Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region

The Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region is one of three regions of the SJFA which organise their own distinct league and cup competitions. The SJFA used to be split into six regions, but in 2002 they took the decision to reform into three to try to ensure more games between the top clubs and hence increase their revenues. The region currently covers an area from Girvan in South Ayrshire to Denny in Central Scotland.

History

Although the West Region was formed by the amalgamation of the Central and Ayrshire regions in 2002, a West of Scotland Junior FA has existed since the end of the Intermediate dispute in 1931 and administered the West of Scotland Cup since that time. The first phase of rationalisation in 1968 saw the Central Junior League (based around greater Glasgow) merge with the Lanarkshire Junior League to create the Central region. The Western Junior League became the Ayrshire region with Neilston Juniors and Dunoon Athletic transferring to the Central region.

The league set-up in the region is a combined top division, officially known as the SJFA West of Scotland Region Super League Premier Division (12 teams), with the West of Scotland Region Super League First Division (14 teams) below. There are two district leagues that provide the First Division with two clubs each at the end of the season. The District Leagues of Ayrshire and Central below the Super League correspond to the former two regions that combined to create the Western region. There is a Central District League (with two divisions) and an Ayrshire District League. The four teams being relegated from Division One are assigned to their historic region. Although Ayrshire presently only has one division, clubs are also promoted between the two divisions of the Central District League.

Member clubs

There are 64 member clubs of the West Region. The most recent new members are Gartcairn F. A. Juniors who joined for the 2015–16 season.^[1]

Stagecoach Super League Premier Division

Stagecoach Super League First Division

Ayrshire District League

Central District, First Division

Central District, Second Division

Cup competitions

The West Region organise six cup competitions for member clubs:

• The West of Scotland Cup. Known as the New Coin Holdings West of Scotland Cup for sponsorship purposes, this is a knockout tournament for all West Region clubs. The competition originated as the Scottish Intermediate Cup in 1927–28 and was renamed The West of Scotland Cup following the ending of the Intermediate dispute in 1931.^[2]
• Central League Cup. Known as the Euroscot Engineering League Cup for sponsorship purposes, this is a knockout tournament for former Central Region clubs in the West Region. It was first played for in 1921–22 when known as the Glasgow Junior League Cup.
• Ayrshire Cup. Known as the Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup for sponsorship purposes, this is a knockout tournament for former Ayrshire Region clubs in the West Region. The tournament originated in 1889–90 as the Ayrshire Junior Challenge Cup and was won for the first three seasons by Glenbuck Cherrypickers.^[3]
• Central Sectional League Cup. Known as the Exsel Group Sectional League Cup for sponsorship purposes, this tournament is for former Central Region clubs and is the opening competition of the season. Clubs initially compete in eight groups (sections) with the group winners advancing to a knockout competition. Based geographically, the groups comprise the same clubs each season. Matches in the group stages are played under league rules so a player is not cup-tied by turning out for a particular club.
• Ayrshire Sectional League Cup. Known as the Ardagh Glass Sectional League Cup for sponsorship reasons, this tournament is for former Ayrshire Region clubs. Clubs initially compete in four groups (sections) with group winners and runners up advancing to the knockout stages, otherwise the format is the same as that of the Central Sectional League Cup
• Evening Times Champions Cup. This is a knockout tournament played at the end of the season between the winners of the five West Region league competitions during the preceding season. The champions of the Ayrshire District League and Central District Second Division play in a preliminary round tie with the winners of that game joining the other three clubs at the semi-final stage.^[4] The Evening Times trophy was first presented in 1896–97 to the winners of the Glasgow Junior League and has been awarded to the winners of various competitions over the years. Between 2003 and 2012, the competition involved all ten league and cup winners in the West Region and was known as the Evening Times Cup Winners Cup.^[5]

Roll of Honour

Season	West Super League Premier Division	West Super League First Division	Ayrshire District League	Central District League First Division	Central District League Second Division
2002–03	Pollok	Arthurlie	Lugar Boswell Thistle	Kilsyth Rangers	St Anthony's
2003–04	Kilwinning Rangers	Bellshill Athletic	Maybole	Cambuslang Rangers	Clydebank
2004–05	Pollok	Kilsyth Rangers	Largs Thistle	Vale of Clyde	Lanark United
2005–06	Auchinleck Talbot	Neilston Juniors	Irvine Meadow	Lesmahagow	Blantyre Victoria
2006–07	Pollok	Irvine Meadow	Kilbirnie Ladeside	Kirkintilloch Rob Roy	Ashfield
2007–08	Pollok	Kirkintilloch Rob Roy	Hurlford United	Port Glasgow	Vale of Leven
2008–09	Irvine Meadow	Largs Thistle	Dalry Thistle	Rutherglen Glencairn	Blantyre Victoria
2009–10	Beith Juniors	Rutherglen Glencairn	Hurlford United	Cumbernauld United	Johnstone Burgh
2010–11	Irvine Meadow	Ashfield	Ardrossan Winton Rovers	Kilsyth Rangers	Yoker Athletic
2011–12	Irvine Meadow	Glenafton Athletic	Maybole	Glasgow Perthshire	Carluke Rovers
2012–13	Auchinleck Talbot	Hurlford United	Kilwinning Rangers	Greenock Juniors	Cambuslang Rangers
2013–14	Auchinleck Talbot	Troon	Irvine Victoria	Neilston Juniors	Blantyre Victoria
2014–15	Auchinleck Talbot	Pollok	Ardrossan Winton Rovers	Blantyre Victoria	Rossvale
2015–16	Auchinleck Talbot	Cumnock Juniors	Girvan	Renfrew	Forth Wanderers

Current cup holders

• West of Scotland Cup - Auchinleck Talbot ^[6]
• Central League Cup - Pollok ^[7]
• Ayrshire Cup - Beith Juniors ^[8]
• Central Sectional League Cup - Kirkintilloch Rob Roy ^[9] (2016–17 competition)
• Ayrshire Sectional League Cup - Kilbirnie Ladeside ^[10] (2016–17 competition)
• Evening Times Champions Cup - Auchinleck Talbot ^[11]

External links

• SJFA, West Region

References

1. Paterson, Colin (25 June 2015). "'The hard work starts now': Gartcairn Juniors chairman Robert McCallum ready to get going". Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser. Daily Record. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
2. "West of Scotland Junior Cup". Ants History. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
3. McGlone, David; McLure, Bill (1987). The Juniors - 100 Years. Edinburgh: Mainstream. p. 205. ISBN 1-85158-060-3.
4. Jim O'Donnell (26 July 2012). "Champions will battle to become talk of the Times". Evening Times.
5. "Evening Times Competitions". Ants History. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
6. Sanderson, Chris (22 May 2016). "All White!". The Scottish Sun.
7. O'Donnell, Jim (16 June 2016). "Greenock no match for rampant Pollok in Euroscot Eng Central Cup Final". Evening Times. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
8. O'Donnell, Jim (15 June 2016). "Richie Burke hat-trick steers Beith to Ayrshire Cup Final honours with victory over Irvine Meadow". Evening Times. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
9. O'Donnell, Jim (3 October 2016). "Rob Roy break 43-year trophy duck after dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Shettleston". Evening Times. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
10. O'Donnell, Jim (10 October 2016). "Ardagh Glass Cup: Proud boss Stevie Swift ends silverware drought as Kilbirnie defeat Auchinleck Talbot in final showpiece". Evening Times. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
11. "Joy for Auchinleck as Ayrshire cracks' win over Renfrew ensures third trophy win in four years". Evening Times. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.