North of Scotland Football League

This article is about the league formed in 2025. For the similarly named historical regional association, see North of Scotland Football Association.

North of Scotland Football League
Founded2025
Country Scotland
Number of clubs31
Level on pyramid6–7
Promotion toHighland League
Domestic cup(s)Scottish Cup (SFA licensed clubs and Premier League winners)
Scottish Junior Cup
WebsiteNoSFL

The North of Scotland Football League (NoSFL) is a football league based in the north east of Scotland.[1] The league sits at levels 6–7 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Highland Football League.[2] It is split into two separate leagues, the Premier League and the Championship which contain 16 teams and 15 teams respectively. Geographically, the league covers Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Highland and Moray. The league is the direct successor to the North Region Junior Football League which had been run by the North Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association from 2001 until 2025.[3]

Subject to clubs meeting the required licensing criteria for the Highland League, the winners of the NoSFL take part in an end of season promotion play-off with the North Caledonian Football League champions, with the winner being promoted to the Highland League.[4] As of the 2025–26 season, no team in the NoSFL meets the required licensing criteria.[5]

History

The North Region Junior Football League had been formed in 2001 to serve the North Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association, but by 2025 the SJFA had seen mass departures by clubs to the newly-grown Scottish football pyramid. In February 2025, the North Region (along with the East Region in charge of the Midlands Football League) applied to leave the SJFA in favour of creating autonomous, Scottish Football Association-affiliated leagues with support from the SJFA (which was rebranding itself as the Scottish Community FA).[6] The application was accepted by all members of Scottish football at the 2025 SFA Annual General Meeting, confirming the creation of the North of Scotland Football League with an identical divisional setup to its predecessor.[7] The first round of matches in the new league were played on Saturday 2 August 2025.[8]

Member clubs for the 2025–26 season

Location of teams in the 2025–26 North of Scotland Football League
– Premier Division
– First Division
Location of teams in the 2025–26 North of Scotland Football League in Aberdeen
– Premier Division
– First Division

The current system sees two clubs automatically relegated from the Premier League, who are replaced by two clubs from the Championship. The third-bottom club in the Premier League enters a play-off with the clubs who finish between third and fifth in the Championship. In the semi-finals, the Premier League side plays the fifth-placed Championship side, and the third and fourth-placed teams play each other, both games over two legs. The winners then progress to a single-leg final.

Premier League

Club[9] Location Ground Finishing position 2024–25 (NRJFA)
Banks o' Dee A Aberdeen Spain Park[10] 11th
Bridge of Don Thistle Aberdeen Aberdeen Sports Village[11] 3rd
Buchanhaven Hearts Peterhead Raemoss Park[12] 9th
Colony Park Inverurie Colony Park[13] 8th
Culter Peterculter Crombie Park[14] 1st (champions)
Dyce Dyce Ian Mair Park[15] 4th
East End Aberdeen New Advocates Park[16] 12th
Ellon United Ellon The Meadows[17] 6th
Hermes Bridge of Don Lochside Park[18] 2nd
Islavale Keith Simpson Park[19] 14th
Longside Longside Davidson Park[20] 2nd in NRJFA Championship
Lossiemouth United Lossiemouth Phoenix Park[21] 1st in NRJFA Championship
Maud Maud Maud Pleasure Park[22] 5th
Sunnybank Aberdeen Heathryfold Park[23] 13th
Stonehaven Stonehaven Glenury Park[24] 7th
Rothie Rovers Rothienorman Forgue Road[25] 10th

Championship

Club[26] Location Ground Finishing position 2024–25 (NRJFA)
Banchory St Ternan Banchory Milton Park 6th
Burghead Thistle Burghead Forest Park 9th
Cruden Bay Cruden Bay Watson Park 14th
Deveronside Banff Myrus Centre 4th
Dufftown Dufftown Westburn Park 10th
Forres Thistle Forres Logie Park 13th
Fraserburgh United Fraserburgh College Park 16th in NRJFA Premier League
Glentanar Woodside Woodside Sports Complex 12th
Hall Russell United Bridge of Don Denmore Park 3rd
Nairn St Ninian Nairn Showfield Park 7th
New Elgin Elgin Nicol-Togneri Park 8th
Newmachar United Newmachar Charles Gordon Park 15th in NRJFA Premier League
Stoneywood Parkvale Aberdeen Stauff Park 5th
Westdyke Westhill Lawsondale 11th
Whitehills Whitehills School Park 15th

Cup competitions

The NoSFL runs a league cup competition for all member clubs, currently known as the Grill League Cup for sponsorship reasons.[7] For the league's inaugural season, this competition will be run as a straight knock-out. With 31 member clubs, one team will receive a bye in the first round.[27]

References

  1. ^ "North of Scotland Football League - Home". www.nosfl.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  2. ^ Callum Law (29 July 2025). "EXCLUSIVE: Restructure of Scottish football's tier five confirmed as passed by Scottish FA". Press and Journal. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  3. ^ Craig Christie (16 June 2025). "North junior football clubs will play in the North of Scotland League next season after autonomous set-up voted in at Scottish FA meeting". Grampian Online. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  4. ^ Will Clark (20 July 2025). "Reconstruction of Lowland League means Midlands League will no longer be a feeder division for the Highland League". Grampian Online. Archived from the original on 13 August 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  5. ^ Will Clark (29 July 2025). "Highland League champions could face three teams in League Two play-offs next season as a result of Lowland League reconstruction". Forres Gazette. Archived from the original on 11 August 2025.
  6. ^ "@scottishjuniors on X: 'STATEMENT'". x.com. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  7. ^ a b "'This is exciting for football in the north' - brand new league voted in at Scottish FA AGM". Inverness Courier. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  8. ^ Craig Christie (30 July 2025). "New Elgin Football Club manager Anthony Newlands says the feelgood factor is back at Nicol-Togneri Park ahead of the new North of Scotland Football League campaign". The Northern Scot. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  9. ^ "North of Scotland Football League - NoSFL Premier League". www.nosfl.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Banks o' Dee A". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  11. ^ "Bridge of Don Thistle". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  12. ^ "Buchanhaven Hearts". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  13. ^ "Colony Park". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  14. ^ "Culter". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  15. ^ "Dyce". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  16. ^ "East End". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  17. ^ "Ellon". Non League Scotland. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  18. ^ "Hermes". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  19. ^ "Islavale". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  20. ^ "Longside". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  21. ^ "Lossiemouth United". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  22. ^ "Maud". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  23. ^ "Sunnybank". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  24. ^ "Stonehaven". Non League Scotland. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  25. ^ "Rothie Rovers". Non League Scotland. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  26. ^ "North of Scotland Football League - NoSFL Championship". www.nosfl.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  27. ^ "Grill League Cup". North of Scotland Football League. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
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