Scottish Junior Football East Region Premier League
| Country |
 Scotland |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| Number of teams | 15 |
| Promotion to | East Superleague |
| Relegation to |
East Region North Division or East Region South Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | Scottish Junior Cup |
| Current champions |
Jeanfield Swifts (2015–16) |
| Website | East Region SJFA |
The Scottish Junior Football East Region Premier League, also known as the McBookie.com East Premier League for sponsorship purposes, is the second-highest division of the East Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association. As of the 2006–07 season, the East Super League is the highest tier, with the Premier division feeding down into North, Central and South divisions. From 2013–14, the Premier League was expanded to sixteen clubs and will be fed by two expanded North and South divisions.[1]
Member clubs for the 2016–17 season
Falkirk Juniors folded on 8 August 2016 without playing a league fixture. The club finished 10th in last seasons Premier League. The division will continue with fifteen clubs.[2]
| Club | Location | Home Ground | Finishing position 2015–16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armadale Thistle | Armadale | Volunteer Park | 13th |
| Arniston Rangers | Gorebridge | Newbyres Park | 4th |
| Bathgate Thistle | Bathgate | Creamery Park | 6th |
| Dalkeith Thistle | Dalkeith | King's Park | 7th |
| Downfield | Dundee | Downfield Park | North Division, 1st (promoted) |
| Dundee Violet | Dundee | Glenesk Park | 12th |
| Forfar West End | Forfar | Strathmore Park | 8th |
| Glenrothes | Glenrothes | Warout Stadium | North Division, 2nd (promoted) |
| Haddington Athletic | Haddington | Millfield Park | 5th |
| Kennoway Star Hearts | Star | Treaton Park | 9th |
| Sauchie Juniors | Sauchie | Beechwood Park | Superleague, 14th (relegated) |
| St Andrews United | St Andrews | Recreation Park | Superleague, 15th (relegated) |
| Tayport | Tayport | Canniepairt | Superleague, 16th (relegated) |
| Tranent Juniors | Tranent | Foresters Park | South Division, 1st (promoted) |
| Whitburn Junior | Whitburn | Central Park | South Division, 2nd (promoted) |
2006–07
Glenrothes won the 2006–07 championship and were promoted to the Super League. Kelty Hearts were also promoted as runners-up. They will be replaced by Kinnoull and Bo'ness United, who lost their top-flight status.
Scone Thistle and St Andrews United were relegated to the Central Division while Lochee Harp were relegated to the North Division (The destination league for relegated teams being decided by geography). They will be replaced by Forfar West End (North Division champions), Dundonald Bluebell (Central Division champions) and Newtongrange Star (South Division champions).
2007–08
Bo'ness United won the 2007–08 championship and were promoted to the Super League. Forfar West End were also promoted as runners-up. They will be replaced by Carnoustie Panmure and Oakley United, who lost their top-flight status.
Montrose Roselea were relegated to the North Division, Armadale Thistle were relegated to the South Division, while Rosyth were relegated to the Central Division. They will be replaced by Blairgowrie (North Division champions), Ballingry (Central Division champions) and Fauldhouse United (South Division champions).
2008–09
Musselburgh Athletic won the 2008–09 championship and were promoted to the Super League. Newtongrange Star were also promoted as runners-up. They will be replaced by Forfar West End and Tayport, who lost their top-flight status.
Dundee North End were relegated to the North Division, while Dundonald Bluebell and Oakley United were relegated to the Central Division. They will be replaced by Montrose Roselea (North Division champions), St Andrews United (Central Division champions) and Armadale Thistle (South Division champions). Two teams were relegated to the Central division to allow for an even number of teams to compete in that division - 14 in season 2009–10 instead of the 13 teams in season 2008–09.
2009–10
Tayport won the 2009–10 championship and were promoted to the Super League. Forfar West End were also promoted as runners-up. They will be replaced by Glenrothes and Whitburn, who lost their top-flight status.
Blairgowrie and Montrose Roselea were relegated to the North Division, while Fauldhouse United were relegated to the South Division. No teams were relegated to the Central Division. They will be replaced by the three Divisional champions, Broughty Athletic (North), Thornton Hibs (Central) and Broxburn Athletic (South).
2010–11
St Andrews United won the 2010–11 championship and were promoted to the Super League. Carnoustie Panmure were also promoted as runners-up. They will be replaced by the relegated Tayport and Newtongrange Star.
Kinnoull and Thornton Hibernian were relegated to the Central Division, while Whitburn were relegated to the South Division. No teams were relegated to the North Division. They will be replaced by the three Divisional champions, Downfield (North), Oakley United (Central) and Sauchie (South).
2011–12
Sauchie won the 2011–12 championship and were promoted to the Superleague. Broxburn Athletic were also promoted as runners-up. Owing to the withdrawal of Forfar West End from the Superleague, only one club, Bathgate Thistle, was relegated from that division.
A knock on effect was that only two clubs were relegated from the Premier League to balance numbers, with Downfield relegated to the North Division, and Arniston Rangers relegated to the South Division. The three Divisional champions stepping up are, Dundee Violet (North), Jeanfield Swifts (Central) and Dalkeith Thistle (South).
2012–13
As a result of East Region league reconstruction, four promotion places were offered to the East Superleague with no relegation to the leagues below. Newtongrange Star won the championship and were promoted along with Ballingry Rovers, Tayport and Armadale Thistle. Eight clubs joined the league from the three regional divisions.
2013–14
With the newly reconstructed leagues in action for the first time, it was the only ever-present Premier League club Penicuik Athletic who won the championship with a 2–1 win victory over runners-up Fauldhouse United. They were replaced by the relegated Tayport and St Andrews United. Third placed Dalkeith Thistle lost to Superleague side Kelty Hearts in the first East Region Super/Premier League play-off. Kirkcaldy YM, Livingston United, Kirriemuir Thistle and Pumpherston were relegated to the East Regional divisions.
2014–15
At the end of the second 16-team season, Tayport and St Andrews United both secured immediate returns to the East Superleague as champions and runners-up respectively. Following the demise of Ballingry, only one Superleague team, Lochee United, were automatically relegated to the Premier. Broughty Athletic, third-place finishers, overcame Armadale Thistle in the Superleague play-off matches to also earn promotion.
At the bottom, just three teams were relegated – all to the North Division – Glenrothes, Dundee North End and Kinnoull. Joining the Premier League for the 2015–16 season were the champions and runners-up from the two District Leagues; Haddington Athletic and Falkirk JFC from the South Division together with Thornton Hibs and Kennoway Star Hearts from the North Division
2015–16
Jeanfield Swifts will play in the Superleague for the first time for the 2016–17 campaign after winning the championship. They finished six points ahead of Dundonald Bluebell and nine ahead of play-off victors Lochee United, who will both join Swifts in the top flight.
The three teams relegated to the North or South divisions were Thornton Hibs (after one season in the Premier), Edinburgh United and Oakley United. Armadale Thistle were spared demotion due to Montrose Roselea's switch to the North Region.
Dropping down from the Superleague are Tayport, St Andrews United (both relegated after one season in the top division) and Sauchie Juniors. The four teams promoted from the regional divisions are Downfield and Glenrothes (North); Tranent and Whitburn (South).
References
- ↑ "Junior Football – PA Friday June 22". Perthshire Advertiser. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "FALKIRK JUNIORS - 8/8/16". ersjfa.net. Scottish Junior Football Association, East Region. 8 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.