The Lanarkshire Football League was a short-lived local football league in Scotland.
History
The League was formed in 1898 in Scotland as one of several supplementary football leagues that were created in order to increase the number of fixtures for Scottish Football League clubs. The new league required home sides to pay a £10 guarantee for visiting clubs, which ensured that only the larger clubs could be members, as crowds of at least 400 were required just to cover the guarantee.[1]
The league existed for only three seasons. Motherwell won the 1898–99 competition by defeating Airdrieonians in a very belated play-off in May 1900 and Albion Rovers the 1900–01 edition; the 1899–1900 edition was unfinished.[2]
A Second League for smaller clubs was held in the second half of the 1898–99 season,[3] but it seems to have fizzled out without completing - fixtures took second place to other competitions such as the Coatbridge Express Cup, and Glengowan was said to be "in a sorry state" by the end of April.[4]
