Vale of Leithen Football Club are a football club based in the town of Innerleithen, Scotland. They play in the East of Scotland League Second Division, and their home games take place at Victoria Park.
 | |||
| Full name | Vale of Leithen Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Vale | ||
| Founded | 1891 | ||
| Ground | Victoria Park, Innerleithen | ||
| Capacity | 1,500 | ||
| Chairman | Stuart Robertson | ||
| Manager | Ian Flynn | ||
| League | East of Scotland League Second Division | ||
| 2023–24 | East of Scotland League First Division, 15th of 15 (relegated) | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
The team's motto is "Keep Faith", and features on their club crest, along with the town's patron saint, St. Ronan. The home strip features a blue shirt, navy blue shorts and navy blue socks; the away strip is all-white, with black trim.
Vale of Leithen should not be confused with the slightly differently named West of Scotland team Vale of Leven.
History
editThe club is one of the oldest in the Scottish Borders, having formed in 1891, they became full members of the Scottish Football Association in 1897. The club played at Caddon Park and initially played their first two games as Leithen Vale but subsequently changed their name to Vale of Leithen Football Club. In 1922, they moved to their current home, Victoria Park.
The club were founding members of the Lowland Football League in 2013–14, having previously played in the East of Scotland Football League. Their best finishing position was 6th place in their first campaign, spending nine seasons in the league before being relegated back to the East of Scotland League at the end of the 2021–22 season, and suffering consecutive relegations in the subsequent two seasons.
Club Officials
edit| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Honorary President | Keith Brown |
| Honorary Vice President | Stanley Clifford |
| Chairman | Stuart Robinson |
| Vice Chairman / Treasurer | Michael Hogarth |
| General Manager | Bobby Craigie |
| Committee Member | Michael Burns |
| Committee Member | Brian Ellis |
| Committee Member | Alan Forrest |
| Club Chaplin | Rob Wilson |
Coaching Staff
edit- As of 26 May 2024
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Ian Flynn |
| Coach | Adam Hill |
| Coach | George Smith |
Current Squad
edit- As of 26 May 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Season-by-Season
edit| Season | Division | Position | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points | Scottish Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013/14 | Lowland League | 6th | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | −2 | 36 | First Round, losing to Brora Rangers |
| 2014/15 | Lowland League | 9th | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | −14 | 33 | Preliminary Round, losing to Gala Fairydean Rovers |
| 2015/16 | Lowland League | 13th | 28 | 7 | 5 | 16 | −29 | 26 | Preliminary Round One, losing to Wigtown & Bladnoch |
| 2016/17 | Lowland League | 13th | 30 | 11 | 4 | 15 | −14 | 37 | First Round, losing to East Kilbride |
| 2017/18 | Lowland League | 15th | 30 | 8 | 5 | 17 | −32 | 29 | First Round, losing to The Spartans |
| 2018/19 | Lowland League | 13th | 28 | 8 | 5 | 15 | −31 | 29 | First Round, losing to Gretna 2008 |
| 2019/20 | Lowland League | 16th† | 23 | 2 | 2 | 19 | −71 | 8 | First Round, losing to Fort William |
| 2020/21 | Lowland League | 17th† | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | −53 | 0 | Preliminary Round Two, losing to Banks O' Dee |
| 2021/22 | Lowland League | 18th | 34 | 1 | 2 | 31 | −156 | 5 | First Round, losing to Brechin City |
| 2022/23 | East of Scotland League Premier Division | 16th†† | 30 | 2 | 0 | 28 | −115 | -6 | Preliminary Round, losing to Dunbar United |
| 2023/24 | East of Scotland League First Division | 15th ††† | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 | -109 | -3 | Preliminary Round, losing to Dunbar United |
† Season's curtailed due to coronavirus pandemic.
†† Vale of Leithen were given four three-point deductions.
††† Vale of Leithen were deducted three points.
Club Honours
editEast of Scotland Football League
- Winners (4): 1924–25, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1986–87
East of Scotland Qualifying Cup
- Winners (6) : 1919–20, 1920–21, 1924–25, 1948–49, 1978–79, 1981–82
Scottish Qualifying Cup (South)
- Winners (5): 1957–58, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1990–91, 1992–93
East of Scotland (City Cup)
- Winners (1): 1991–92
King Cup
- Winners (7) : 1921–22, 1936–37, 1955–56, 1959–60, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1991–92[1]
References
edit- ^ "King Cup Previous Winners". Retrieved 2 June 2019.