The 2018–19 East of Scotland Football League (known as the Central Taxis East of Scotland League for sponsorship reasons) was the 90th season of the East of Scotland Football League, and the 5th season as the sixth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system. The season began on 11 August 2018 and ended on 18 May 2019. Kelty Hearts were the reigning champions but could not defend their title after being promoted to the Lowland Football League.
The league saw an increase from 13 to 39 teams and was split into three parallel conferences, each containing 13 teams. The additional teams consisted of 24 clubs who applied to switch from the SJFA East Region, one from the SJFA West Region, one new team and Hawick Royal Albert who were relegated from the Lowland League.
The winners of each conference took part in a round-robin competition at the end of the season, with Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic being crowned league champions on 4 May 2019 after winning both their championship play-off matches. They later clinched promotion to the Lowland League after gaining their SFA licence on 14 June 2019.
The top five clubs in each conference, and best 6th-placed, formed the new 16-team Premier Division for the 2019–20 season.
Teams The following teams changed division after the 2017–18 season.
To East of Scotland Football League Relegated from Lowland Football League Hawick Royal Albert Transferred from East Superleague Bo'ness United Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Broxburn Athletic Camelon Juniors Dundonald Bluebell Hill of Beath Hawthorn Jeanfield Swifts Linlithgow Rose Newtongrange Star Penicuik Athletic Sauchie Juniors Transferred from East Premier League Arniston Rangers Blackburn United Dalkeith Thistle Dunbar United Haddington Athletic Musselburgh Athletic St Andrews United Tranent Juniors Transferred from East South Division Craigroyston Crossgates Primrose Easthouses Lily MW Edinburgh United Oakley United Transferred from West Central District Second Division Dunipace
Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts also joined having previously played in the Fife Amateur Football League.
From East of Scotland Football League Promoted to Lowland League Kelty Hearts
Conference A
Teams and locations
Team Location Home groundCapacitySeats FloodlitArniston RangersGorebridge Newbyres ParkArniston Rangers, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 3,000 0 No Coldstream Coldstream Home ParkColdstream, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 NoDunbar UnitedDunbar New Countess ParkDunbar United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,500 0 YesEasthouses Lily MWEasthouses Newbattle ComplexEasthouses Lily MW, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,500 100 Yes Hawick Royal Albert Hawick Albert ParkHawick Royal Albert, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,000 500 YesHill of Beath Hawthorn Hill of Beath Keirs ParkHill of Beath Hawthorn, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 Yes Leith Athletic Edinburgh Peffermill 3GLeith Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 500 0 YesMusselburgh Athletic Musselburgh Olivebank StadiumMusselburgh Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,500 0 NoNewtongrange Star Newtongrange New Victoria ParkNewtongrange Star, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,300 30 YesOakley United Oakley Blairwood ParkOakley United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 No Peebles Rovers Peebles Whitestone ParkPeebles Rovers, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,250 250 NoPenicuik AthleticPenicuik Penicuik ParkPenicuik Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 Yes Tweedmouth Rangers Berwick-upon-Tweed Old ShielfieldTweedmouth Rangers, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 No
League table
Results
Conference B
Teams and locations
Team Location Home groundCapacitySeats FloodlitBo'ness UnitedBo'ness Newtown ParkBo'ness United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,500 0 NoBonnyrigg Rose Athletic Bonnyrigg New Dundas ParkBonnyrigg Rose Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,200 0 No Burntisland Shipyard Burntisland Recreation ParkBurntisland Shipyard, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 NoCrossgates Primrose Crossgates Humbug ParkCrossgates Primrose, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 NoDalkeith Thistle Dalkeith King's ParkDalkeith Thistle, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 YesDundonald BluebellCardenden Moorside ParkDundonald Bluebell, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 NoDunipace Denny Westfield ParkDunipace, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,500 0 Yes Eyemouth United Eyemouth Warner ParkEyemouth United , nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 500 0 NoHaddington AthleticHaddingtonMillfield ParkHaddington Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,500 0 No Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale Edinburgh Saughton Sports ComplexLothian Thistle Hutchison Vale , nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 Yes Sauchie Juniors Sauchie Beechwood ParkSauchie Juniors, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 5,000 200 YesTranent Juniors Tranent Foresters ParkTranent, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,300 44 No Tynecastle Edinburgh Meggetland StadiumTynecastle, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 4,388 500 Yes
League table
Results
Conference C
Teams and locations
Team Location Home groundCapacitySeats FloodlitBlackburn UnitedBlackburn New Murrayfield ParkBlackburn United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,500 0 YesBroxburn Athletic Broxburn Albyn ParkBroxburn Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,000 0 YesCamelon JuniorsCamelon Carmuirs ParkCamelon , nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 NoCraigroyston Edinburgh St Mark’s ParkCraigroyston, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 25 May 2018. 2,000 0 NoEdinburgh United Edinburgh Paties Road StadiumEdinburgh United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,500 200 No Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Riccarton CampusHeriot-Watt Uni, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 200 0 YesInverkeithing Hillfield Swifts Inverkeithing Ballast BankInverkeithing Hillfield Swifts, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 7 July 2018. 1,000 0 No Jeanfield Swifts Perth Riverside StadiumJeanfield Swifts, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 1,000 0 NoLinlithgow Rose Linlithgow PrestonfieldLinlithgow Rose, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,264 301 Yes Ormiston Ormiston Recreation ParkOrmiston, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 2,000 0 No Preston Athletic Prestonpans Pennypit ParkPreston Athletic, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,500 313 YesSt Andrews United St Andrews Recreation ParkSt Andrews United, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 8 June 2018. 2,000 0 No Stirling University Reserves Stirling Gannochy Sports CentreStirling University Reserves , nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 July 2017. 1,000 0 Yes
League table
Results
Championship play-off At the end of the season, the three conference winners took part in a three match round-robin competition to determine the league champion, and subject to meeting the required licensing criteria, promotion to the Lowland League. Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic were crowned champions after winning both of their matches, and later gained promotion having eventually received their SFA licence on 14 June 2019.
Notes Club has an SFA Licence (as of March 2019) and are eligible for promotion to the Lowland League should they win the championship play-off.
References