The Highland Football League Trivia Quiz

Answer: August 1893

The Highland Football League was established on August 4, 1893 at the Inverness Workman's Club. The League originally had eight member teams, which became seven when Ross County resigned from the league in November 1893. At the time, teams were primarily based around the Inverness region, although the league would soon expand throughout the Highlands as transport networks improved.

Answer: Inverness Caledonian Thistle

When the Highland League was first established, all seven teams were based in or around Inverness - those being Inverness Thistle, Clachnacuddin, Caledonian, Inverness Union, Inverness Citadel, Forres Mechanics and the Cameron Highlanders. Inverness Caledonian Thistle were not established until 1994 when Inverness Thistle and Caledonian FC were elected into the Scottish Football League and joined together to become Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Answer: Aberdeen

Inverness Thistle were the first winners of the Highland League in 1893/94 and later Clachnacuddin, Inverness Thistle and Caledonian also tasted success before Aberdeen 'A' - the reserve side of the Aberdeen team playing in Division One in the Scottish Football League - won the Highland League in 1912/13.

Answer: Buckie Thistle

Buckie Thistle were the first team to be accepted into the Highland Football League, joining in time for the 1909/10 football season, and within three seasons were runners-up in the league, losing by one point to Caledonian FC. Buckie Thistle would win their first league title when the Highland League resumed after World War One in 1919/20, and there was further success during the decade with successive titles in 1926/27 and 1927/28.

Answer: 8

8 teams would win the Highland League between the two wars:
Buckie Thistle 5 - 1919/20, 1926/27, 1927/28, 1933/34, 1936/37
Clachnacuddin 5 - 1920/21, 1921/22, 1922/23, 1923/24, 1938/39
Caledonian 2 - 1925/26, 1930/31
Inverness Thistle 2 - 1928/29, 1935/36
Elgin City 2 - 1931/32, 1934/35
Fraserburgh 2 - 1932/33, 1937/38
Huntly 1 - 1929/30
Aberdeen 'A' 1 - 1924/25
The period between the World Wars also saw the Highland League grow in numbers, from an average of 8 pre-war to an average of between 12 to 14 teams taking part.

Answer: Peterhead

Formed in 1891, Peterhead joined the Highland League in 1931 and enjoyed moderate success. However, at the resumption of the League after World War Two, the Highland League trophy headed east as Peterhead beat Huntly to the title by two points at the end of the 1946/47 season, and quickly added two more titles in 1948/49 and 1949/50.

Answer: 1985/86

Forres Mechanics had to wait 93 years until finally winning the Highland League title and so far it is their only League title. However, Forres Mechanics have had better luck in cup competitions, for example winning the Highland League Cup in 1946/47, 1954/55, 1984/85, 1998/99, 2000/01, and 2001/02.

Answer: 7

Seven times in 107 seasons of Highland League football did the title have to be decided in a playoff:
1895/96 - Caledonian beat Inverness Thistle 1-0 in a playoff after both teams finished the season level on 15 points after 10 games.
1904/05 - Clachnacuddin won the title by forfeit after the Black Watch (a team playing in the Highland League in 1904/05 and 1926-29) refused to field a team for the playoff.
1955/56 - Elgin City beat Buckie Thistle 3-2 in the playoff after both teams finished level on 45 points after 28 games.
1958/59 - Rothes beat Fraserburgh 1-0 in the playoff after both teams finished level on 41 points after 28 games.
1960/61 - Elgin City beat Keith 3-1 in the playoff after both teams finished level on 44 points after 28 games.
1972/73 - Inverness Thistle beat Ross County 2-1 in the playoff after both teams finished level on 47 points after 30 games.
1975/76 - Nairn County beat Fraserburgh 2-1 after extra time in the playoff after both teams finished level on 44 points after 30 games.
1975/76 was the final year the end of year playoff was held if teams were level at the end of the season. After this, the championship was awarded on countback on victories in the season to number of losses.

Answer: Caledonian

Caledonian FC won 15 Highland League titles from the 1900/01 season to the end of the 1999/00 season. Their first came in 1901/02, followed by further successes in 1910/11, 1913/14, 1925/26, 1930/31, 1950/51, 1951/52, 1963/64, 1970/71, 1976/77, 1977/78, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84 and their last before departing for the Scottish Football League was in 1987/88. Elgin City and Clachnacuddin both have 14 Highland League titles each, Clachnacuddin winning the first of the new century in 1900/01. Elgin City should have had 15 along with Caledonian, but the title they won in 1992/93 was withheld by the Highland League association and no champion was recorded for that season. Buckie Thistle have won 8 Highland League titles during that time, while Inverness Thistle won 7 Highland League titles before their merger with Caledonian in 1994. Peterhead, who won 5 Highland League titles before their move into the Scottish Football League, won the final Highland League title of the 20th Century, beating Huntly by four points to take the title at the end of the 1998/99 season.

Answer: 2002

Invervurie are one of the newest teams in the Highland Football League having been elected to the league in 2002 after the departure of Peterhead and Elgin City. The team were immediately successful, finishing runners-up in the league in 2004/05 and 2005/06.