Scottish Hockey National Leagues
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Scottish Hockey currently runs two men's national outdoor leagues and two women's national outdoor leagues. The season runs from September to May, with a break in winter for the Indoor league. The winners of the Premiership (both men's and women's) are declared Scottish Champions. The men's leagues were formed in 1975 after competitive district hockey proved popular. The 1974-75 district results were used to populate the inaugural season which was made up of three leagues of twelve. Following the first season, the leagues were split into six leagues of eight teams.
Competition format
[edit]Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned league champion.
Promotion and Relegation
[edit]The top teams in the National League gain automatic promotion to the Premiership, swapping places with the bottom side from the Premiership, who is automatically relegated. The team that finished second in the National League has a one off game against the eleventh placed side from the Premiership. The winner of this game earns the right to play in the Premiership for the following season.
European Qualification
[edit]The top four teams in the men`s and women`s Premiership play off in semi-finals and finals to see who competes in Europe's top competition, the EHL for the following season. The grand final weekend takes place at the end of the season (normally the start of May), where first plays fourth and second plays third. The winners of these games play in the final to confirm European qualification. The winner of the final is named National Champion.
Men's Premiership
[edit]The Men's Premiership (formerly Men's National League 1) is the top of the top tier of men's field hockey in Scotland. The winners are crowned as Scottish Hockey champions. The team finishing bottom is automatically relegated whilst the team in eleventh has to play in a one off game to compete for the chance to play in the Premiership again the following season.
Current Teams
[edit]The 12 clubs listed below will compete in the Men's Premiership during the 2023–24 season.
| Club | Location | Position in 2022–23 | First season in top division |
No. of seasons in top division | First season of current spell in top division |
No. of seasons of current spell | National titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clydesdale | Glasgow | 4th, Men's Premiership | 1975-76 | 27 | 2004-05 | 19 | — | — |
| Dundee Wanderers | Dundee | 1st, Men's National League (champions) | 1975-76 | 38 | 2023-24 | 0 | 1 | 1992-93 |
| Edinburgh University | Edinburgh | 3rd, Men's Premiership | 1988-89 | 25 | 2000-01 | 23 | — | — |
| Erskine Stewart's Melville | Edinburgh | 10th, Men's Premiership | 2022-23 | 1 | 2022-23 | 1 | — | — |
| Grange | Edinburgh | 1st, Men's Premiership (champions) | 1975-76 | 46 | 1988-89 | 34 | 7 | 2022-23 |
| Grove Menzieshill[a] | Dundee | 2nd, Men's National League | 1982-83 | 37 | 2023-24 | 0 | 2 | 1985-86 |
| Hillhead | Glasgow | 7th, Men's Premiership | 2006-07 | 16 | 2006-07 | 17 | — | — |
| Inverleith | Edinburgh | 6th, Men's Premiership | 1975-76 | 38 | 2021-22 | 2 | — | — |
| Kelburne | Paisley | 9th, Men's Premiership | 1985-86 | 37 | 1985-86 | 38 | 18 | 1989-90 |
| Uddingston | Uddingston | 8th, Men's Premiership | 1983-84 | 10 | 2014-15 | 9 | — | — |
| Watsonians | Edinburgh | 5th, Men's Premiership | 1983-84 | 18 | 2018-19 | 5 | — | — |
| Western | Glasgow | 2nd, Men's Premiership | 1975-76 | 46 | 1993-94 | 30 | 8 | 2021-22 |
Past winners
[edit]See List of men's Scottish hockey champions for a list of past winners
Men's National League
[edit]The Men's National League (formerly National League 2) is the second, and bottom strand of the top tier of men's field hockey in Scotland. The team that finishes first is promoted to the Men's Premiership, whilst second place has the chance for promotion in one off play-off game against eleventh place in the Premiership. Teams are not automatically relegated from the national league but may opt to drop down to regional or district leagues.
Current Teams
[edit]The 12 clubs listed below will compete in the Men's National League during the 2023–24 season.
| Club | Location | Position in 2022–23 | First season in second tier |
No. of seasons in second tier | First season of current spell in second tier |
No. of seasons of current spell | National League titles | Last second tier title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunfermline Carnegie | Dunfermline | 11th, Men's Premiership | 1975-76 | 27 | 2023-24 | 0 | 2 | 2019-20 |
| CALA Edinburgh[b] | Edinburgh | 10th, Men's National League | 2003-04 | 7 | 2021-22 | 2 | 3 | 2010-11 |
| Falkirk and Linlithgow[c] | Falkirk | 8th, Men's National League | 1984-85 | 22 | 2008-09 | 14 | — | — |
| FMGM Monarchs[d] | Dundee | 12th, Men's Premiership | 2013-14 | 2 | 2023-24 | 0 | — | — |
| Glasgow University | Glasgow | 3rd, Men's National League | 2007-08 | 12 | 2011-12 | 11 | — | — |
| Gordonians | Aberdeen | 4th, Men's National League | 1975-76 | 7 | 2019-20 | 4 | 2 | 2017-18 |
| Granite City Wanderers[e] | Aberdeen | 12th, Men's National League | 1976-77 | 15 | 2021-22 | 3 | 2 | 1990-91 |
| Highland | Inverness | 11th, Men's National League | 2011-12 | 4 | 2021-22 | 3 | — | — |
| Perthshire | Perth | 6th, Men's National League | 1985-86 | 18 | 2017-18 | 6 | 1 | 1976-77 |
| St Andrews University | St Andrews | 5th, Men's National League | 2001-02 | 14 | 2009-10 | 14 | — | — |
| Stepps | Glasgow | 7th, Men's National League | 1976-77 | 38 | 2010-11 | 13 | 3 | 2008-09 |
| Strathclyde University | Glasgow | 9th, Men's National League | 2021-22 | 2 | 2021-22 | 2 | — | — |
Past winners
[edit]See List of men's Scottish hockey National League 2 champions for a list of past winners
Other National Leagues
[edit]Men's National League 3
[edit]The Men's National League 3 was the third tier of men's field hockey in Scotland. It became the lowest tier of national league hockey in Scotland after the formation of the regional leagues in 1997-98 season. The final season of the men’s national league 3 was 2019-20, which was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When hockey restarted in Scotland, not enough clubs wanted to compete in the national league, and thus only two leagues were reformed.
Past winners
[edit]See List of men's Scottish hockey other National League champions for a list of past winners
Men's National League 4, 5 and 6
[edit]The Men's National League 4, 5 and 6 are now defunct leagues that featured from 1976 until the formation of the Regional Leagues in 1997. The leagues were formed after the inaugural National Leagues went from three divisions of twelve teams, to six leagues of eight. When the Regional Leagues were formed, the teams from the bottom three leagues moved into them.
Past winners
[edit]See List of men's Scottish hockey other National League champions for a list of past winners
Men's Indoor National League
[edit]The Men's Indoor National League Division 1 is the top tier of men's indoor hockey in Scotland. The winners are crowned Scottish Hockey indoor champions and represent Scotland in the EHF Eurohockey Indoor Club Championships.
See Scottish Hockey Men's Indoor National Division 1 for main article.
Women's Premiership
[edit]The Women's Premiership (formerly Women's National League 1) is the top of the top tier of women's field hockey in Scotland. The winners are crowned as Scottish Hockey champions. The team finishing bottom is automatically relegated whilst the team in eleventh has to play in a one off game to compete for the chance to play in the Premiership again the following season.
Women's National League
[edit]The Women's National League (formerly National League 2) is the second, and bottom strand of the top tier of women's field hockey in Scotland. The team that finishes first is promoted to the women's Premiership, whilst second place has the chance for promotion in one off play-off game against eleventh place in the Premiership. Teams are not automatically relegated from the national league but may opt to drop down to regional or district leagues.