Northern Football League
1891-1920
See also |
The Northern League was formed in 1891 and
was based initially around the counties of Forfarshire and Perthshire, and the
city of Aberdeen. Later it would extend southwards into Fife. 1893-94 was one
of three occasions the championship was not completed - the others were in
1911-12 and 1913-14 when the competition was very much debased. Although
Arbroath were leading, the league was abandoned and not restarted until 1895
when it was reconstituted. 1908-09 was
the last season that the league had a strong membership as the following
season, six of its clubs helped to form the Central League. From then until
1920, the league became a secondary affair and an attempt at creating a new
stronger, North Eastern League in 1912 with some Border clubs failed when the
Eastern League was set up without the Forfarshire teams. The Northern League
closed down for the war, although it was briefly revived for a season in
1919. |
Champions |
|
1891-92 Dundee East End & Dundee Our Boys 1892-93 Arbroath 1893-94 unfinished 1894-95 not held 1895-96 Forfar Athletic 1896-97 Orion 1897-98 Victoria United 1898-99 Orion 1899-00 Dundee Wanderers 1900-01 Dundee 'A' 1901-02 Raith Rovers 1902-03 Dundee 'A' 1903-04 Montrose |
1904-05 Dundee 'A' 1905-06 Aberdeen 'A' 1906-07 Kirkcaldy United & Dundee 'A' 1907-08 Brechin City 1908-09 Dundee 'A' 1909-10 Dundee 'A' 1910-11 Aberdeen 'A' 1911-12 unfinished 1912-13 Brechin City 1913-14 unfinished 1914-15 Forfar Athletic 1919-20 Montrose |
Membership |
Seasons |
Came from |
Left for |
Aberdeen [1] Aberdeen [2] Aberdeen [2] 'A' Arbroath Arbroath Amateurs Brechin City Cowdenbeath Crieff Morrisonians Dundee 'A' Dundee East End Dundee Harp Dundee Hibernians Dundee Hibernians 'A' Dundee Our Boys Dundee Wanderers Dunfermline Athletic East Fife Fair City Athletic Forfar Athletic Hearts of Beath Johnstone Wanderers Kirkcaldy United Lochee United Lochgelly United Montrose Orion Raith Rovers St Johnstone Stenhousemuir Strathmore Victoria United |
1891-1903 1903-04 1904-1912, 1913-1915, 1919-20 1891-1909, 1910-11, 1912-1914, 1919-20 1912-1914, 1919-20 1906-1915, 1919-20 1901-1905 1913-14 1900-1915, 1919-20 1891-1993 1891-1994 1909-10 1910-1912, 1913-1915, 1919-20 1891-1893 1895-1910, 1911-12 1902-1909 1905-1909 1892-93, 1894-1896, 1900-01 1891-1915, 1919-20 1906-07, 1912-13 1892-1894 1904-1909 1895-1908 1902-1909, 1912-13 1891-1914, 1919-20 1894-1903 1901-02 1891-1894, 1901-1909 1913-14, 1919-20 1903-1905 1893-94 1892-1895, 1896-1903 |
merger Highland League Central League Central Combination |
merged Scottish League Highland League Scottish Alliance Central League Scottish Alliance Scottish League Scottish Alliance merged Scottish League merged Central League Central League Central League merged Central League Central League Central League Central League merged Scottish League Central League Scottish Combination merged
merged
|
Note:
The following mergers took place
Dundee East End and Dundee Our Boys merged as Dundee in 1893.
Aberdeen [1], Orion and Victoria United merged as Aberdeen [2] in
1903.
Johnstone Wanderers and Strathmore merged as Dundee Wanderers in
1894.
|
1891-92 |
P
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 |
Dundee
East End |
14 |
10 |
1 |
3 |
41 |
24 |
19 |
1 |
Dundee Our
Boys |
14 |
9 |
1 |
4 |
56 |
39 |
19 |
3 |
Montrose |
14 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
49 |
45 |
14 |
4 |
Dundee
Harp |
14 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
43 |
53 |
13 |
5 |
Arbroath |
14 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
43 |
44 |
12 |
6 |
Aberdeen |
14 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
39 |
61 |
12 |
7 |
Forfar
Athletic |
14 |
4 |
2 |
8 |
35 |
47 |
10 |
8 |
St
Johnstone |
14 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
41 |
41 |
9 |
*
Dundee East End and St Johnstone each had two points deducted for playing an
ineligible player
|
1892-93 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 |
Arbroath |
18 |
14 |
1 |
3 |
70 |
40 |
29 |
2 |
Dundee
East End |
18 |
13 |
2 |
3 |
61 |
31 |
28 |
3 |
Montrose |
18 |
10 |
2 |
6 |
80 |
48 |
22 |
4 |
Forfar
Athletic |
18 |
9 |
2 |
7 |
66 |
60 |
20 |
5 |
Dundee
Harp |
18 |
9 |
1 |
8 |
74 |
54 |
19 |
6 |
Aberdeen |
18 |
8 |
1 |
8 |
60 |
68 |
18 |
7 |
Johnstone
Wanderers |
18 |
6 |
4 |
8 |
51 |
62 |
16 |
8 |
Dundee Our
Boys |
18 |
7 |
1 |
10 |
61 |
72 |
15 |
9 |
St
Johnstone |
18 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
52 |
69 |
12 |
10 |
Fair City Athletic |
18 |
0 |
1 |
17 |
24 |
95 |
1 |
|
1893-94 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
Arbroath Forfar
Athletic Montrose Victoria
United Strathmore Johnstone
Wanderers St
Johnstone Aberdeen |
11 11 10 9 8 5 7 7 |
9 7 3 3 3 2 1 1 |
0 0 2 2 1 1 2 2 |
2 4 5 4 4 2 4 4 |
64 41 23 30 22 19 27 21 |
32 43 30 41 22 17 26 37 |
18 14 8 8 7 5 4 4 |
Table as on March 24 1894, the competition was not completed
Strathmore
and Johnstone Wanderers merged as Dundee Wanderers, competing in the Scottish League
in 1894-95
|
1894-95 |
|
The league
wasn't played this season because of a dispute carrying on from the previous
year. |
1895-96 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
Forfar
Athletic Arbroath Dundee
Wanderers Aberdeen Lochee
United Montrose Orion Fair City
Athletic |
14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 |
10 9 7 6 6 4 4 3 |
1 2 1 2 2 3 2 1 |
3 3 6 6 6 7 8 10 |
62 50 34 40 36 30 42 19 |
31 26 42 34 31 41 45 63 |
21 20 15 14 14 11 10 7 |
Second result between Lochee United and Aberdeen not known,
although Lochee were the winners.
1896-97 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
Orion Dundee
Wanderers Victoria
United Forfar
Athletic Arbroath Montrose Aberdeen Lochee
United |
14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 |
9 8 8 7 7 4 3 1 |
3 4 1 3 1 2 3 1 |
2 2 5 4 6 8 8 12 |
53 40 43 45 35 23 35 20 |
25 24 36 38 35 40 41 53 |
21 20 17 17 15 10 9 3 |
|
1897-98 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
Victoria
United Dundee
Wanderers Forfar
Athletic Arbroath Orion Montrose Aberdeen Lochee
United |
14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 |
8 7 5 6 5 5 4 5 |
3 4 5 2 2 2 3 1 |
3 3 4 6 7 7 7 8 |
33 33 34 45 40 26 34 22 |
27 30 34 32 41 28 35 30 |
19 18 15 14 12 12 11 10 |
|
1898-99 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 2 5 6 7 8 |
Orion Dundee
Wanderers Arbroath Forfar
Athletic Aberdeen Lochee
United Victoria
United Montrose |
14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 |
9 10 8 7 6 5 4 1 |
3 1 1 2 1 2 2 0 |
2 3 5 5 7 7 8 13 |
45 46 45 44 38 28 24 24 |
35 27 33 33 37 40 35 64 |
21 21 17 16 13 12 10 2 |
Championship play-off – Orion 1-0 Dundee Wanderers
1899-1900 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
Dundee
Wanderers Victoria
United Aberdeen Arbroath Forfar
Athletic Orion Lochee
United Montrose |
14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 |
9 7 7 6 6 4 5 2 |
0 3 2 3 2 5 4 1 |
5 4 5 5 5 5 5 11 |
42 37 36 40 50 33 30 29 |
37 33 30 32 47 34 26 58 |
18 17 16 15 14 13 10 5 |
Lochee United had a total of 4 points deducted. 2 for playing an unregistered
playercalled Bunce in a friendly with Dundee Wanderers. Two points were also
deducted for playing a league match against the Wanderers later in the season
than scheduled.
1899-1900
Results grid
|
Aberdeen |
Arbroath |
Forfar |
Lochee U |
Montrose |
Orion |
Victoria U |
Wanderers |
Aberdeen |
X |
3-2 |
|
4-2 |
3-2 |
2-2 |
2-3 |
6-1 |
Arbroath |
4-0 |
X |
6-2 |
0-0 |
|
4-0 |
1-1 |
|
Forfar |
1-3 |
|
X |
2-1 |
|
5-5 |
6-1 |
5-1 |
Lochee U |
|
1-3 |
1-1 |
X |
|
|
3-0 |
3-2 |
Montrose |
2-5 |
4-2 |
3-5 |
4-2 |
X |
1-1 |
2-4 |
1-4 |
Orion |
2-0 |
|
2-2 |
5-0 |
|
X |
3-3 |
2-3 |
Victoria |
2-1 |
4-3 |
1-2 |
2-2 |
6-2 |
4-1 |
X |
4-0 |
Wanderers |
|
4-2 |
7-4 |
|
|
|
4-1 |
X |
|
1900-01 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Dundee ‘A’ Orion Aberdeen Arbroath Victoria
United Dundee
Wanderers Forfar
Athletic Lochee
United Fair City
Athletic Montrose |
18 18 17 18 17 17 17 17 14 17 |
12 13 10 10 6 6 5 4 5 1 |
4 2 4 4 3 3 0 2 0 4 |
2 3 3 4 8 8 12 11 9 12 |
60 47 44 54 43 38 41 34 31 20 |
14 22 29 41 41 39 55 57 43 73 |
28 28 24 24 15 15 10 10 10 6 |
Championship
play-off – Dundee ‘A’ 3-0 Orion
1901-02 |
P
|
W |
D |
L |
F
|
A |
Pts |
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
Raith
Rovers Dundee ‘A’ Cowdenbeath Aberdeen St
Johnstone Forfar
Athletic Orion Arbroath Dundee
Wanderers Victoria
United Montrose Lochee
United |
22 22 22 22 19 22 22 21 22 19 21 22 |
14 13 13 12 10 8 7 9 7 7 4 4 |
3 5 3 3 3 7 7 2 3 3 1 0 |
5 4 6 7 6 7 8 10 12 9 16 18 |
53 51 51 52 40 48 41 44 29 38 33 26 |
26 26 27 36 33 51 50 41 30 48 70 68 |
31 31 29 27 23 23 21 20 17 17 9 8 |
Raith
Rovers beat
|
1902-03 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 |
Dundee ‘A’ Lochgelly
United Cowdenbeath Orion Arbroath Dunfermline
Athletic St
Johnstone Victoria
United Montrose Forfar
Athletic Dundee
Wanderers Aberdeen Lochee
United |
24 24 23 24 24 23 21 23 23 24 22 23 24 |
17 12 10 10 9 8 8 9 9 7 7 4 4 |
4 8 8 6 8 6 6 4 3 5 3 7 6 |
3 4 5 8 7 9 7 10 11 12 12 12 14 |
58 52 41 47 47 32 37 34 38 47 28 24 32 |
27 30 25 40 43 33 42 44 41 63 37 42 52 |
38 32 28 26 26 22 22 22 21 19 17 15 14 |
Seven clubs failed to fulfill their fixtures in this season.
1903-04 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
Montrose Arbroath Aberdeen Dundee
Wanderers Stenhousemuir Dundee ‘A’ Cowdenbeath St
Johnstone Lochgelly
United Dunfermline
Athletic Lochee
United Forfar
Athletic |
22 22 22 22 22 21 22 21 22 22 22 22 |
17 11 11 10 9 9 10 8 6 7 7 5 |
0 5 4 5 6 5 3 1 6 4 2 1 |
5 6 7 7 7 7 9 12 10 11 13 16 |
53 43 55 45 45 47 38 44 51 31 29 34 |
25 33 37 35 42 34 39 57 54 41 55 63 |
34 27 26 25 24 23 23 19 18 18 16 11 |
Dundee ‘A’ v
St Johnstone not played, with St Johnstone being awarded two points.
1904-05 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 |
Dundee ‘A’ Cowdenbeath Arbroath Dundee Wanderers Aberdeen
‘A’ Montrose Kirkcaldy
United Lochgelly
United Dunfermline
Athletic Stenhousemuir Lochee
United St
Johnstone Forfar
Athletic |
24 23 24 23 24 23 24 22 24 22 24 24 23 |
15 11 12 12 11 10 8 8 5 8 6 7 4 |
6 8 5 5 5 5 5 3 9 3 6 4 6 |
2 4 7 6 8 8 11 11 10 11 12 13 13 |
55 42 41 45 37 30 33 47 31 35 32 34 27 |
16 28 34 41 29 27 31 44 40 49 48 53 49 |
36 30 29 29 27 25 21 19 19 19 18 18 14 |
|
1905-06 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
Aberdeen
‘A’ Arbroath Dunfermline
Athletic Dundee ‘A’ East Fife Kirkcaldy
United Forfar
Athletic Montrose St
Johnstone Lochee
United Lochgelly
United Dundee
Wanderers |
22 22 21 22 22 22 21 21 22 21 20 20 |
13 13 11 10 8 7 6 7 7 6 5 1 |
5 4 5 7 7 8 8 5 2 4 5 8 |
4 5 5 5 7 7 7 9 13 11 10 11 |
50 52 40 46 41 32 34 33 39 25 26 15 |
28 24 29 30 36 27 36 41 48 43 49 43 |
31 30 29 27 23 22 20 19 16 16 15 10 |
Dundee
Wanderers v Montrose and Lochgelly Uniited were unplayed
|
1906-07 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1= 1= 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 |
Kirkcaldy
United Dundee ‘A’ Lochgelly
United St
Johnstone Dunfermline
Athletic Aberdeen
‘A’ Brechin
City Arbroath East Fife Lochee
United Dundee
Wanderers Forfar
Athletic Montrose Hearts of
Beath |
26 25 26 25 26 25 26 25 26 25 25 26 26 24 |
15 16 14 11 11 11 11 9 10 10 9 7 7 1 |
6 3 5 7 5 5 4 7 4 4 5 7 6 4 |
5 6 7 7 10 9 11 9 12 11 11 12 13 19 |
62 47 52 43 50 43 47 43 41 42 31 37 31 22 |
28 25 33 47 38 36 52 33 40 44 44 48 61 62 |
36 35 33 29 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 21 20 6 |
*
At the end of the season Dundee 'A' claimed that they had been unable to
complete their fixtures due to Hearts of Beath failing to turn up at Dens Park.
If, as seemed likely, Dundee 'A' had beaten Hearts of Beath then they would
have won the Championship (as they won their other outstanding fixture to lie
just one point behind Kirkcaldy). The league decided to deduct all points won
by both clubs against Hearts of Beath, which meant that both clubs finished
equal. A play off would then decide the championship but Kirkcaldy United
objected to this solution. At a special meeting of the Northern League at
Dundee on 13 July 1907 an appeal by Kirkcaldy United was heard and the League
came to the decision that the championship be held jointly by the two clubs.
Unplayed
games were
Hearts
of Beath v Dundee’A’
Dundee
Wanderers v St Johnstone
Hearts
of Beath v Arbroath
Aberdeen
‘A’ v Lochee United
|
1907-08 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 |
Brechin
City Lochgelly
United Arbroath St
Johnstone Dunfermline
Athletic Aberdeen
‘A’ Kirkcaldy
United Forfar
Athletic East Fife Dundee ‘A’ Montrose Lochee
United Dundee
Wanderers |
24 23 24 22 24 23 23 23 19 19 22 22 22 |
14 13 12 13 11 10 11 11 10 6 7 5 3 |
4 3 4 1 5 5 2 1 1 4 2 3 3 |
6 7 8 8 8 8 10 11 8 9 13 14 16 |
53 59 56 53 44 36 47 47 44 33 36 32 27 |
38 43 44 31 42 32 36 43 35 42 51 56 74 |
32 29 28 27 27 25 24 23 21 16 16 13 9 |
Unplayed
games were
Dundee
‘A’ v Kirkcaldy United
Dundee
‘A’ v Lochgelly United
Dundee
‘A’ v Montrose
Dundee
‘A’ v East Fife
Dundee
‘A’ v Lochee United
Lochee
United v East Fife
Forfar
Athletic v East Fife
Montrose
v East Fife
East
Fife v St Johnstone
Dundee
Wanderers v St Johnstone
Aberdeen
‘A’ v Dundee Wanderers
|
1908-09 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
Dundee ‘A’ St
Johnstone Dunfermline
Athletic Brechin
City Kirkcaldy
United Lochgelly
United Aberden
‘A’ Arbroath Dundee
Wanderers Forfar
Athletic East Fife Montrose |
21 21 21 19 20 18 20 20 21 11 16 20 |
13 12 13 7 8 8 7 7 3 5 3 5 |
5 4 1 8 5 4 5 3 10 5 5 1 |
3 5 7 4 7 6 8 10 8 11 8 14 |
51 37 31 26 41 31 26 38 31 25 19 20 |
21 24 26 19 34 28 35 43 39 42 25 40 |
31 28 27 22 21 20 19 17 16 15 11 11 |
|
1909-10 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
Dundee ‘A’ Brechin
City Dundee
Hibernian Montrose Forfar
Athletic Dundee
Wanderers Aberdeen
‘A’ |
8 11 11 10 12 9 7 |
7 6 4 3 3 1 2 |
0 1 3 3 3 5 1 |
1 4 4 4 6 3 4 |
25 21 19 14 18 9 12 |
7 18 19 15 27 15 17 |
14 13 11 9 9 7 5 |
|
1910-11 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
Aberdeen
‘A’ Brechin
City Dundee ‘A’ Forfar
Athletic Montrose Arbroath Dundee
Hibernian ‘A’ |
12 10 11 12 11 8 8 |
7 5 5 4 3 2 2 |
3 2 1 3 2 3 2 |
2 3 5 5 6 3 4 |
26 19 31 14 11 13 6 |
14 15 21 22 25 13 10 |
17 12 11 11 8 7 6 |
Unplayed games were
Arbroath v Brechin City
Arbroath v Dundee Hibernian ‘A’
Brechin City v Dundee Hibernian ‘A’
Dundee ‘A’ v Arbroath
Dundee Hibernian ‘A’ v Arbroath
Montrose v Dundee Hibernian ‘A’
|
1911-12 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
Dundee ‘A’ Aberdeen
‘A’ Forfar
Athletic Montrose Brechin
City Dundee
Wanderers Dundee
Hibernian ‘A’ |
9 6 7 9 10 8 5 |
8 5 4 3 2 1 0 |
0 0 2 2 3 0 1 |
1 1 1 4 5 7 4 |
31 13 15 9 10 3 3 |
8 3 9 16 15 24 9 |
16 10 10 8 7 2 1 |
Competition incomplete
1912-13 |
Brechin City
Arbroath Arbroath
Amateurs Dundee 'A' Forfar
Athletic Hearts of
Beath Lochgelly
United Montrose |
|
1913-14 |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Dundee ‘A’ Aberdeen
‘A’ Montrose Brechin
City Crieff
Morrisonians Forfar
Athletic Arbroath Dundee
Hibernian ‘A’ St
Johnstone Arbroath
Amateurs |
12 11 14 14 9 6 5 6 4 7 |
8 5 5 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 |
0 3 1 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 |
4 3 8 8 3 2 2 3 2 5 |
29 34 20 25 20 10 11 7 11 8 |
17 24 22 42 17 5 8 7 8 25 |
16 13 11 10 9 7 6 6 4 4 |
Competition incomplete
1914-15 |
|
1919-20 |
Forfar Athletic
Aberdeen
‘A’ Brechin
City Dundee 'A' Dundee
Hibernian ‘A’ |
|
Montrose
Aberdeen
‘A’ Arbroath Arbroath
Amateurs Brechin
City Dundee 'A' Dundee Hibernian
‘A’ Forfar
Athletic St
Johnstone |
Sources for tables : Stewart Davidson, Jim Corstorphine,
Dave Beattie, Arbroath historical site,
Scottish Football Historian magazine .