating with just 19 clubs; the situation would not be corrected until the next change of format, which happened in 1975.

This change of structure split the league into three divisions, Premier, First, and Second Divisions. This permitted more frequent fixtures between the top clubs; the expectation was that meant greater revenue for them, and it was hoped it would stimulate greater interest, at a time when attendance at league matches had dropped alarmingly. One year before the restructuring, a new club entered the league, [[Meadowbank Thistle]] (which would eventually become [[Livingston F.C.|Livingston]]). This three-divisional structure of 38 clubs continued until 1994.

===Four-division period and SPL split===
After a couple of decades, in 1994 the league again reorganised (following an attempted 'Super League' breakaway by the top clubs in 1992)<ref>[https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/rangers-and-hearts-owners-hibs-and-aberdeen-involved-celtic-wavering-recalling-failed-scottish-super-league-breakaway-of-1992-3207472?amp Rangers and Hearts owners, Hibs and Aberdeen involved, Celtic wavering - recalling failed Scottish Super League breakaway of 1992], Stephen Halliday, The Scotsman, 20 April 2021</ref> with four divisions of 10 teams, as [[Highland Football League|Highland League]] clubs [[Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.|Inverness Caledonian Thistle]] (a merger of two existing clubs in the city) and [[Ross County F.C.|Ross County]] were elected to round out the league. At the same time, the SFL adopted the system of [[three points for a win]]. In 1998 the Premier Division clubs split from the league to form the [[Scottish Premier League]] (SPL).<ref>{{cite news|last=Grahame|first=Ewing|title=Low in attendance, low in achievement – the SPL's dismal legacy of failure|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/low-attendance-low-achievement-spls-dismal-legacy-failure-1618057|access-date=1 December 2021 |work=The Scotsman|date=13 July 2012}}</ref> The remaining leagues, of ten clubs each, kept their names and the Premier Division was not reconstituted, leaving First, Second and Third Divisions. Part of the agreement was that the SPL would expand to 12 clubs in 2000. The SFL then took in two new members to replace the two clubs lost to the SPL; Highland League clubs [[Elgin City F.C.|Elgin City]] and [[Peterhead F.C.|Peterhead]] were admitted, increasing the total number of clubs in the Scottish football league system to 42.

From 2005, the SFL determined a [[promotion and relegation]] place between each division according to [[playoffs]] between four clubs.<ref name = "promotion">{{cite web |url=http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/news/article/irn-bru-sfl-play-offs-201112/ |title=IRN-BRU SFL PLAY-OFFS 2011/12 |work=www.scottishfootballleague.com |publisher=Scottish Football League |date=30 April 2012 |access-date=22 December 2012}}</ref> The playoffs were contested between the ninth placed (second bottom) club in the higher division and the second, third and fourth placed clubs in the lower division.<ref name = "promotion"/> It was therefore possible for a team finishing fourth in the Second Division or Third Division to be promoted, rather than the clubs finishing immediately above them in the standings.<ref name = "promotion"/> It was also possible for the ninth placed club to retain their position in the higher division.<ref name = "promotion"/>

{{Rquote|right|"Our review of non-financial matters indicate an organisation which is not wholly suited to the modern-day business environment, or the size of the league."|Pannell Kerr Foster|''BBC Sport website''}}In March 2007, a self-conducted review found the league to be three times more expensive to run than equivalent leagues in England, with a report stating the league structure was "outdated": the report found that the [[Football Conference]] had four employees looking after 68 clubs, while the SFL had 14 people running leagues with just 30 clubs.<ref name="review">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/6418853.stm|title=Scottish League branded out-dated|work=BBC Sport |access-date=22 December 2012|date=5 March 2007}}</ref>

===Merger===
No clubs were relegated from the bottom end of the Scottish Football League,<ref name = "promotion"/> although there were changes of membership due to clubs going out of business.<ref>{{cite news|last=Moffat|first=Colin|title=The lights go off at Gretna|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gretna/7406153.stm|work=BBC Sport|access-date=8 July 2012|date=3 June 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Airdrie buy Bankies|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/2118528.stm|work=BBC Sport|access-date=8 July 2012|date=9 July 2002}}</ref><ref name = "annan">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/7487357.stm|title = Annan voted into Scottish League|work=BBC Sport|date=3 July 2008|access-date=22 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18813407 |title=Rangers: Charles Green accepts Division Three vote |work=BBC Sport |date=13 July 2012 |access-date=22 December 2012}}</ref>  The Scottish Football Association were keen for a pyramid system to be instituted. SFL First Division clubs wanted to gain a greater share of the media revenue generated by the SPL.<ref name = "merger">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22864944 |title=Scottish Football League clubs vote in favour of a proposed merger with the Scottish Premier League. |work=BBC Sport |access-date=10 December 2013}}</ref> In 2013, both the SPL and SFL voted in favour of merging to form the new [[Scottish Professional Football League]].<ref name = "merger"/> The number of divisions and clubs in each division remained the same, but there were changes to the financial distribution model.<ref name = "merger"/> The first club to be promoted to the SPFL from the new [[Lowland Football League|Lowland League]] via playoffs was [[Edinburgh City F.C.|Edinburgh City]] in 2016 at the expense of [[East Stirlingshire]], while in 2019 [[Cove Rangers F.C.|Cove Rangers]] were the first [[Highland Football League|Highland League]] champions to go up, replacing [[Berwick Rangers F.C.|Berwick Rangers]].