The West Highland Amateur Football Association (WHAFA) is a football association for amateur clubs in Skye, Lochalsh and Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands. The association is affiliated to the Scottish Amateur Football Association. Member clubs take part in a summer league as well as a number of domestic cups and the Highland Amateur Cup.[1] Currently, the association is composed of a single division of seven clubs, although numbers of clubs and divisions have varied over the years.
| Founded | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Country | Scotland |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Divisions | 1 |
| Number of teams | 7 |
| Level on pyramid | N/A |
| Domestic cup(s) | GF MacRae Cup, Ross Cup, Ewen MacRae Cup, Clan Donald Cup |
| Current champions | Sleat & Strath (2024) |
| Website | Official Website |
Between 2005 and 2022, the association was known as the Skye and Lochalsh AFA. It reverted to its former name of West Highland AFA at the 2023 AGM to reflect on the widening catchment area of the league with the inclusions of Mallaig in 2018 and Fort William Reserves in 2023.[2]
2024 member clubs
editThe following clubs are current members of the association and take part in affiliated competitions.[3]
- Fort William Reserve (established 2023)
- Kyleakin (established pre-1930)[4]
- Mallaig (joined 2018)[5]
- Portree (established 1934)
- Portree Juniors (established 2000)[6]
- North West Skye (established 2015)[7]
- Sleat & Strath (established 1972)
History
editThe West Highland Association was formed with the aim of bringing about the amalgamation of the Wester Ross and Skye leagues. On Thursday 9 May 1985, following a series of discussions involving representatives of the associations and consultations with the clubs involved, a meeting held in Kyle gave the go-ahead to a steering committee to formulate a draft constitution and rules for the West Highland Amateur Football Asosociation.[8] The first competitions were held in 1986, with the twelve original member clubs split in two divisions.[9] The number of teams entering varied from season to season, but the format was unchanged until 2001 and the decision to then adopt a single league. The switch was unanimously supported at the pre-season AGM.[10]
Although Portree United were the first to have a stronghold on the league, winning the first four editions, Portree AFC enjoyed a remarkable and unique period of dominance in the late 1990s and 2000s, winning eleven league titles in a row between 1997 and 2007. [11] Since 2010, Sleat & Strath have been the most successful team in the area with seven league wins as well as numerous cup successes.
In 2018, Mallaig, became the first team from Lochaber to join the association, and they have since become a major challenger for local honours. [5]
The introduction of Fort William Reserves in 2023, making them the second side from Lochaber to join, led the association to revert to the West Highland AFA name which had been dropped in 2005 for Skye and Lochalsh AFA.[12] These changes are reflections on the ever changing landscapes of clubs involved in the association. Many member clubs based in Skye and Lochalsh have folded or merged in recent years including the likes of: Bernisdale, Dunvegan, Glenelg, Plockton, Portree United, Staffin, Struan. Historically, some teams from the Wester Ross area have also been affiliated to the league, Gairloch/Aultbea United being the most recent example. [13]
Kyle FC pulled out of competitions following the 2024 AGM, putting an end to several decades of continuous participation in the local league and cups.[14] For the first time ever, there are no Lochalsh representative in the West Highland League.
Competitions
edit- League - The summer competition runs from April to September.
- GF MacRae Cup - All teams in the association take part in this cup.
- Ross Cup - All teams in the association take part in this cup.
- Ewen MacRae Cup - Teams finishing in the top half of the league table meet in this end of season competition.
- Clan Donald Cup - Introduced in 2007. Teams finishing in the bottom half of the league table meet in this end of season competition.[15]
- Highland Amateur Cup - A competition between clubs from participating Highland Associations including West Highland teams who choose to enter. Portree's run to the final in 2002 remains the best result for a West Highland side.[16]
List of League winners
editThese are the results for the West Highland League since its inception in 1986. The trophy, named the Baghsaw Cup, has been in use since the 1930s and it was previously presented to champions of the Wester Ross League.
| Year | Champions |
Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Portree United | ||
| 1987 | Portree United (2) | ||
| 1988 | Portree United (3) | ||
| 1989 | Portree United (4) | ||
| 1990 | Gairloch | ||
| 1991 | Kyleakin | ||
| 1992 | Portree United (5) | ||
| 1993 | Portree United (6) | ||
| 1994 | Portree United (7) | ||
| 1995 | Dunvegan | ||
| 1996 | Dunvegan (2) | ||
| 1997 | Portree | ||
| 1998 | Portree (2) | ||
| 1999 | Portree (3) | ||
| 2000 | Portree (4) | Sleat & Strath | |
| 2001 | Portree (5) | Kyleakin | Sleat & Strath |
| 2002 | Portree (6) | Struan | Dunvegan |
| 2003 | Portree (7) | Plockton | Sleat & Strath |
| 2004 | Portree (8) | Kyle | Dunvegan |
| 2005 | Portree (9) | Kyle | Dunvegan |
| 2006 | Portree (10) | Dunvegan | Kyleakin |
| 2007 | Portree (11) | Dunvegan | Kyleakin |
| 2008 | Skeabost | Portree | Sleat & Strath |
| 2009 | Kyleakin (2) | Sleat & Strath | Skeabost |
| 2010 | Sleat & Strath | Dunvegan | Portree |
| 2011 | Sleat & Strath (2) | Kyleakin | Portree |
| 2012 | Kyleakin (3) | Sleat & Strath | Portree Juniors |
| 2013 | Sleat & Strath (3) | Portree | Portree Juniors |
| 2014 | Sleat & Strath (4) | Portree Juniors | Portree |
| 2015 | Portree (12) | Portree Juniors | Sleat & Strath |
| 2016 | Portree Juniors | Kyleakin | Sleat & Strath |
| 2017 | Kyleakin (4) | Portree Juniors | Sleat & Strath |
| 2018 | Mallaig | Kyleakin | Portree Juniors |
| 2019 | Mallaig (2) | Sleat & Strath | Kyleakin |
| 2020 | No Competition held | ||
| 2021 | Sleat & Strath (5) | Mallaig | North West Skye |
| 2022 | Sleat & Strath (6)[17] | Mallaig | North West Skye |
| 2023 | Mallaig (3) | Sleat & Strath | North West Skye |
| 2024 | Sleat & Strath (7) | Mallaig | North West Skye |
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ "Skye and Lochalsh Football season review 2019". West Highland Free Press. 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
- ^ "Sport | Football | Friday nights are alright for the West Highland Football League". Radio Skye. 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ^ "West Highland Amateur Football Association (WHAFA)". West Highland AFA. September 10, 2024.
- ^ Roger Hutchinson. "Roger Hutchison on Sports". West Highland Free Press.
- ^ a b "Skye and Lochalsh Football League Preview 2019". West Highland Free Press. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ "West Highland Football Starts". West Highland Free Press. Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre. 31 March 2000.
- ^ "New North West Skye football club to take the place of Struan and Dunvegan". West Highland Free Press. Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre. 23 January 2015.
- ^ "Skye and Wester Ross leagues set to amalgamate". West Highland Free Press. Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre. 17 May 1985.
- ^ "New West Highland League will kick off in April". West Highland Free Press. Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre. 24 January 1986.
- ^ "West Highland League Cut Back To Single Division". West Highland Free Press. Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre. 23 February 2001.
- ^ "Portree make it 11 in a row with rout of Juniors". West Highland Free Press. Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre. 24 August 2007.
- ^ "Bernisdale back in football league action this summer". West Highland Free Press. Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre. 18 February 2005.
- ^ Adam Gordon (16 January 2019). "Doubts cast over future of three Skye and Lochalsh League clubs ahead of 2020 season". West Highland Free Press. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ Daniel Cullen (5 April 2024). "West Highland League season set for kick-off". West Highland Free Press.
- ^ "League down to ten teams as Bernisdale pull out". West Highland Free Press. Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre. 16 February 2007.
- ^ "Portree make the final!". West Highland Free Press. Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre. 16 August 2002.
- ^ "MIDWEEK FOOTBALL: Fort William stun cup holders Sleat and Strath". West Highland Free Press. 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2023-12-01.