# 2018–19 East Superleague

The 2018–19 East Super League (known as the McBookie.com East Superleague for sponsorship reasons) was the 17th season of the East Superleague, the top tier of league competition for SJFA East Region member clubs.
The season began on 4 August 2018 and ended on 27 May 2019. Bonnyrigg Rose were the reigning champions but they couldn’t defend their title after moving to the East of Scotland Football League.
Lochee United won their third title with two games remaining on 20 May 2019 after a 2–0 win away to Forfar West End, before going on to end the season unbeaten. They enter the 2019–20 Scottish Cup as winners at the preliminary round stage.

## Teams

For the 2018–19 season, the Superleague was reduced from sixteen to twelve teams by the league’s reconstruction after 24 Junior clubs moved to the East of Scotland Football League
The following teams changed division after the 2017–18 season.

### To East Superleague

Promoted from East Premier League
* Downfield
* Fauldhouse United
* Glenrothes
* Kirriemuir Thistle
* Tayport
* Thornton Hibs
* Whitburn

### From East Superleague

Transferred to East of Scotland League
* Bo'ness United
* Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic
* Broxburn Athletic
* Camelon Juniors
* Dundonald Bluebell
* Hill of Beath Hawthorn
* Jeanfield Swifts
* Linlithgow Rose
* Newtongrange Star
* Penicuik Athletic
* Sauchie Juniors

### Stadia and locations

| Club | Location | Home Ground | Capacity | Seats | Floodlit | Manager | Finishing position 2017–18 |
| Broughty Athletic | Dundee | Whitton Park | 2,500 | 0 | No | Jamie McCunnie | 10th |
| Carnoustie Panmure | Carnoustie | Laing Park | 1,500 | 0 | No | Phil McGuire | 12th |
| Downfield | Dundee | Downfield Park | 2,500 | 13 | Yes | Paul Marr | 10th in Premier League |
| Fauldhouse United | Fauldhouse | Park View | 2,000 | | No | Jon Connolly | 2nd in Premier League |
| Forfar West End | Forfar | Strathmore Park | 2,500 | 0 | No | Daryl McKenzie | 16th |
| Glenrothes | Glenrothes | Warout Stadium | 5,000 | 730 | No | Barry Cockburn & Kevin Smith | 9th in Premier League |
| Kennoway Star Hearts | Star | Treaton Park | 1,000 | 0 | Yes | Kevin Byers | 15th |
| Kirriemuir Thistle | Kirriemuir | Westview Park | 2,000 | 32 | Yes | Chris Kettles | 16th in Premier League |
| Lochee United | Dundee | Thomson Park | 3,200 | 0 | No | George Shields | 6th |
| Tayport | Tayport | Canniepairt | 2,000 | 0 | No | Stevie Kay | 4th in Premier League |
| Thornton Hibs | Thornton | Memorial Park | 1,800 | 0 | No | Craig Gilbert | 6th in Premier League |
| Whitburn | Whitburn | Central Park | 3,000 | 38 | No | Jason Bolam | 15th in Premier League |

### Managerial changes

| Club | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
| Kennoway Star Hearts | Craig Johnstone | Resigned | 11 September 2018 | 12th | Kevin Byers | 1 October 2018 |
| Glenrothes | Willie Campbell | Resigned | 16 September 2018 | 9th | Barry Cockburn & Kevin Smith | 3 October 2018 |
| Carnoustie Panmure | Alan McSkimming | Resigned | 17 September 2018 | 7th | Phil McGuire | 26 September 2018 |
| Tayport | Charlie King | Mutual consent | 29 October 2018 | 6th | Stevie Kay | 12 November 2018 |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Lochee United (C) | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 71 | 11 | +60 | 62 | Qualification for 2019–20 Scottish Cup |
| 2 | Broughty Athletic | 22 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 55 | 21 | +34 | 53 | |
| 3 | Thornton Hibs | 22 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 51 | 37 | +14 | 38 | |
| 4 | Whitburn Juniors | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 58 | 53 | +5 | 36 | |
| 5 | Tayport | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 42 | 37 | +5 | 33 | |
| 6 | Forfar West End | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 29 | |
| 7 | Carnoustie Panmure | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 37 | 43 | −6 | 28 | |
| 8 | Kennoway Star Hearts | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 38 | 39 | −1 | 26 | |
| 9 | Kirriemuir Thistle | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 41 | 62 | −21 | 22 | |
| 10 | Fauldhouse United | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 34 | 56 | −22 | 19 | |
| 11 | Downfield | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 33 | 61 | −28 | 19 | |
| 12 | Glenrothes | 22 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 24 | 65 | −41 | 13 | Resigned membership, joined East of Scotland League |

## Results

| Home \ Away | BRO | CAR | DOW | FAU | FWE | GLE | KSH | KIR | LOC | TAY | THO | WHI |
| Broughty Athletic | | 5–0 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 5–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 4–3 |
| Carnoustie Panmure | 1–2 | | 2–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 5–4 |
| Downfield | 5–6 | 1–0 | | 4–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 1–6 | 3–1 |
| Fauldhouse United | 0–3 | 3–0 | 3–1 | | 3–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 7–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–2 |
| Forfar West End | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | | 6–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| Glenrothes | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | | 1–5 | 3–3 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–5 | 3–2 |
| Kennoway Star Hearts | 0–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 0–3 | 3–0 | | 4–0 | 0–2 | 3–5 | 0–1 | 2–3 |
| Kirriemuir Thistle | 1–0 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 5–3 | 5–0 | 2–3 | | 0–8 | 2–1 | 0–4 | 3–4 |
| Lochee United | 2–2 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | | 3–0 | 6–1 | 6–1 |
| Tayport | 3–2 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 4–3 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 0–2 | | 0–3 | 1–2 |
| Thornton Hibs | 0–4 | 0–1 | 5–2 | 6–2 | 1–4 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | | 5–2 |
| Whitburn | 1–3 | 2–1 | 5–2 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 4–4 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | |