Central
Football League
Second version 1909-1921
|
See also Central League
overview |
The Central League
re-formed in 1909 when six Northern League clubs resigned from that body and set
up a less geographically widespread league. In 1915, the Central League
closed down. The
Scottish Football League then suspended the Second Division and seven of
their clubs combined with five of the Central League sides to form the
Eastern League. When it became likely that the Second
Division wouldn’t be re-formed after the War, twelve sides resuscitated the
Central League, also admitting the reserve sides of two Scottish League
clubs. Because the
Central League were not members of the Inter-League Board, they did not have
to pay transfer fees, and were thus able to entice prominent Scottish, and
English, League players to their stronger clubs. One of the first was Andy
Wilson who although contracted decided to sign for Dunfermline. The Fife side
also signed Bob Mercer of Hearts and James Gordon of Rangers. The wages paid
to these three men were said to be in excess of what some Scottish League
clubs were playing their entire playing staff. Seeing the Central League as a
serious threat to its existence, the Scottish League decided on a compromise.
For the return of their poached players, the Scottish League promised the
restoration of the Second Division with automatic promotion and relegation.
This was accepted by the Central League and was rubberstamped at a Scottish
League meeting on 11 May 1921. At the end of the 1920-21 season therefore the
Central League disbanded and its clubs became members of the Scottish League. |
|
Champions 1909-10 Bo'ness 1910-11 1911-12 1912-13 Alloa Athletic 1913-14 Armadale 1914-15 Armadale 1919-20
Bo’ness 1920-21
Bo’ness |
Membership
Alloa Athletic Arbroath Armadale Bathgate Bo'ness Broxburn Broxburn Athletic Broxburn United Clackmannan Cowdenbeath Dundee Hibernian East Stirlingshire Forfar Athletic Heart of King's Park Kirkcaldy United Lochgelly United Montrose St Bernards St Johnstone Stenhousemuir |
Seasons
1909-1915 1919-1921 1909-1915 1911-1915 1919-1921 1909-1915 1919-1921 1909-1915 1919-1921 1911-12 1909-10 1912-1915 1919-1921 1914-15 1919-1921 1920-21 1912-1915 1920-21 1909-1912 1919-1921 1909-1915 1919-1921 1919-1921 1912-13 1919-1921 1913-1915 1910-11 1919-1921 1909-1915 1919-1921 1909-1915 1909-1912, 1913-14 1914-15 1919-1921 1909-1911 1920-21 1909-1915 1919-1921 |
Came from
Scottish Northern League Scottish Scottish Midland League Scottish Midland League new club Eastern League Northern League Eastern League Northern League Northern League Scottish Northern League Northern League Northern League Northern League Northern League Northern League Midland League |
Left for
Scottish League Eastern League Eastern League Scottish League Scottish League Scottish League merged with Broxburn Athletic Eastern League Scottish League Scottish League Scottish League Scottish League Scottish League Scottish League Eastern League Scottish League Scottish League Scottish Alliance Scottish Reserve League Scottish Alliance Scottish League Eastern League Northern League Scottish League Scottish League Scottish League Scottish League Scottish League |
|
|
1909-10 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 |
Bo’ness |
22 |
13 |
4 |
5 |
44 |
20 |
30 |
|
2 |
Alloa Athletic
|
22 |
12 |
6 |
4 |
37 |
23 |
30 |
|
3 |
Dunfermline
Athletic |
21 |
8 |
9 |
4 |
29 |
18 |
25 |
|
4 |
Bathgate |
18 |
8 |
5 |
5 |
39 |
23 |
21 |
|
5 |
Arbroath |
21 |
8 |
4 |
9 |
39 |
37 |
20 |
|
6 |
St
Johnstone |
18 |
5 |
8 |
5 |
26 |
20 |
20 |
|
7 |
Stenhousemuir |
19 |
7 |
5 |
7 |
26 |
30 |
19 |
|
8 |
Kirkcaldy
United |
19 |
6 |
5 |
8 |
21 |
25 |
17 |
|
9 |
East
Fife |
21 |
5 |
6 |
10 |
28 |
38 |
16 |
|
10 |
Lochgelly
United |
15 |
6 |
2 |
7 |
28 |
38 |
14 |
|
11 |
Broxburn
Athletic |
17 |
4 |
3 |
10 |
19 |
38 |
11 |
|
12 |
King’s
Park |
15 |
1 |
5 |
9 |
17 |
48 |
7 |
A championship play-off match between Bo’ness
and Alloa was arranged for the start of the following season which Bo’ness won
As Lochgelly were transferring from
Reids Park to Recreation Park near the end of the season, they failed to
fulfil a large number of games.
Unplayed games
Arbroath v Broxburn Athletic
Bathgate v Kirkcaldy United, Lochgelly
United, St Johnstone
Broxburn Athletic v King’s Park,
Dunfermline Athletic, Lochgelly United
Kirkcaldy United v King’s Park
Lochgelly United v Bathgate, East Fife, St
Johnstone, Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir v King’s Park, Lochgelly
United
|
|
1910-11 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 |
Dunfermline Athletic
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
Heart
of Midlothian ‘A’ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alloa
Athletic |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bathgate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bo’ness |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
East
Fife |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
Arbroath |
22 |
9 |
4 |
9 |
42 |
49 |
22 |
|
|
King’s
Park |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kirkcaldy
United |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lochgelly
United |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
St
Johnstone |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stenhousemuir |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1911-12 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
|
1 |
|
20 |
14 |
2 |
4 |
44 |
26 |
30 |
|
2 |
Alloa
Athletic |
21 |
9 |
5 |
7 |
41 |
29 |
23 |
|
3 |
Kirkcaldy
United |
21 |
9 |
2 |
10 |
46 |
41 |
20 |
|
4 |
Bathgate |
17 |
8 |
4 |
5 |
32 |
16 |
20 |
|
5 |
King’s
Park |
16 |
8 |
2 |
6 |
29 |
29 |
18 |
|
6 |
East
Fife |
19 |
7 |
4 |
7 |
23 |
25 |
18 |
|
7 |
Broxburn |
19 |
7 |
4 |
8 |
25 |
29 |
18 |
|
8 |
Bo’ness |
20 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
36 |
35 |
18 |
|
9 |
Stenhousemuir |
17 |
6 |
5 |
6 |
36 |
38 |
17 |
|
10 |
Arbroath |
19 |
6 |
4 |
9 |
37 |
37 |
16 |
|
11 |
Armadale |
20 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
32 |
49 |
15 |
|
12 |
Lochgelly
United |
18 |
5 |
3 |
10 |
19 |
36 |
13 |
Unplayed games
Arbroath v Lochgelly United
Armadale v East Fife
Bathgate v Dunfermline Athletic, King’s
Park
Bo’ness v Arbroath, Dunfermline Athletic
Broxburn v East Fife, King’s Park
East Fife v Armadale, Stenhousemuir
King’s Park v Bathgate, Broxburn, Kirkcaldy
United
Lochgelly United v Alloa Athletic,
Bathgate, Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir v Arbroath, Bathgate, King’s
Park
|
|
1912-13 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 |
Alloa Athletic
|
22 |
13 |
4 |
5 |
44 |
35 |
30 |
|
2 |
Kirkcaldy
United |
22 |
12 |
4 |
6 |
46 |
27 |
28 |
|
3 |
Dundee
‘A’ |
21 |
11 |
4 |
6 |
47 |
29 |
26 |
|
4 |
Bathgate |
22 |
10 |
3 |
9 |
38 |
34 |
23 |
|
5 |
Armadale |
21 |
9 |
4 |
8 |
32 |
26 |
22 |
|
6 |
East
Fife |
22 |
8 |
6 |
8 |
35 |
31 |
22 |
|
7 |
Bo’ness |
21 |
7 |
6 |
8 |
32 |
46 |
20 |
|
8 |
Falkirk
‘A’ |
18 |
7 |
4 |
7 |
30 |
34 |
18 |
|
9 |
King’s
Park |
20 |
7 |
4 |
9 |
29 |
35 |
18 |
|
10 |
Arbroath |
19 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
22 |
29 |
16 |
|
11 |
Broxburn
United |
22 |
4 |
6 |
12 |
21 |
40 |
14 |
|
12 |
Stenhousemuir |
20 |
4 |
5 |
11 |
23 |
44 |
13 |
|
|
1913-14 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 |
Armadale |
26 |
14 |
8 |
4 |
43 |
23 |
36 |
|
2 |
|
26 |
15 |
4 |
7 |
61 |
43 |
30 |
|
3 |
Bathgate |
26 |
11 |
8 |
7 |
42 |
38 |
30 |
|
4 |
East
Fife |
26 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
36 |
38 |
28 |
|
5 |
|
26 |
11 |
6 |
9 |
32 |
38 |
27 |
|
6 |
Forfar
Athletic |
25 |
12 |
2 |
11 |
65 |
39 |
26 |
|
7 |
Falkirk
‘A’ |
26 |
9 |
6 |
11 |
47 |
40 |
24 |
|
8 |
|
24 |
9 |
6 |
9 |
35 |
42 |
24 |
|
9 |
King’s
Park |
26 |
7 |
9 |
10 |
32 |
43 |
23 |
|
10 |
Kirkcaldy
United |
25 |
8 |
6 |
11 |
39 |
43 |
22 |
|
11 |
Stenhousemuir |
26 |
8 |
6 |
12 |
40 |
53 |
22 |
|
12 |
Arbroath |
26 |
8 |
6 |
12 |
40 |
56 |
21 |
|
13 |
Bo’ness |
26 |
7 |
7 |
12 |
26 |
36 |
20 |
|
14 |
Lochgelly
United |
26 |
6 |
7 |
13 |
32 |
50 |
19 |
Unplayed games
Broxburn United v Kirkcaldy United
Forfar Athletic v Broxburn United
|
|
1914-15 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 |
Armadale
|
25 |
20 |
2 |
3 |
65 |
24 |
42 |
|
2 |
Arbroath |
26 |
15 |
7 |
4 |
51 |
28 |
37 |
|
3 |
|
24 |
14 |
4 |
6 |
67 |
28 |
32 |
|
4 |
Forfar
Athletic |
18 |
12 |
1 |
5 |
42 |
24 |
25 |
|
5 |
|
21 |
9 |
4 |
8 |
28 |
19 |
22 |
|
6 |
Bathgate |
23 |
7 |
6 |
10 |
31 |
33 |
20 |
|
7 |
Broxburn
United |
22 |
7 |
5 |
10 |
35 |
45 |
19 |
|
8 |
Bo’ness |
17 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
22 |
25 |
16 |
|
9 |
King’s
Park |
19 |
7 |
3 |
9 |
25 |
31 |
17 |
|
10 |
Stenhousemuir |
19 |
5 |
5 |
9 |
20 |
38 |
15 |
|
11 |
Alloa
Athletic |
17 |
5 |
3 |
9 |
18 |
25 |
13 |
|
12 |
Kirkcaldy
United |
18 |
5 |
3 |
10 |
28 |
43 |
13 |
|
13 |
Montrose |
13 |
3 |
2 |
8 |
21 |
37 |
8 |
|
14 |
Clackmannan |
21 |
2 |
1 |
18 |
19 |
74 |
5 |
|
1919-20 |
Alloa |
Arm |
|
Bo’n |
Brox |
Clack |
Dunf |
EF |
ES |
Falk |
Hea |
KP |
St B |
Sten |
|
Alloa |
X |
|
Feb 21 2-3 |
|
May 1 3-2 |
Mar 13 2-1 |
Apr 24 0-1 |
Oct 25 0-2 |
|
Feb 27 1-0 |
Mar 20 2-0 |
Oct 4 1-0 |
Dec 20 3-1 |
Aug 23 3-0 |
|
Armadale |
|
X |
|
Aug 23 1-1 |
Dec 20 2-0 |
Apr 3 3-0 |
Apr 17 0-3 |
Nov 8 4-1 |
Oct 11 2-0 |
Jan 31 1-0 |
Dec 27 1-0 |
May 1 2-0 |
Oct 25 2-0 |
Apr 24 2-1 |
|
Bathgate |
Aug 16 1-2 |
Oct 18 1-0 |
X |
Jan 31 0-1 |
Mar 13 3-2 |
|
Mar 27 2-2 |
Apr 24 1-2 |
Oct 25 3-2 |
Sep 13 2-0 |
Feb 14 0-1 |
|
Aug 30 1-1 |
Dec 13 1-0 |
|
Bo’ness |
Apr 17 3-1 |
Dec 13 0-1 |
Feb 7 2-0 |
X |
Aug 30 2-0 |
Sep 13 5-0 |
Nov 15 4-1 |
Apr 3 2-0 |
|
Oct 25 1-0 |
Oct 11 0-0 |
|
Apr 24 2-0 |
Aug 16 6-0 |
|
Broxburn
United |
Mar 27 0-1 |
6-4 |
Aug 23 0-2 |
1-0 |
X |
7-0 |
Oct 18 0-1 |
Feb 14 1-2 |
Dec 13 3-1 |
Sep 20 6-1 |
1-1 |
Jan 17 1-3 |
2-2 |
3-0 |
|
Clackmannan |
Feb 14 1-2 |
|
Apr 17 2-2 |
Mar 27 0-1 |
Oct 25 3-1 |
X |
|
Feb 21 1-2 |
Aug 16 2-1 |
Nov 29 1-5 |
Aug 30 0-5 |
Dec 13 0-1 |
Nov 8 2-5 |
|
|
Athletic |
Oct 11 4-1 |
Mar 13 1-1 |
Nov 8 0-0 |
Apr 10 3-0 |
Dec 27 1-1 |
Jan 17 0-1 |
X |
Dec 13 4-2 |
Nov 29 2-0 |
Aug 30 2-1 |
Aug 16 7-1 |
|
Feb 7 4-0 |
Oct 25 3-1 |
|
|
Aug 30 2-0 |
Mar 27 3-2 |
Oct 11 5-0 |
Nov 1 0-1 |
Nov 29 4-1 |
Dec 20 5-0 |
|
X |
Jan 31 1-1 |
Aug 16 3-0 |
Feb 28 1-0 |
Dec 27 0-0 |
Sep 13 1-0 |
Mar 13 1-2 |
|
East Stirlingshire |
Oct 18 0-2 |
|
|
|
Nov 8 0-3 |
Feb 28 0-0 |
Aug 23 2-1 |
|
X |
|
Nov 1 1-0 |
Feb 21 1-2 |
|
May 1 1-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
May 1 0-1 |
1-3 |
Aug 23 3-1 |
|
Jan 17 0-1 |
|
X |
Dec 20 4-5 |
Nov 1 2-1 |
|
|
|
Heart
of Mid
‘A’ |
Dec 13 1-0 |
Nov 29 1-0 |
Apr 3 3-0 |
Feb 21 0-0 |
Apr 24 3-0 |
Oct 18 4-0 |
Sep 20 1-2 |
|
Apr 27 1-0 |
Sep 6 7-2 |
X |
Aug 23 1-1 |
Jan 17 3-0 |
Jan 31 0-0 |
|
King’s Park |
Apr 10 0-2 |
Feb 14 1-1 |
Dec 20 3-1 |
Nov 8 0-1 |
Aug 16 0-1 |
Jan 31 1-1 |
Sep 13 1-1 |
|
Aug 30 3-0 |
|
|
X |
Oct 11 0-3 |
Nov 29 1-1 |
|
St
Bernards |
Nov 29 3-4 |
Aug 16 4-1 |
Sep 20 1-0 |
Oct 18 0-0 |
Jan 31 2-1 |
Mar 6 0-0 |
Nov 1 3-1 |
Aug 23 4-2 |
Dec 27 4-0 |
Dec 13 2-0 |
Mar 13 0-1 |
Feb 28 3-0 |
X |
Mar 27 4-0 |
|
Stenhousemuir |
|
Aug 30 0-0 |
Jan 17 3-1 |
Dec 20 1-1 |
Oct 11 3-2 |
Nov 1 1-0 |
Feb 14 0-3 |
Mar 20 1-1 |
|
|
Sep 13 1-0 |
Oct 18 4-1 |
|
X |
|
|
1919-20 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 |
Bo’ness
|
26 |
16 |
6 |
4 |
43 |
11 |
38 |
|
2 |
Dunfermline
Athletic |
26 |
15 |
6 |
5 |
59 |
28 |
36 |
|
3 |
East
Fife |
26 |
16 |
4 |
5 |
47 |
28 |
36 |
|
4 |
Alloa |
25 |
15 |
1 |
9 |
40 |
24 |
31 |
|
5 |
Heart
of Midlothian ‘A’ |
26 |
13 |
5 |
8 |
43 |
24 |
31 |
|
6 |
Armadale |
24 |
11 |
6 |
7 |
33 |
28 |
28 |
|
7 |
St
Bernards |
25 |
11 |
6 |
8 |
43 |
32 |
28 |
|
8 |
Bathgate |
25 |
9 |
4 |
12 |
34 |
39 |
22 |
|
9 |
Stenhousemuir |
25 |
6 |
7 |
12 |
24 |
43 |
19 |
|
10 |
Falkirk
‘A’ |
23 |
8 |
1 |
14 |
38 |
43 |
17 |
|
11 |
Broxburn
United |
24 |
7 |
3 |
14 |
39 |
41 |
17 |
|
12 |
East
Stirlingshire |
24 |
6 |
5 |
13 |
18 |
41 |
17 |
|
13 |
King’s
Park |
26 |
5 |
7 |
14 |
22 |
48 |
17 |
|
14 |
Clackmannan |
25 |
4 |
5 |
16 |
18 |
61 |
13 |
This is the official final table - the missing
fixtures were never played
Central League Cup 1919-20
East Stirlingshire v Dunfermline Athletic 1-0 Broxburn United v Heart of Midlothian ‘A’ 2-3 Bathgate v St Bernards 5-3 Broxburn United v Heart of Midlothian ‘A’ 2-3 Armadale v Bo’ness 1-1 King’s Park v Stenhousemuir Clackmannan v Alloa Falkirk ‘A’, East Fife byes Semi Final Heart of Midlothian ‘A’ v East Stirlingshire 2-0 Final Heart of Midlothian ‘A’ |
|
|
1920-21 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 |
Bo’ness
|
34 |
21 |
7 |
6 |
66 |
34 |
49 |
|
2 |
Heart
of Midlothian ‘A’ |
34 |
22 |
4 |
8 |
84 |
36 |
48 |
|
3 |
Cowdenbeath |
34 |
20 |
6 |
8 |
64 |
37 |
46 |
|
4 |
Dunfermline
Athletic |
34 |
16 |
7 |
11 |
65 |
52 |
39 |
|
5 |
East
Fife |
34 |
13 |
12 |
9 |
33 |
37 |
38 |
|
6 |
Bathgate |
34 |
13 |
11 |
10 |
58 |
37 |
37 |
|
7 |
St
Bernards |
34 |
11 |
12 |
11 |
48 |
42 |
34 |
|
8 |
Stenhousemuir |
34 |
15 |
4 |
15 |
51 |
56 |
34 |
|
9 |
Alloa |
34 |
9 |
15 |
10 |
50 |
56 |
33 |
|
10 |
St
Johnstone |
34 |
13 |
6 |
15 |
44 |
51 |
32 |
|
11 |
Falkirk
‘A’ |
34 |
10 |
10 |
14 |
41 |
52 |
30 |
|
12 |
Broxburn
United |
34 |
12 |
5 |
17 |
44 |
58 |
29 |
|
13 |
Clackmannan |
34 |
13 |
3 |
18 |
39 |
57 |
29 |
|
14 |
East
Stirlingshire |
34 |
10 |
8 |
16 |
44 |
60 |
28 |
|
15 |
Armadale |
34 |
10 |
7 |
17 |
44 |
51 |
27 |
|
16 |
King’s
Park |
34 |
9 |
9 |
16 |
39 |
51 |
27 |
|
17 |
Dundee
Hibernian |
34 |
10 |
7 |
17 |
39 |
52 |
27 |
|
18 |
Lochgelly
United |
34 |
11 |
5 |
18 |
39 |
73 |
27 |
Central League Cup 1920-21
Cowdenbeath v St Johnstone 2-1 Falkirk ‘A’ v Stenhousemuir 2-1 Final Bathgate |