2018–19 Lowland Football League
Season | 2018–19 |
---|---|
Dates | 27 July 2018 – 20 April 2019 |
Champions | East Kilbride |
Relegated | Whitehill Welfare |
Matches played | 210 |
Goals scored | 714 (3.4 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Craig Malcolm (East Kilbride) (25 goals) |
Biggest home win | The Spartans 6–0 Vale of Leithen (7 December 2018) Gala Fairydean Rovers 6–0 Vale of Leithen (29 December 2018) |
Biggest away win | Whitehill Welfare 0–6 Kelty Hearts (31 July 2018) Gretna 2008 0–6 Civil Service Strollers (8 December 2018) Vale of Leithen 0–6 Edinburgh University (13 April 2019) |
Highest scoring | Vale of Leithen 5–4 Edusport Academy (5 January 2019) |
Longest winning run | 14 matches: East Kilbride |
Longest unbeaten run | 19 matches: BSC Glasgow |
Longest winless run | 20 matches: Whitehill Welfare |
Longest losing run | 6 matches: Whitehill Welfare |
← 2017–18 2019–20 → |
The 2018–19 Scottish Lowland Football League (known as the Geosonic Lowland League for sponsorship reasons) was the 6th season of the Lowland Football League, the fifth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system. The season began on 28 July 2018 and ended on 20 April 2019. The Spartans were the defending champions.
East of Scotland League champions Kelty Hearts joined the league after becoming the first club to gain promotion via the Lowland League play-off, thanks to their win against South of Scotland League winners Threave Rovers at the end of the previous season.
Selkirk resigned at the end of August after fulfilling three league games, reducing the number of clubs to 15. Their league defeats to East Kilbride (10–0), Civil Service Strollers (0–5) and Gretna 2008 (0–8) were expunged.[1]
East Kilbride won their second league title on 26 March 2019 thanks to a 2–1 win over The Spartans at K-Park, with three matches still to play. They faced the winners of the 2018–19 Highland Football League (Cove Rangers) in the Pyramid play-off, losing 5-1 on aggregate.
Teams
[edit]The following teams have changed division since the 2017–18 season.
To Lowland League
[edit]Promoted from East of Scotland League
From Lowland League
[edit]Relegated to East of Scotland League
Stadia and locations
[edit]Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Seats | Floodlit |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BSC Glasgow | Alloa | Recreation Park[2] | 3,100 | 919 | Yes |
Civil Service Strollers | Edinburgh | Christie Gillies Park | 1,569 | 100 | No |
Cumbernauld Colts | Cumbernauld | Broadwood Stadium | 7,936 | 7,936 | Yes |
Dalbeattie Star | Dalbeattie | Islecroft Stadium | 4,000 | 250 | Yes |
East Kilbride | East Kilbride | K Park | 660 | 400 | Yes |
East Stirlingshire | Falkirk | Falkirk Stadium[3] | 7,937 | 7,937 | Yes |
Edinburgh University | Edinburgh | New Peffermill Stadium | 1,100 | 100 | Yes |
Edusport Academy | Annan | Galabank[4] | 2,504 | 500 | Yes |
Gala Fairydean Rovers | Galashiels | 3G Arena, Netherdale | 5,500 | 495 | Yes |
Gretna 2008 | Gretna | Raydale Park | 3,000 | 1,318 | Yes |
Kelty Hearts | Kelty | New Central Park | 3,000 | 350 | Yes |
Selkirk | Selkirk | Yarrow Park | 1,000 | 100 | No |
The Spartans | Edinburgh | Ainslie Park | 3,000 | 504 | Yes |
Stirling University | Stirling | Forthbank Stadium[5] | 3,808 | 2,508 | Yes |
Vale of Leithen | Innerleithen | Victoria Park | 1,500 | 0 | No |
Whitehill Welfare | Rosewell | Ferguson Park | 4,000 | 150 | No |
League table
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | East Kilbride (C) | 28 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 66 | 12 | +54 | 72 | Qualification for the Pyramid play-off |
2 | BSC Glasgow | 28 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 67 | 29 | +38 | 61 | |
3 | Kelty Hearts | 28 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 61 | 32 | +29 | 54 | |
4 | The Spartans | 28 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 63 | 31 | +32 | 51 | |
5 | Civil Service Strollers | 28 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 51 | 38 | +13 | 49 | |
6 | East Stirlingshire | 28 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 57 | 47 | +10 | 39 | |
7 | Cumbernauld Colts | 28 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 40 | 47 | −7 | 39 | |
8 | Gala Fairydean Rovers | 28 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 43 | 48 | −5 | 34 | |
9 | Edusport Academy | 28 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 43 | 52 | −9 | 33 | |
10 | Stirling University | 28 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 43 | 50 | −7 | 31 | |
11 | Edinburgh University | 28 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 38 | 54 | −16 | 30 | |
12 | Gretna 2008 | 28 | 9 | 2 | 17 | 42 | 67 | −25 | 29 | |
13 | Vale of Leithen | 28 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 43 | 74 | −31 | 29 | |
14 | Dalbeattie Star | 28 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 33 | 63 | −30 | 22 | |
15 | Whitehill Welfare (R) | 28 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 24 | 70 | −46 | 12 | Relegation to East of Scotland League |
16 | Selkirk[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Club resigned, record expunged |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Results
[edit]Lowland League play-off
[edit]A play-off was due to take place between the winners of the 2018–19 East of Scotland Football League and the 2018–19 South of Scotland Football League. However South of Scotland League champions Stranraer reserves were ineligible for promotion due to being a reserve team.
Initially, the winners of the East of Scotland League (Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic) did not meet the required licensing criteria for promotion at the end of the season. However they were eventually awarded their SFA licence on 14 June 2019[8] and were confirmed as promoted to the 2019–20 Lowland Football League on the same day.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Selkirk's Resignation: What Happens Next?". Scottish Lowland Football League. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ BSC Glasgow are ground-sharing at Alloa Athletic's Recreation Park due to the lack of a suitable venue in Glasgow.
- ^ East Stirlingshire are ground-sharing with Falkirk at the Falkirk Stadium for the duration of the 2018–19 season.
- ^ Edusport Academy are ground-sharing with Annan Athletic.
- ^ Stirling University are ground-sharing with Stirling Albion.
- ^ "Selkirk FC Resign from Scottish Lowland League". Scottish Lowland Football League. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ "Selkirk's Resignation: What Happens Next?". Scottish Lowland Football League. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ "CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT - Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic granted SFA membership - News - Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic - Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic FC". www.bonnyriggrosefc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ^ "Statement - Promotion and Relegation". Scottish Lowland League. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.