Intermediate dispute
Encyclopedia
The Intermediate dispute was a major split in Scottish
football
which lasted from 1925 to 1931 and concerned the compensation that Junior
clubs received when one of their players moved to a Senior football league side. Although largely confined to the West of Scotland, the dispute involved many of the best Junior clubs in the country, setting them in direct conflict with both the Scottish Football Association
and their own organisation, the Scottish Junior Football Association
.
winners since the turn of the century. Its clubs were increasingly dissatisfied with the behaviour of Senior clubs, in both Scotland and England, who would often approach a player without first contacting the Junior club themselves, then offering little or no compensation for that player if signed. In 1925, the GJL introduced a new player registration form, known as the "White Form". This document gave clubs a two year option on a players services, enabling greater compensation to be demanded and became the principle to unite the Intermediate movement.
In March 1927, sixty-two clubs met to form the Scottish Intermediate Junior Football Association and a split with the Scottish Junior Football Association
became inevitable. The SJFA sympathised with the Intermediate cause but would not sanction a breakaway. The Intermediates for their part, felt that the SJFA had failed to negotiate powerfully enough on their behalf with the Scottish Football Association
. The reaction of the SFA was simply to prohibit the signing of any registered Intermediate player. In practice however, once a transfer fee was agreed between Senior and Intermediate clubs, a players registration was cancelled, evidence destroyed, and the player could sign as a free agent.
In June 1927, the powerful GJL dissolved itself at its AGM and its twenty member clubs were joined by a further twenty from other leagues to form the breakaway Scottish Intermediate Football League. In Ayrshire, the Western Junior Football League reformed as the Western Intermediate Football League at the same time with sixteen out of the eighteen clubs supporting the dispute. Clubs in Fife
also showed an interest however the prospect of increased travel meant their participation was not viable.. From the beginning of season 1927–28, Intermediate clubs began to compete in separate competitions, including their own Scottish Intermediate Cup.
For the next four seasons, despite much negotiation, both sides in the dispute maintained their positions. Numbers in the Intermediate leagues however were beginning to dwindle. A combination of clubs folding and defections to Junior leagues meant that by 1931, only forty-two Intermediate sides remained. Some influential clubs, including Irvine Meadow
, started to push for a resolution. A series of meetings in February 1931 led to one final meeting on 27 May 1931 when the Intermediate clubs and SFA agreed terms with only two clubs voting against. A standard transfer fee of £75 was introduced for a professional Junior player. Provisional transfer arrangements also made it easier for clubs to keep their players whilst still involved in major competitions. With this compromise reached, the Scottish Intermediate Association renamed itself the West of Scotland Junior FA. It was also decided not to reform the GJL but to keep the Scottish Intermediate League format as the Central Junior Football League. The Scottish Intermediate Cup was also renamed as the West of Scotland Junior Cup, and whilst it was initially only open to the 'breakaway' clubs it is now open to all junior clubs in the region.
1927–28 Ashfield
1928–29 Ashfield
1929–30 Clydebank Juniors
1930–31 Yoker Athletic
Scottish Intermediate League
1927–28 Baillieston
1928–29 Ashfield
1929–30 Clydebank Juniors
1930–31 Bridgeton Waverley
Scottish Intermediate League Cup
1927–28 Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
1928–29 Ashfield
1929–30 Clydebank Juniors
1930–31 Pollok
Glasgow Intermediate Cup
1927–28 Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
1928–29 Ashfield
1929–30 Clydebank Juniors
1930–31 Pollok
Western Intermediate League
1927–28 Kilwinning Rangers
1928–29 Irvine Meadow XI
1929–30 Kilwinning Eglinton
1930–31 Kilwinning Rangers
Western Intermediate League Cup
1927–28 Irvine Meadow XI
1928–29 Irvine Meadow XI
1929–30 Kilwinning Rangers
1930–31 Darvel
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
which lasted from 1925 to 1931 and concerned the compensation that Junior
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
clubs received when one of their players moved to a Senior football league side. Although largely confined to the West of Scotland, the dispute involved many of the best Junior clubs in the country, setting them in direct conflict with both the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
and their own organisation, the Scottish Junior Football Association
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
.
History
The dispute was principally led by the Glasgow Junior Football League (GJL). The GJL was the strongest Junior league in Scotland, having provided fifteen of the twenty-six Scottish Junior CupScottish Junior Cup
The Scottish Junior Cup, known as The Emirates Junior Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual football competition organised by the Scottish Junior Football Association for all its member clubs. The competition has been held every year since the inception of the SJFA in 1886 and as of the...
winners since the turn of the century. Its clubs were increasingly dissatisfied with the behaviour of Senior clubs, in both Scotland and England, who would often approach a player without first contacting the Junior club themselves, then offering little or no compensation for that player if signed. In 1925, the GJL introduced a new player registration form, known as the "White Form". This document gave clubs a two year option on a players services, enabling greater compensation to be demanded and became the principle to unite the Intermediate movement.
In March 1927, sixty-two clubs met to form the Scottish Intermediate Junior Football Association and a split with the Scottish Junior Football Association
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
became inevitable. The SJFA sympathised with the Intermediate cause but would not sanction a breakaway. The Intermediates for their part, felt that the SJFA had failed to negotiate powerfully enough on their behalf with the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
. The reaction of the SFA was simply to prohibit the signing of any registered Intermediate player. In practice however, once a transfer fee was agreed between Senior and Intermediate clubs, a players registration was cancelled, evidence destroyed, and the player could sign as a free agent.
In June 1927, the powerful GJL dissolved itself at its AGM and its twenty member clubs were joined by a further twenty from other leagues to form the breakaway Scottish Intermediate Football League. In Ayrshire, the Western Junior Football League reformed as the Western Intermediate Football League at the same time with sixteen out of the eighteen clubs supporting the dispute. Clubs in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
also showed an interest however the prospect of increased travel meant their participation was not viable.. From the beginning of season 1927–28, Intermediate clubs began to compete in separate competitions, including their own Scottish Intermediate Cup.
For the next four seasons, despite much negotiation, both sides in the dispute maintained their positions. Numbers in the Intermediate leagues however were beginning to dwindle. A combination of clubs folding and defections to Junior leagues meant that by 1931, only forty-two Intermediate sides remained. Some influential clubs, including Irvine Meadow
Irvine Meadow XI F.C.
Irvine Meadow XI F.C. are a Scottish junior football club, from Irvine, North Ayrshire. They are currently playing in the Stagecoach Super League Premier Division of the Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region....
, started to push for a resolution. A series of meetings in February 1931 led to one final meeting on 27 May 1931 when the Intermediate clubs and SFA agreed terms with only two clubs voting against. A standard transfer fee of £75 was introduced for a professional Junior player. Provisional transfer arrangements also made it easier for clubs to keep their players whilst still involved in major competitions. With this compromise reached, the Scottish Intermediate Association renamed itself the West of Scotland Junior FA. It was also decided not to reform the GJL but to keep the Scottish Intermediate League format as the Central Junior Football League. The Scottish Intermediate Cup was also renamed as the West of Scotland Junior Cup, and whilst it was initially only open to the 'breakaway' clubs it is now open to all junior clubs in the region.
Winners of Intermediate competitions
Scottish Intermediate Cup1927–28 Ashfield
Ashfield F.C.
Ashfield Football Club are a Scottish football club from Possilpark in the North of Glasgow. Formed in 1886, they are based at Saracen Park, which they share with the Glasgow Tigers speedway team...
1928–29 Ashfield
Ashfield F.C.
Ashfield Football Club are a Scottish football club from Possilpark in the North of Glasgow. Formed in 1886, they are based at Saracen Park, which they share with the Glasgow Tigers speedway team...
1929–30 Clydebank Juniors
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
1930–31 Yoker Athletic
Yoker Athletic F.C.
Yoker Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Clydebank near Glasgow. Yoker is an area of Glasgow adjacent to Clydebank, however Yoker's stadium lies just outside the Glasgow boundary. Nicknamed the Whe Ho, they were formed in 1886 and are based at Holm Park...
Scottish Intermediate League
1927–28 Baillieston
1928–29 Ashfield
Ashfield F.C.
Ashfield Football Club are a Scottish football club from Possilpark in the North of Glasgow. Formed in 1886, they are based at Saracen Park, which they share with the Glasgow Tigers speedway team...
1929–30 Clydebank Juniors
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
1930–31 Bridgeton Waverley
Scottish Intermediate League Cup
1927–28 Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C.
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the town of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed The Rabs or The Roy, they were formed in 1878...
1928–29 Ashfield
Ashfield F.C.
Ashfield Football Club are a Scottish football club from Possilpark in the North of Glasgow. Formed in 1886, they are based at Saracen Park, which they share with the Glasgow Tigers speedway team...
1929–30 Clydebank Juniors
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
1930–31 Pollok
Pollok F.C.
Pollok Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Newlands in the southside of the city of Glasgow. They are one of the biggest football clubs operating in Scottish Junior football, regularly attracting crowds of around 550, more than many clubs in the third division and even some in the...
Glasgow Intermediate Cup
1927–28 Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C.
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the town of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed The Rabs or The Roy, they were formed in 1878...
1928–29 Ashfield
Ashfield F.C.
Ashfield Football Club are a Scottish football club from Possilpark in the North of Glasgow. Formed in 1886, they are based at Saracen Park, which they share with the Glasgow Tigers speedway team...
1929–30 Clydebank Juniors
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
1930–31 Pollok
Pollok F.C.
Pollok Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Newlands in the southside of the city of Glasgow. They are one of the biggest football clubs operating in Scottish Junior football, regularly attracting crowds of around 550, more than many clubs in the third division and even some in the...
Western Intermediate League
1927–28 Kilwinning Rangers
Kilwinning Rangers F.C.
Kilwinning Rangers are a Scottish football club from Kilwinning, Ayrshire. Formed in 1899 they have had periods of success throughout their history although not as much as their rivals Irvine Meadow....
1928–29 Irvine Meadow XI
Irvine Meadow XI F.C.
Irvine Meadow XI F.C. are a Scottish junior football club, from Irvine, North Ayrshire. They are currently playing in the Stagecoach Super League Premier Division of the Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region....
1929–30 Kilwinning Eglinton
1930–31 Kilwinning Rangers
Kilwinning Rangers F.C.
Kilwinning Rangers are a Scottish football club from Kilwinning, Ayrshire. Formed in 1899 they have had periods of success throughout their history although not as much as their rivals Irvine Meadow....
Western Intermediate League Cup
1927–28 Irvine Meadow XI
Irvine Meadow XI F.C.
Irvine Meadow XI F.C. are a Scottish junior football club, from Irvine, North Ayrshire. They are currently playing in the Stagecoach Super League Premier Division of the Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region....
1928–29 Irvine Meadow XI
Irvine Meadow XI F.C.
Irvine Meadow XI F.C. are a Scottish junior football club, from Irvine, North Ayrshire. They are currently playing in the Stagecoach Super League Premier Division of the Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region....
1929–30 Kilwinning Rangers
Kilwinning Rangers F.C.
Kilwinning Rangers are a Scottish football club from Kilwinning, Ayrshire. Formed in 1899 they have had periods of success throughout their history although not as much as their rivals Irvine Meadow....
1930–31 Darvel
Darvel F.C.
Darvel Football Club are a Scottish football club, based in the town of Darvel, Ayrshire.- History :Nicknamed "The Vale" or "The Juniors", and formed in 1889, the club play at Recreation Park , and currently, the West Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association...