Jump to content

2023–24 Highland Football League

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Breedon Highland League
Season2023–24
Dates29 July 2023 – 27 April 2024
ChampionsBuckie Thistle
Matches played306
Goals scored1,124 (3.67 per match)
Biggest home winFraserburgh 11–0 Strathspey Thistle
(20 April 2024)
Biggest away winStrathspey Thistle 1–10 Brora Rangers
(6 March 2024)
Highest scoring
  • Strathspey Thistle 1–10 Brora Rangers
    (6 March 2024)
  • Fraserburgh 11–0 Strathspey Thistle
    (20 April 2024)
Longest winning run10 matches:
Brechin City & Fraserburgh
Longest unbeaten run19 matches:
Banks o' Dee
Longest winless run16 matches:
Clachnacuddin & Strathspey Thistle
Longest losing run14 matches:
Strathspey Thistle
All statistics correct as of 27 April 2024.

The 2023–24 Highland Football League (known as the Breedon Highland League for sponsorship reasons) was the 121st season of the Highland Football League, and the 10th season as part of the fifth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system. Brechin City were the reigning champions, and were one of three teams that could have won the title in the final round of games, along with Buckie Thistle and Fraserburgh.

Buckie Thistle's 1–0 win – a sixth consecutive win to finish the season – over Keith gave them their 12th Highland League title on goal difference from Brechin City,[1] with Fraserburgh three points behind in third, having won their last ten games. However, Buckie Thistle were not eligible for the pyramid play-off as they did not hold a bronze-level club licence.[2]

Teams

[edit]
class=notpageimage|
Location of teams in 2023-24 Highland Football League

Stadia and locations

[edit]

All grounds are equipped with floodlights as required by league regulations.

Team Location Stadium Capacity Seats
Banks o' Dee Aberdeen Spain Park 876 122
Brechin City Brechin Glebe Park 4,083 1,519
Brora Rangers Brora Dudgeon Park 2,000 250
Buckie Thistle Buckie Victoria Park 3,000 400
Clachnacuddin Inverness Grant Street Park 2,074 154
Deveronvale Banff Princess Royal Park 2,651 360
Formartine United Pitmedden North Lodge Park 1,800 300
Forres Mechanics Forres Mosset Park 2,700 502
Fraserburgh Fraserburgh Bellslea Park 1,865 480
Huntly Huntly Christie Park 2,200 270
Inverurie Loco Works Inverurie Harlaw Park 2,500 250
Keith Keith Kynoch Park 2,362 370
Lossiemouth Lossiemouth Grant Park 2,050 250
Nairn County Nairn Station Park 2,250 250
Rothes Rothes Mackessack Park 1,731 167
Strathspey Thistle Grantown-on-Spey Seafield Park 1,600 150
Turriff United Turriff The Haughs 2,135 135
Wick Academy Wick Harmsworth Park 2,412 300

League table

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Buckie Thistle (C) 34 26 3 5 98 34 +64 81 Ineligible for the Pyramid play-off
2 Brechin City 34 26 3 5 90 28 +62 81
3 Fraserburgh 34 25 3 6 102 37 +65 78
4 Banks o' Dee 34 21 9 4 87 33 +54 72
5 Formartine United 34 22 6 6 87 43 +44 72
6 Brora Rangers 34 17 8 9 64 46 +18 59
7 Huntly 34 16 6 12 81 61 +20 54
8 Nairn County 34 16 5 13 59 58 +1 53
9 Turriff United 34 15 3 16 75 63 +12 48
10 Inverurie Loco Works 34 13 5 16 52 58 −6 44
11 Rothes 34 10 7 17 47 71 −24 37
12 Wick Academy 34 10 6 18 49 70 −21 36
13 Keith 34 9 6 19 35 61 −26 33
14 Forres Mechanics 34 7 9 18 37 64 −27 30
15 Lossiemouth 34 7 8 19 36 66 −30 29
16 Deveronvale 34 5 10 19 43 91 −48 25
17 Clachnacuddin 34 5 8 21 47 89 −42 23
18 Strathspey Thistle 34 3 1 30 35 151 −116 10
Source: [3][4][5]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions

Results

[edit]
Home \ Away BAN BRE BRO BUC CLA DEV FOU FOM FRA HUN INV KEI LOS NAI RTH STR TUR WIC
Banks o' Dee 0–1 2–2 2–0 2–2 4–1 2–1 4–0 2–0 2–1 3–0 2–0 1–1 3–0 4–0 4–1 3–2 4–0
Brechin City 0–0 2–1 2–3 6–0 5–1 1–0 6–1 0–1 5–0 2–1 3–1 2–0 2–0 3–1 5–0 5–1 3–1
Brora Rangers 1–2 1–2[a] 1–5 1–0 3–3[b] 1–4 3–2 1–2 3–0 1–1 4–1[c] 3–2[d] 2–1 1–0 3–1 4–2[e] 1–0[f]
Buckie Thistle 2–1 2–1 2–0[g] 2–3 6–1 2–0 3–1 1–0[h] 3–0 1–1 1–0 3–0 6–0 3–1[i] 6–1 4–0 5–2
Clachnacuddin 1–0 0–2 0–2 2–3 2–2 0–5 1–4 2–6 2–4 2–4 3–1 2–0 0–1 0–1 4–4 1–5 8–0
Deveronvale 3–3 0–4 0–3 0–0 0–0 0–3 1–1 2–4 0–6 2–1 1–0 3–1 1–3 2–2 0–3 0–1 0–0
Formartine United 1–4 4–3 3–3 1–1 3–0 5–0 2–0 2–2 2–1 1–1 6–2 2–2 5–1 6–1 4–0 2–4 3–1
Forres Mechanics 2–2 1–1 0–1 1–8 1–1 0–2 0–4 1–2 2–2 0–1 2–1 1–1 0–0 0–1 2–1 1–0 3–1
Fraserburgh 2–1 4–2 2–0 1–3 2–2 3–2 1–2 2–1 6–0 4–2 3–0 3–1 3–0 5–0 11–0 3–0 3–0
Huntly 1–3 2–2 1–0 2–3 8–0 5–1 0–1 3–0 4–1 1–2 1–1 2–1 0–0 4–4 7–0 4–2 2–1
Inverurie Loco Works 0–2 0–2 2–2 0–2 1–0 3–0 1–2 1–0 0–7 2–3 1–2 1–1 6–0 0–1 5–0 1–4 3–1
Keith 1–3 0–1 0–1 0–3 1–1 3–2 2–3 1–1 2–2 1–0 1–2 1–0 1–1 2–1 3–1 1–0 0–4
Lossiemouth 1–6 0–3 1–1 2–1 5–3 3–3 1–2 0–3 0–1 1–3 0–1 1–0 1–4 3–1 2–1 0–0 1–0
Nairn County 3–3 0–1 0–1 3–0 1–1 4–2 0–2 2–1 0–3 2–4 4–0 3–2 5–1 0–2 4–1 2–1 2–0
Rothes 2–2 0–2 0–1 1–3 3–2 2–1 2–2 1–1 0–3 1–4 1–4 0–0 1–0 0–3 8–2 1–3 3–0
Strathspey Thistle 0–6 1–6 1–10 0–7 2–1 5–2 0–1 0–2 1–5 1–4 0–2 1–2 0–3 0–4 2–4 1–8 1–6
Turriff United 0–4 0–3 2–2 1–3 4–1 1–3 1–2 2–0 3–2 4–0 4–1 1–2 0–0 1–3 3–1 7–1 3–1
Wick Academy 1–1 1–2 0–0 3–1 3–0 2–2 3–1 3–2 0–3 2–2 2–1 2–0 3–0 2–3 0–0 3–2 1–5
Source: [14][15]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
  1. ^ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie.[6]
  2. ^ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie, due to an unplayable pitch at Dudgeon Park.[7]
  3. ^ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie, due to an unplayable pitch at Dudgeon Park.[8]
  4. ^ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie.[9]
  5. ^ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie.[10]
  6. ^ Match played at King George V Park, Golspie.[11]
  7. ^ Match played at Grant Park, Lossiemouth, due to an unplayable pitch at Victoria Park.[12]
  8. ^ Match played at Grant Park, Lossiemouth.[13]
  9. ^ Match played at Princess Royal Park, Banff.[13]

Highland League play-off

[edit]

Subject to the tier 6 champion clubs meeting the required licensing criteria for promotion,[16][17] a play-off was scheduled to take place between the winners of the 2023–24 Midlands Football League, 2023–24 North Caledonian Football League and the 2023–24 North Region Junior Football League, with the winners then playing Strathspey Thistle, who finished bottom of the Highland League. However, none of the tier 6 champions had the required SFA licence and as such there was no promotion to, or relegation from, the Highland League.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Clark, Jonny (20 April 2024). "Buckie Thistle are 2023-24 Highland League champions after narrow win over Keith at Victoria Park". The Northern Scot. Highland News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Scottish FA Statement: Pyramid Play-Off Tie". Scottish Football Association. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Highland League Table". BBC. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Highland Football League, Scotland - League Table". Highland Football League. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Summary - Football League". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  6. ^ Mew, Steven (18 April 2024). "Match Preview | Brora Rangers v Brechin City". Brechin City F.C. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  7. ^ Clark, Will (3 April 2024). "Venue changed for Brora Rangers clash with Deveronvale tonight". The Northern Times. Highland News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  8. ^ Law, Callum (26 January 2024). "Brora Rangers v Keith in Highland League switched to Golspie". The Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  9. ^ Clark, Will (21 February 2024). "Brora Rangers announce change of venue eight hours before kick-off for Highland League match with Golspie [sic]". The Northern Times. Highland News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  10. ^ Law, Callum (26 April 2024). "Highland League preview: Brora legends bow out against Turriff; Keith and Wick battle for 12th and Clach make new signings". The Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals. Retrieved 27 April 2024. Player-manager Ally MacDonald, goalkeeper Joe Malin, midfielder Dale Gillespie and attacker Paul Brindle are all leaving the Cattachs following the fixture at King George V Park in Golspie.
  11. ^ Chalk, Paul (24 April 2024). "Brora Rangers edge past Wick Academy to seal sixth spot in Highland League". The Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals. Retrieved 24 April 2024. The Cattachs, playing their final few games in Golspie due to a troublesome Dudgeon Park [...]
  12. ^ Christie, Craig (10 April 2024). "Buckie Thistle switch crucial Highland League clash to Lossiemouth's Grant Park while Brechin City await verdict on Keith's Kynoch Park surface". The Northern Scot. Highland News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  13. ^ a b Clark, Jonathan (8 February 2024). "Buckie Thistle to play home matches at Deveronvale's Princess Royal Park and Lossiemouth's Grant Park". The Northern Scot. Highland News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Highland League Results". Highland Football League. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Highland League 2023/24 fixtures revealed". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  16. ^ Chalk, Paul. "George Manson takes over top Highland League role at AGM". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  17. ^ Fraser, Alasdair. "Relegation dawns for Highland League clubs as tier six north set for next season". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2023–24_Highland_Football_League&oldid=1235153157"