East Region Premiership

East Region Premiership
Founded2002 (22 years ago) (2002)
Folded2021
Country Scotland
RegionSJFA East Region
Divisions2
Number of clubs30
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Scottish Junior Cup
Last championsLochee United (3rd title)
(2019–20)
Most championshipsBonnyrigg Rose Athletic (four titles)

The Scottish Junior Football Association East Region Premiership, also known for sponsorship reasons as the McBookie.com East Premiership, was the highest division of the East Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association. From its inception in 2002 until 2020, it was known as the SJFA East Region Super League.

From the 2007–08 season, the winners of the league were eligible to enter the senior Scottish Cup at its earliest stage, with Linlithgow Rose being the first champions to take part in the Scottish Cup.[citation needed]

In 2013–14 the East Super League expanded from its original twelve clubs to sixteen as part of a wider league restructuring in the East Region.[1] For the 2018–19 season, league reconstruction reduced the Super League back to twelve teams after 24 Junior clubs from the east region moved to the East of Scotland Football League. Further changes were made to create two regional divisions in the 2019–20 season (declared void prior to completion).[citation needed]

From the 2006–07 season until the 2017–18 season, the Super League relegated into the Premier League, which in turn fed down into the North and South divisions. The mass resignations from 2018 also led to reorganisations in the structure below the top tier.[citation needed]

From the 2021–22 season, the SJFA East Region along with North Caledonian Football Association and the SJFA North Region were incorporated into the Scottish football league system to form a fully-integrated Tier 6 below the Highland League. With all south (Lothian) clubs having already left the SJFA league to join the East of Scotland League (while retaining their membership), it was decided the new single division formed by the remaining north (Tayside) clubs would be named the Midlands Football League, although it would still be administered by the SJFA.[citation needed]

Champions and season summaries

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Season[2] Winners Runners-up Relegated Promoted Champions' Progression

in Scottish Cup

2002–03 Tayport Hill of Beath Hawthorn Carnoustie Panmure
Edinburgh United
Dundee Violet
Lochee United
Bo'ness United
Kelty Hearts
N/A
2003–04 Linlithgow Rose Tayport Kelty Hearts
Hill of Beath Hawthorn
Dundee North End
Carnoustie Panmure
Camelon Juniors
Thornton Hibs
2004–05 Lochee United Tayport Oakley United
Camelon Juniors
Thornton Hibs
Hill of Beath Hawthorn
Whitburn Juniors
Dundee North End
2005–06 Tayport (2) Bathgate Thistle Glenrothes
Arniston Rangers
Dundee North End
Oakley United
Camelon Juniors
Kinnoull
2006–07 Linlithgow Rose (2) Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Bo'ness United
Kinnoull
Glenrothes
Kelty Hearts
4th Round 2007–08
2007–08 Lochee United (2) Whitburn Juniors Carnoustie Panmure
Oakley United
Bo'ness United
Forfar West End
3rd Round 2008–09
2008–09 Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Camelon Juniors Forfar West End
Tayport
Musselburgh Athletic
Newtongrange Star
1st Round 2009–10
2009–10[3] Bo'ness United Linlithgow Rose Whitburn Juniors
Glenrothes
Tayport
Forfar West End
3rd Round 2010–11
2010–11 Bo'ness United (2) Hill of Beath Hawthorn Tayport
Newtongrange Star
St Andrews United
Carnoustie Panmure
3rd Round 2011–12
2011–12 Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic (2) Hill of Beath Hawthorn Bathgate Thistle
Forfar West End (in abeyance)
Sauchie Juniors
Broxburn Athletic
3rd Round 2012–13
2012–13 Linlithgow Rose (3) Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic No relegation.

League expanded to 16 clubs

Newtongrange Star
Ballingry Rovers
Tayport
Armadale Thistle
2nd Round 2013–14
2013–14 Bo'ness United (3) Linlithgow Rose Tayport
St Andrews United
Penicuik Athletic
Fauldhouse United
4th Round 2014–15
2014–15 Kelty Hearts Bo'ness United Armadale Thistle
Lochee United
Ballingry Rovers (folded)
Tayport
St Andrews United
Broughty Athletic
1st Round 2015–16
2015–16 Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic (3) Kelty Hearts Sauchie Juniors
St Andrews United
Tayport
Jeanfield Swifts
Dundonald Bluebell
Lochee United
4th Round 2016–17
2016–17 Kelty Hearts (2) Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Musselburgh Athletic
Fauldhouse United
Sauchie Juniors
Kennoway Star Hearts
Forfar West End
Preliminary round 1 2017–18
2017–18 Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic (4) Linlithgow Rose No relegation.

League reduced to 12 clubs

Fauldhouse United
Tayport
Thornton Hibs
Glenrothes
Downfield
Whitburn Juniors
Kirriemuir Thistle
1st Round 2018–19
2018–19 Lochee United (3) Broughty Athletic No relegation or promotion, league restructured post-season into North and South sections 2nd Round 2019–20
2019–20 Split into North and South divisions. Season suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, later declared null and void with no champion declared.[4][a]
2020–21 Renamed East Premiership and featured all East Region clubs. Split into North and South divisions.

Season began in November 2020 and was suspended in January 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, later declared null and void with no champion declared.[5]

  1. ^ Using a 'points per game' algorithm applied in other leagues, Carnoustie Panmure (who were also leading the league when play stopped) would have been nominal champions of the North section, while Pumpherston and Thornton Hibs would have finished on equal points in the South section.

References

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  1. ^ "Junior Football – PA Friday June 22". Perthshire Advertiser. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  2. ^ Towns, Fields and Clubs of Fife, via Scottish Football Historical Archive, 2012
  3. ^ 2009/10, The History of Newtongrange Star
  4. ^ Phil McGuire bewildered by null and void decision that has cost Carnoustie Juniors title despite leading table since day one, Daily Record, 18 April 2020
  5. ^ East Region SJFA [@eastregion_sjfa] (16 March 2021). "Following today's update from the Scottish Government stating that adult contact training/football will not be allowed until 17th May 2021, the management committee of the Scottish Junior FA have decided to end season 2020/2021 and declare all competitions null & void" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 March 2021 – via Twitter.
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