North Eastern Football League

1941-1945

See also

Main index

Club directory

Football during World War 2

North Eastern League Cup

After the suspension of the Scottish Football League in 1940, clubs in the southern part of the country banded together and formed the Southern Football League. An attempt at creating one for the northern clubs was put on hold for a year, and when it kicked off in 1941 it included the reserve eleven of Rangers. Although they were included on the pretext of fielding a strong side, this wasn't always possible as Southern League matches always took priority. Despite this handicap, Rangers won both series of the first North Eastern League championship. Later competitions would also include the reserve sides of Falkirk, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian. Because there were only a handful of clubs taking part, the league ran the competition over two series, with champions being declared for each. The league also ran two cup competitions, which were also run over an Autumn and Spring series. The league was last played in 1944-45, after which its member clubs joined the Southern League in the last season before full peace-time football was recommenced.

North Eastern League champions

	First Series	Second Series
1941-42 1942-43 1943-44 1944-45	Rangers ‘A’ Aberdeen Raith Rovers Dundee	Aberdeen Aberdeen Aberdeen Aberdeen

In the tables of results below the abbreviations are as follows:

A – August; S – September; O – October; N – November; D – December; J – January; F – February; M – March; a – April; m – May; j - June

1941-42 First series	Aber	DU	Dunf	EF	Leith	RR	Rang	St B
Aberdeen	X	N01 4-2	A30 4-0	025 1-1	A16 9-0	S27 7-1	S06 1-1	S13 7-1
Dundee United	A23 5-0	X	S20 1-1	A09 1-1	S06 1-4	N08 3-9	018 0-5	011 2-2
Dunfermline Athletic	018 3-1	025 7-2	X	011 1-1	S13 2-1	S06 4-4	A23 1-4	A09 7-3
East Fife	S20 1-0	S27 2-2	A16 8-0	X	N01 2-1	018 5-1	N08 3-1	S06 4-2
Leith Athletic	011 3-4	004 2-5	N08 1-3	A23 1-2	X	025 4-0	A09 3-5	018 3-3
Raith Rovers	A09 2-4	313 2-1	004 3-4	A30 1-2	S20 9-5	X	011 2-3	A23 3-4
Rangers ‘A’	004 1-1	A30 5-3	N01 6-2	S13 3-1	S27 7-0	A16 8-1	X	025 0-2
St Bernards	N08 2-6	A16 1-4	S27 5-3	004 1-1	A30 5-3	N01 3-2	S20 2-3	X

	First Series	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Rangers 'A'	14	10	2	2	52	22	22
2	East Fife	14	8	5	1	34	16	21
3	Aberdeen	14	8	3	3	49	23	19
4	Dunfermline Athletic	14	6	3	5	38	44	15
5	St Bernards	14	5	3	6	36	48	13
6	Dundee United	14	3	4	7	32	45	10
7	Raith Rovers	14	3	1	10	40	57	7
8	Leith Athletic	14	2	1	11	31	57	5

1941-42 Second Series	Aber	DU	Dunf	EF	Leith	RR	Rang	St B
Aberdeen	X	J06 6-1	a18 2-1	M14 1-0	a11 3-0	J17 3-5	F21 0-0	a25 8-0
Dundee United	J10 2-0	X	J01 3-5	a25 0-2	m30 5-1	M28 5-1	a18 8-1	a04 2-0
Dunfermline Athletic	M21 1-2	F21 0-2	X	a22 1-3	J10 5-1	J03 3-2	a04 2-3	M28 2-2
East Fife	a04 1-1	J03 1-1	J17 3-1	X	M21 3-1	F21 6-1	M28 0-3	F2S 3-2
Leith Athletic	M28 0-2	J17 2-2	J06 7-7	a18 2-5	X	a04 4-2	a25 3-4	F21 2-1
Raith Rovers	F14 2-1	a11 1-1	a25 4-0	J01 7-2	M14 1-2	X	J10 4-3	a18 5-2
Rangers ‘A’	J01 1-3	M21 4-2	M14 7-0	a11 4-0	J03 4-3	F28 6-3	X	J17 3-0
St Bernards	J03 1-5	M14 1-3	a11 1-2	m16 2-3	J01 2-1	M21 0-0	F14 5-6	X

	Second Series	P	W	D	L	F	A	BP	Pts
1	Aberdeen	14	9	2	3	37	15	6	26
2	Rangers 'A'	14	10	1	3	49	33	5	26
3	East Fife	14	8	2	4	32	27	4	22
4	Dundee United	14	7	3	4	37	25	4	21
5	Raith Rovers	14	6	2	6	38	38	3	17
6	Dunfermline Athletic	14	4	2	8	30	42	2	12
7	Leith Athletic	14	3	2	9	29	46	1	9
8	St Bernards	14	1	2	11	19	45	0	4

BP - an extra point was awarded by having a better aggregate score over each opponent

1942-43 First series	Aber	DU	Dunf	EF	Hea	Hib	RR	Rang
Aberdeen	X	024 1-0	A15 5-0	031 1-1	A29 4-0	S05 6-3	010 8-1	S26 4-2
Dundee United	S12 0-4	X	A29 3-1	017 0-1	S26 3-1	S19 3-1	A15 3-2	010 3-2
Dunfermline Athletic	003 1-3	N07 5-3	X	A08 3-1	017 2-0	A22 2-0	S19 2-1	024 3-1
East Fife	S19 0-1	S05 3-0	010 2-3	X	A15 4-0	024 1-0	S26 4-1	A29 2-1
Heart of Mid ‘A’	NO7 5-3	A22 3-1	S05 0-1	003 3-1	X	A08 4-2	024 2-3	S19 2-1
Hibernian ‘A’	017 0-7	031 6-4	S26 3-0	S12 2-3	S21 2-3	X	A29 3-2	A15 4-3
Raith Rovers	A08 1-3	003 4-0	031 1-4	A22 0-2	S12 2-1	NO7 1-1	X	SOS 3-1
Rangers ‘A’	A22 2-1	A08 2-1	S12 0-1	N07 4-2	031 3-2	003 5-2	017 3-1	X

	1942-43 First Series	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Aberdeen	14	11	1	2	51	16	23
2	Dunfermline Athletic	14	10	0	4	28	23	20
3	East Fife	14	8	1	5	27	19	17
4	Heart of Midlothian 'A'	14	6	0	8	26	32	12
5	Rangers 'A'	14	6	0	8	30	31	12
6	Dundee United	14	5	0	9	24	36	10
7	Hibernian 'A'	14	4	1	9	29	44	9
8	Raith Rovers	14	4	1	9	23	37	9

1942-43 Second series	Aber	DU	Dunf	EF	Hea	Hib	RR	Rang
Aberdeen	X	F13 3-0	J23 4-1	M06 4-1	F27 8-3	M20 2-0	J09 2-0	J02 2-1
Dundee United	J01 1-0	X	M20 4-2	J02 1-2	J16 2-2	M06 2-0	M27 3-4	F06 2-1
Dunfermline Athletic	M27 0-0	a17 3-1	X	M13 2-2	J30 3-3	F20 4-1	F13 3-0	J01 3-1
East Fife	J30 1-0	F27 5-1	F06 4-1	X	F13 2-1	J09 7-1	J01 2-3	M20 1-1
Heart of Mid ‘A’	F06 2-6	F20 1-4	M06 2-1	J23 2-3	X	M13 7-1	M20 2-6	a17 0-0
Hibernian ‘A’	J16 0-5	J30 3-2	J02 1-3	M27 3-6	J01 2-6	X	F27 2-3	F13 2-8
Raith Rovers	M13 1-1	J23 3-1	J16 5-3	F20 2-0	J02 3-5	F06 5-3	X	N06 3-2
Rangers ‘A’	F20 1-2	M13 3-1	F27 0-1	J16 1-2	M27 4-0	J23 4-0	J30 5-4	X

	1942-43 Second Series	P	W	D	L	F	A	BP	Pts
1	Aberdeen	14	10	2	2	39	12	7	29
2	East Fife	14	9	2	3	38	23	5	25
3	Raith Rovers	14	9	1	4	42	34	4	23
4	Dunfermline Athletic	14	6	3	5	30	28	3	18
5	Rangers 'A'	14	5	2	7	32	23	3	15
6	Dundee United	14	5	1	8	25	32	2	13
7	Heart of Midlothian 'A'	14	4	3	7	36	45	2	13
8	Hibernian 'A'	14	1	0	13	19	64	0	2

BP - an extra point was awarded by having a better aggregate score over each opponent

1943-44 First Series	Aber	DU	Dunf	EF	Falk	Hea	RR	Rang
Aberdeen	X	N06 5-1	A14 7-2	325 2-0	S18 3-0	009 3-0	016 4-1	A28 4-1
Dundee United	S11 2-0	X	016 1-3	N20 4-3	009 7-1	A14 6-3	A28 2-1	S25 4-1
Dunfermline Athletic	002 3-1	S04 5-0	X	N06 5-0	A21 3-0	S11 1-2	009 2-1	030 1-1
East Fife	030 1-1	S18 3-1	A28 0-2	X	016 6-0	023 1-3	A14 2-3	009 1-0
Falkirk ‘A’	N20 2-2	N13 3-6	023 3-2	S11 1-0	X	A28 1-5	N06 3-5	A14 0-3
Heart of Mid ‘A’	S04 2-2	002 4-2	N13 2-1	A21 5-2	030 4-1	X	S18 2-3	016 1-0
Raith Rovers	A21 3-2	023 3-0	S25 4-2	002 4-2	S04 6-0	N20 3-0	X	S11 3-2
Rangers ‘A’	023 4-0	A21 8-0	S18 0-3	S04 0-1	002 2-0	N06 1-2	N13 1-2	X

	1943-44 First Series	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Raith Rovers	14	11	0	3	42	24	22
2	Heart of Midlothian 'A'	14	9	1	4	35	27	19
3	Aberdeen	14	7	3	4	36	22	17
4	Dunfermline Athletic	14	8	1	5	35	22	17
5	Dundee United	14	7	0	7	36	43	14
6	East Fife	14	4	1	9	22	31	9
7	Rangers 'A'	14	4	1	9	24	22	9
8	Falkirk 'A'	14	2	1	11	15	54	5

1943-44 Second Series	Aber	DU	Dunf	EF	Falk	Hea	RR	Rang
Aberdeen	X	J01 1-1	M25 3-2	J03 0-0	F05 3-1	J15 5-2	M11 1-0	a22 3-0
Dundee United	J29 1-7	X	M18 2-0	F19 3-1	M25 3-0	F26 3-6	J03 3-1	J15 6-2
Dunfermline Athletic	J08 1-2	M11 2-1	X	J29 1-0	a22 3-4	J03 3-1	F12 1-1	F19 1-3
East Fife	J22 2-1	J08 1-2	M04 4-0	X	M11 4-0	F12 3-3	a22 4-0	F05 2-1
Falkirk ‘A’	M04 2-10	F12 6-3	J22 2-6	J15 0-0	X	M18 2-0	J29 4-3	F26 2-4
Heart of Mid ‘A’	F19 1-2	J22 4-1	F05 3-2	M25 1-0	J01 4-1	X	J08 2-2	M11 1-4
Raith Rovers	M18 2-0	F05 2-0	J15 1-4	J01 0-4	F19 3-1	M04 1-0	X	M25 2-2
Rangers ‘A’	F12 3-2	m27 6-1	J01 6-1	M18 2-1	J08 2-2	J29 4-0	J22 3-1	X

	1943-44 Second Series	P	W	D	L	F	A	BP	Pts
1	Aberdeen	14	9	2	3	40	18	4	24
2	Rangers 'A'	14	9	2	3	42	25	4	24
3	East Fife	14	6	3	5	26	14	3	18
4	Dundee United	14	6	1	7	30	39	2	15
5	Heart of Midlothian 'A'	14	5	2	7	28	33	2	14
6	Dunfermline Athletic	14	5	1	8	27	33	2	13
7	Raith Rovers	14	4	3	7	19	29	2	13
8	Falkirk 'A'	14	4	2	8	27	48	2	12

BP - 3 points were awarded for an away win, 2 points for an away draw

1944-45 First series	Aber	Arb	Dund	DU	Dunf	EF	Falk	Hea	RR	Rang
Aberdeen	X	A12 2-0	028 2-3	S30 5-1	A26 3-2	S09 7-1	D02 7-0	007 2-0	D09 2-0	N04 4-1
Arbroath	N25 0-3	X	S16 1-4	A19 2-1	028 2-1	021 2-1	007 1-1	S02 5-2	S23 3-5	N11 3-3
Dundee	A19 2-1	014 6-2	X	N04 2-2	D09 3-1	N25 1-1	S23 1-2	S30 6-0	021 4-6	S02 5-3
Dundee United	N11 0-5	N18 2-5	A26 1-2	X	D02 2-7	A12 2-1	S09 1-2	028 4-3	007 5-1	316 3-0
Dunfermline Athletic	021 3-3	S30 0-0	N11 3-4	S02 2-2	X	S23 5-2	014 3-3	N25 3-2	A19 3-2	007 2-0
East Fife	S16 5-4	N04 4-0	007 1-0	014 2-5	N18 1-5	X	N11 1-0	D09 1-1	502 2-2	A19 1-5
Falkirk ‘A’	S02 0-5	D09 0-0	N18 1-2	021 4-2	S16 0-3	S30 0-3	X	A19 1-5	028 0-1	N25 0-1
Heart of Mid ‘A’	N18 0-7	D02 1-4	S09 1-3	S23 3-0	A12 3-4	A26 2-2	N04 3-1	X	N11 0-2	021 3-0
Raith Rovers	014 2-1	309 2-0	A12 2-4	N25 1-1	N04 3-1	D02 1-2	A26 4-1	S16 3-0	X	330 4-1
Rangers ‘A’	S23 1-2	A26 5-0	D02 0-1	D16 2-0	309 1-1	028 2-0	A12 4-0	014 1-2	N18 2-1	X

	1944-45 First Series	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Dundee	18	13	2	3	53	30	28
2	Aberdeen	18	13	1	4	65	21	27
3	Raith Rovers	18	10	2	6	42	32	22
4	Dunfermline Athletic	18	8	5	5	49	36	21
5	Rangers ‘A’	18	7	2	9	32	32	16
6	East Fife	18	6	4	8	31	44	16
7	Arbroath	18	6	4	8	30	43	16
8	Dundee United	18	5	3	10	34	49	13
9	Heart of Midlothian 'A'	18	5	2	11	31	49	12
10	Falkirk 'A'	18	3	3	12	16	47	9

1944-45 Second series	Aber	Arb	Dund	DU	Dunf	EF	Falk	Hea	RR	Ran
Aberdeen	X	M03 2-2	J01 5-0	m05 6-0	a21 0-1	M31 2-2	m07 7-0	M24 5-1	F17 8-0	al4 1-0
Arbroath	J02 2-2	X	a28 2-1	a07 0-2	M24 0-3	J06 0-1	F24 5-0	F17 3-2	a21 1-4	m12 2-1
Dundee	a07 1-4	M31 4-2	X	J02 4-1	m12 1-2	a2l 3-2	J06 5-1	F24 5-1	m05 4-0	M10 2-3
Dundee United	F10 1-9	J01 1-0	M03 0-4	X	F17 6-3	M17 3-1	al4 2-5	a28 0-0	J13 5-2	M24 1-1
Dunfermline Athletic	F24 1-4	m05 2-2	a14 2-0	M31 3-1	X	002 4-2	J02 3-1	J01 2-1	M10 2-2	a28 1-1
East Fife	a28 1-0	M10 1-1	F10 1-4	m12 6-1	a07 3-2	X	M24 6-2	J02 0-0	J01 3-1	F24 2-1
Falkirk ‘A’	M10 2-1	J13 8-2	M17 1-2	J02 0-1	M03 1-3	F17 1-3	X	F10 2-1	a07 2-4	J01 1-2
Heart of Mid ‘A’	j17 3-1	a14 5-2	J13 5-3	M10 0-3	M17 1-0	M03 1-2	m05 2-2	X	m12 2-0	002 2-2
Raith Rovers	M17 1-4	F10 1-2	M24 2-1	F24 5-2	J06 5-2	al4 0-3	a28 5-1	M31 6-0	X	J02 1-2
Rangers	J27 1-2	M17 3-0	F17 2-5	J06 5-1	F10 4-2	J13 3-0	M31 3-2	a2l 4-0	N03 3-0	X

	1944-45 Second Series	P	W	D	L	F	A	BP	Pts
1	Aberdeen	18	11	3	3	63	19	6	31
2	East Fife	18	10	3	5	39	29	5	28
3	Rangers 'A'	18	10	3	5	41	25	4	27
4	Dundee	18	10	0	8	49	36	4	24
5	Dunfermline Athletic	18	9	3	6	38	35	3	24
6	Dundee United	18	7	2	9	31	54	3	19
7	Arbroath	18	5	4	9	31	43	4	18
8	Raith Rovers	18	7	1	10	39	47	3	18
9	Heart of Midlothian 'A'	18	5	4	9	27	42	4	18
10	Falkirk 'A'	18	4	1	13	32	57	2	11

BP - 3 points were awarded for an away win, 2 points for an away draw