SPFL Reserve League

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

SPFL Reserve League
Founded2018
Country Scotland
Divisions1
Number of clubs6
Current championsQueen's Park Reserves
(2024–25)

The SPFL Reserve League is the reserve team league for football in Scotland. The league began in 2018, as the SPFL Development League was replaced by a reserve team (i.e not age-restricted) format.[1][2][3]

History

In its first season, 2018–19, the league included 27 clubs, split into two divisions. At its end, several clubs (

Rangers and St Johnstone) intimated that they would withdraw from the Reserve League to arrange their own programme of matches.[4][5] The 2019–20 edition was formed with 19 clubs, with the season being curtailed early due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland; the winners were decided on a 'points per game' calculation.[6][7]

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the league returned in season 2022–23 with ten clubs participating.[8][9] Hibernian were the winners of a truncated competition, with only one round of matches (nine per team).[10]

In 2023–24, Queen's Park won six of their eight Reserve League fixtures, securing the title. Their only defeat came against the previous season's champions Hibernian.[11]

In 2024-25, six clubs participated in the SPFL Reserve League, playing each other twice across the season.[12] Queen's Park won a second successive title with a points tally of 19; just one point ahead of runners up Livingston.[13]

Participating clubs

Winners

Season Winner Runner-up League 2 Winner
2018–19
[15][16][17][18]
Rangers Reserves
Celtic Reserves
 Livingston Reserves[19]
2019–20
[6][7][20] 		Hamilton Academical Reserves Heart of Midlothian Reserves Livingston Reserves[21][22]
2022–23
[23][24] 		Hibernian Reserves Motherwell Reserves
2023–24
[25] 		Queen's Park Reserves Dundee Reserves
2024–25
[26] 		Queen's Park Reserves Livingston Reserves

Reserve Cup

A knockout competition is organised alongside the League.[9]

A total of 12 clubs entered the 2024/25 SPFL Reserve Cup, with the competing sides split into three groups of four on a broadly regional basis. Clubs played each other once and the winner of each group progressed to the semi finals. These were Dunfermline Athletic, Queen's Park, and Queen of the South F.C.. Kilmarnock, the best runner-up across the three groups, also qualifyed for the semi-finals.[27]

The Final, between Kilmarnock and Dunfermline, will take place on the 23rd of April 2025.[28]

Season Winner Runner-up
2018–19[29]
Heart of Midlothian Reserves
 		Motherwell Reserves
2019–20[30] not completed[a]
2022–23[31] Kilmarnock Reserves Dunfermline Athletic Reserves
2023–24[32] Dunfermline Athletic Reserves Livingston F.C.
  1. Celtic Reserves
    .

See also

References

  1. ^ "Reserve Leagues for season 2018/19". SPFL. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  2. ^ "SPFL reintroduces reserve leagues after nine-year absence". BBC Sport. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  3. ^ SPFL reintroduce reserve leagues after nearly a decade's absence, Sky Sports, 24 July 2018
  4. ^ "Reserve League Update". Hibernian FC. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  5. ^ Jack, Christopher (1 May 2019). "Rangers and Celtic set to quit SPFL Reserve League in a bid to boost Academy teams". The Herald. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b Hamilton and Livingston named reserve league winners as SPFL drop hint over competition's future, Daily Record, 16 June 2020
  7. ^ a b Hamilton Academical and Livingston Named Reserve League Champions, Scottish Professional Football League, 16 June 2020
  8. ^ "Press Release: Reserve League | SPFL". spfl.co.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  9. ^ a b "SPFL Reserve League to return this season after two-year absence". BBC Sport. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  10. ^ Reserve League 2022/23, SPFL
  11. ^ "QUEEN'S PARK WIN RESERVE LEAGUE". SPFL. 2 April 2024.
  12. ^ "SPFL RESERVE LEAGUE FIXTURES 2024/25". SPFL. 1 August 2024.
  13. ^ "QUEEN'S PARK WIN SPFL RESERVE LEAGUE". SPFL. 14 April 2025.
  14. ^ "SPFL RESERVE LEAGUE FIXTURES 2024/25". SPFL. 1 August 2024.
  15. ^ Falkirk 1-3 Rangers Reserves, Rangers FC
  16. ^ SPFL Reserve League 1 Table, Celtic FC
  17. ^ SPFL Reserve League 2018–19, Soccerway
  18. ^ Rangers win reserve league title on goal difference, BBC Sport, 6 May 2019
  19. ^ SPFL Reserve League 2 2018–19, Soccerway
  20. ^ SPFL Reserve League 2019–20, Soccerway
  21. ^ SPFL Reserve League 2 2019–20, Soccerway
  22. ^ 2019/20 SPFL Reserve League 2 Champions, Livingston FC, 16 June 2020
  23. ^ "SPFL Reserve football for 2023/24". SPFL. 1 August 2023.
  24. ^ SPFL Reserve League 2022–23, Soccerway
  25. ^ SPFL Reserve League 2023–24, Soccerway
  26. ^ SPFL Reserve League 2024–25, Soccerway
  27. ^ SPFL Reserve Cup 2024–25, SPFL
  28. ^ SPFL Reserve Cup final 2024–25, SPFL
  29. ^ SPFL Reserve Cup 2018–19, Soccerway
  30. ^ SPFL Reserve Cup 2019–20, Soccerway
  31. ^ SPFL Reserve Cup 2022–23, Soccerway
  32. ^ SPFL Reserve Cup 2023–24, Dunfermline Athletic F.C


Flag of ScotlandSoccer icon

This article about a Scottish association football competition is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SPFL_Reserve_League&oldid=1285622190"