| Pixels: | 160 |
| Country: | Scotland |
| Founded: | (as Scottish Premier under-18 League) |
| Divisions: | 1 |
| Teams: | 17 |
| Levels: | 1 |
| Domest Cup: | Scottish Youth Cup |
| Champions: | Hibernian |
| Season: | 2017–18 |
The SPFL Development League was the top level of youth football in Scotland, which was contested in various formats between 1998 and 2018.
A youth league was founded as the Scottish Premier under-18 League in 1998. Clubs fielded under-18 teams, with the Scottish Premier Reserve League originally being an under-21 league. The competition was changed in 2003 when it became the Scottish Premier under-19 League. The teams played 22 matches rather than 30.
For the 2012–13 season, the competition changed again, this time to the Scottish Premier under-20 league, there were 15 teams, and teams played 28 matches per season.[1] With the inception of the Scottish Professional Football League for the 2013–14 season, the league become the SPFL U20 League and the number of teams increased to 16.[2] Teams were allowed to field two over-age outfield players and an overage goalkeeper.[3]
The league was renamed the SPFL Development League in 2014, with the number of teams increased to 17.[4] At this time two regional leagues were also introduced, with eight clubs competing in the Development League West and nine clubs competing in the Development League East.[5] The restriction on over-age players was relaxed, with teams now permitted to use five older players in a matchday squad of 18.[6]
The league was dissolved in 2018 and replaced by the SPFL Reserve Leagues.[7]
From 2015 onwards, the UEFA Youth League provides a qualification route for 'domestic youth champions', in addition to clubs whose senior team reaches the UEFA Champions League group stage.[8] As the age group for the Development League is older than that of the UEFA Group League, Scotland's representative will be the winner of the Under-17 league, which plays competitive fixtures however does not reveal the results and tables publicly to minimise the scrutiny on the young players.[9] In 2015,[10] 2016,[11] and 2017,[12] the winners of the Under-17 league were Celtic; in 2018, Hamilton won the title,[13] and Rangers were the 2019 champions.[14]
| width=80 | Season[15] ! width=150 | Winner ! width=150 | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | Celtic | ||
| 1994–95 | Aberdeen | ||
| 1995–96 | Celtic | ||
| 1996–97 | Celtic | ||
| 1997–98 | Dundee United |
| width=80 | Season ! width=150 | Winner ! width=150 | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Celtic | ||
| 1999–00 | Dundee United | ||
| 2000–01[16] | Livingston | ||
| 2001–02 | Celtic | ||
| 2002–03 | Rangers |
| width=80 | Season ! width=150 | Winner ! width=150 | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | Rangers | ||
| 2004–05 | Motherwell | ||
| 2005–06 | Motherwell | ||
| 2006–07 | Celtic | ||
| Celtic | |||
| Heart of Midlothian | |||
| Motherwell | |||
| Heart of Midlothian | |||
| Heart of Midlothian |
| width=80 | Season ! width=150 | Winner ! width=150 | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | |||
| Rangers | |||
| width=80 | Season ! width=150 | Winner ! width=150 | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen[17] | Celtic | ||
| Celtic[18] | Hamilton Academical | ||
| Ross County[19] | Hamilton Academical | ||
| Hibernian[20] | Dundee | ||
Although the Scottish Premier League (SPL) superseded the Scottish Football League (SFL) as the top division in 1998, the SFL continued to run an under-18 league until 2003, when the age group was split into under-17's and under-19's.[21] The SFL also ran a cup competition (not to be confused with the SFA Youth Cup) for the various age groups.[21] After the SFL ceased operation in 2013, with the foundation of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) in 2013, an under-19 league and cup competition was run alongside the new under-20 league.[22] There were also West and East Development Divisions operating under the main SPFL Development League between 2014 and 2018.[22] Club Academy Scotland (CAS), organised and managed by the Scottish Football Association (SFA), began operating youth leagues with under-17 the top age group in 2014.[23] The under-17 age range was raised to under-18 by CAS in 2018.[23]
| width=80 | Season ! width=230 | Competition ! width=150 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | SFL Under-18 Youth Division A | Aberdeen | |
| SFL Under-18 Youth Division B | Falkirk[24] | ||
| 1999–2000 | SFL Under-18 Youth Division A | Celtic | |
| SFL Under-18 Youth Division B | Airdrieonians | ||
| SFL Under-18 Youth Division C | Falkirk | ||
| 2000–01 | No competition | ||
| 2001–02 | SFL Under-18 Youth Division | Ayr United | |
| SFL Under-18 Youth League Cup | Stirling Albion | ||
| 2002–03 | SFL Under-18 Youth Division | Ayr United | |
| SFL Under-18 Youth League Cup | Ross County | ||
| 2003–04 | SFL Under-19 Youth Division | Ross County | |
| SFL Under-19 Youth League Cup | Queen's Park | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth Division | Falkirk | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth League Cup | Hamilton Academical[25] | ||
| 2004–05 | SFL Under-19 Youth Division | St Johnstone | |
| SFL Under-19 Youth League Cup | Queen's Park | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth Division | Morton | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth League Cup | Ross County | ||
| 2005–06 | SFL Under-19 Youth Division | Dundee | |
| SFL Under-19 Youth League Cup | St Johnstone | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth Division | Stenhousemuir | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth League Cup | Raith Rovers | ||
| 2006–07 | SFL Under-19 Youth Division | Ross County | |
| SFL Under-19 Youth League Cup | East Fife | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth Division | Airdrie United | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth League Cup | Airdrie United | ||
| 2007–08 | SFL Under-19 Youth Division | Livingston | |
| SFL Under-19 Youth League Cup | Raith Rovers | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth Division | Queen's Park | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth League Cup | Cowdenbeath | ||
| 2008–09 | SFL Under-19 Youth Division | Livingston | |
| SFL Under-19 Youth League Cup | Livingston | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth Division | St Johnstone[26] | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth League Cup | Queen of the South | ||
| width=80 | Season ! width=230 | Competition ! width=150 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | SFL Under-19 Youth Division | Livingston | |
| SFL Under-19 Youth League Cup | Partick Thistle | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth Division | Queen's Park | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth League Cup | Queen's Park | ||
| 2010–11 | SFL Under-19 Youth Division | Livingston[27] | |
| SFL Under-17 Youth Division | Ayr United[28] | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth League Cup | Livingston[29] | ||
| 2011–12 | SFL Under-19 Youth Division | ||
| SFL Under-19 Youth League Cup | Stenhousemuir[30] | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth Division | Livingston[31] | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth League Cup | Livingston[32] | ||
| 2012–13 | SFL Under-19 Youth Division | ||
| SFL Under-19 Youth League Cup | Hamilton Academical[33] | ||
| SFL Under-17 Youth Division | |||
| SFL Under-17 Youth League Cup | |||
| 2013–14 | SPFL Under-19 League | Celtic[34] | |
| SPFL Under-19 League Cup | Celtic[35] | ||
| 2014–15 | SPFL Development League West | Airdrieonians[36] | |
| SPFL Development League East | Forfar Athletic[37] | ||
| CAS Under-17 Elite Youth League | Celtic | ||
| 2015–16 | SPFL Development League West | Greenock Morton[38] | |
| SPFL Development League East | Stirling Albion[39] | ||
| CAS Under-17 Elite Youth League | Celtic | ||
| CAS Under-17 Development League | St Johnstone[40] | ||
| 2016–17 | SPFL Development League West | Queen of the South[41] | |
| SPFL Development League East | Raith Rovers[42] | ||
| CAS Under-17 Elite Youth League | Celtic | ||
| CAS Under-17 Development League | St Johnstone | ||
| 2017–18 | SPFL Development League West | Greenock Morton[43] | |
| SPFL Development League East | Raith Rovers[44] | ||
| CAS Under-17 Elite Youth League | Hamilton Academical[45] | ||
| CAS Under-17 Development League | Inverness CT[46] | ||
| 2018–19 | CAS Under-18 Elite Youth League | Rangers | |
| align=center | 2021 - 22 | CAS Under-18 Elite Youth League | Hibernian[47] |
| align=center | 2022 - 23 | CAS Under-18 Elite Youth League | Hamilton Academical[48] |