2016–17 Highland Football League

The 2016–17 Highland Football League started in July 2016 and ended on 22 April 2017.

Press & Journal Highland League
Season2016–17
ChampionsBuckie Thistle
Matches played306
Goals scored1,250 (4.08 per match)
Biggest home winBuckie Thistle 9–0 Strathspey Thistle
Biggest away winRothes 0–9 Wick Academy
Highest scoringDeveronvale 2–9 Buckie Thistle
Fort William 3–8 Wick Academy
Nairn County 3–8 Buckie Thistle
Strathspey Thistle 2–9 Buckie Thistle
Longest winning runBuckie Thistle (10)
Longest unbeaten runCove Rangers (13)
Longest winless runFort William (16)
Longest losing runFort William (8)
Strathspey Thistle (8)

For promotion to Scottish League Two, the league champions playoff with the Lowland Football League champions (or other eligible team from outside the SPFL to be nominated by the Scottish FA), with the winner then playing the team finishing 10th and bottom in Scottish League Two in a promotion and relegation playoff to determine the entrants for the 2017–18 League Two season.[1][2]

Location of teams in 2016–17 Highland Football League

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification
1 Buckie Thistle (C) 34 26 4 4 130 36 +94 82 Qualification to League Two play-off semi-finals
2 Cove Rangers 34 25 7 2 109 30 +79 82
3 Brora Rangers 34 26 3 5 116 36 +80 81
4 Formartine United 34 22 7 5 82 47 +35 73
5 Fraserburgh 34 19 6 9 77 48 +29 63
6 Forres Mechanics 34 17 7 10 84 63 +21 58
7 Turriff United 34 18 4 12 56 42 +14 58
8 Wick Academy 34 15 8 11 75 52 +23 53
9 Inverurie Loco Works 34 14 8 12 71 53 +18 50
10 Keith 34 15 2 17 74 88 −14 47
11 Clachnacuddin 34 11 8 15 53 77 −24 41
12 Lossiemouth 34 11 5 18 52 70 −18 38
13 Nairn County 34 9 7 18 57 74 −17 34
14 Huntly 34 9 7 18 54 97 −43 34
15 Deveronvale 34 9 3 22 51 75 −24 30
16 Rothes 34 7 5 22 37 106 −69 26
17 Fort William 34 3 2 29 44 136 −92 11
18 Strathspey Thistle 34 2 3 29 28 120 −92 9
Source: Highland Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions

Results
Home \ Away BROR BUCK CLAC COVE DEVE FORM FORR FORT FRAS HUNT LOCO KEITH LOSS NAIRN ROTH STRA TURR WICK
Brora Rangers 2–1 6–0 1–2 6–2 5–0 3–0 8–0 2–0 2–0 2–2 6–0 7–0 3–3 5–0 4–3 2–1 2–0
Buckie Thistle 5–0 4–0 1–0 3–0 3–1 3–0 4–2 1–1 7–0 3–1 6–0 6–0 2–1 3–0 9–0 4–0 1–0
Clachnacuddin 0–5 1–5 2–2 2–1 0–2 2–4 2–2 3–2 1–1 2–0 1–2 2–0 1–0 2–1 0–2 0–0 0–0
Cove Rangers 2–1 2–3 3–2 2–0 5–1 3–2 7–0 2–2 6–0 3–0 3–0 5–0 2–1 5–0 4–0 0–0 6–0
Deveronvale 1–2 2–9 5–1 0–2 2–3 0–2 4–2 1–2 0–2 0–3 3–2 0–0 2–2 5–0 7–2 0–1 0–2
Formartine United 1–4 0–0 2–1 1–1 1–0 2–2 4–2 4–0 8–0 2–1 5–2 1–0 2–0 6–1 2–1 3–2 0–3
Forres Mechanics 1–2 3–2 2–2 0–3 2–1 0–0 4–0 0–2 2–1 1–1 4–1 4–2 7–1 1–1 2–0 1–4 3–5
Fort William 1–5 2–5 0–5 2–6 1–2 1–1 2–6 0–3 2–5 1–4 2–3 1–4 1–2 3–5 4–1 3–2 3–8
Fraserburgh 2–0 2–5 3–3 2–2 3–0 0–1 2–3 3–2 2–0 1–0 1–3 0–4 3–3 2–1 3–0 3–0 1–1
Huntly 1–6 1–0 0–2 0–8 5–2 3–3 0–3 5–1 2–4 2–1 2–1 0–0 4–6 2–1 2–2 2–4 1–5
Inverurie Loco Works 2–2 1–1 4–1 2–3 2–0 1–2 4–3 3–0 1–5 2–1 3–3 2–2 1–0 6–0 3–0 0–2 1–3
Keith 1–4 3–2 6–1 0–3 4–0 1–4 3–2 7–2 2–6 4–1 1–6 4–1 0–1 2–1 5–2 1–0 2–1
Lossiemouth 4–1 2–5 2–3 1–6 0–2 1–3 1–2 5–0 1–2 2–2 1–0 4–1 0–0 1–2 4–1 2–0 1–2
Nairn County 0–4 3–8 1–2 2–5 1–2 0–2 4–4 5–0 0–2 2–1 2–3 1–1 2–1 3–0 0–2 1–2 1–2
Rothes 0–6 1–6 2–2 0–1 2–1 1–5 0–5 2–1 0–5 2–2 2–2 4–2 0–2 0–2 4–2 1–4 0–9
Strathspey Thistle 0–5 2–9 1–4 1–1 0–3 1–6 1–3 0–1 0–7 0–2 1–7 0–4 1–2 2–2 0–1 0–2 0–3
Turriff United 0–1 2–2 4–2 1–1 2–1 1–2 3–4 4–0 1–0 2–0 0–1 3–2 2–0 2–0 2–1 2–0 1–0
Wick Academy 1–2 1–2 3–1 2–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–0 0–1 4–4 1–1 3–1 1–2 1–5 1–1 3–0 2–0
Updated to match(es) played on 22 April 2017. Source: highlandfootballleague.com
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Promotion play-offs
Main article: 2016–17 Scottish League Two § League Two Play-offs

Buckie Thistle qualified for the Play-offs after a 9–0 win against Strathspey Thistle on 22 April 2017 secured them the Highland Football League title for the 11th time.[3]

As Highland League champions, Buckie Thistle played East Kilbride, champions of the 2016–17 Lowland League, over two legs. Buckie Thistle drew the first leg at home 2–2 and lost 2–1 away, losing 3–4 on aggregate. Therefore, Buckie Thistle will remain in the Highland League for the 2017–18 season.

References
  1. "The Rules of the SPFL" (PDF). Scottish Professional Football League. 7 March 2014.
  2. "The pyramid system and how it affects the SHFL". Scottish Highland Football League. 10 June 2014.
  3. Douglass, Sean (22 April 2017). "Buckie demolish Strathspey 9-0 to secure Highland League title on final day". Evening Express. DC Thomson & Co Ltd. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
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