Shetland Islands - List of Champions

The first match under association rules on the Shetlands took place in July 1887, at the Bellevue in Lerwick, local side Lerwick FC defeating "strangers" 2-1; in 1894, Lerwick FC defeated a team from the HMS Onyx 3-1. Other football teams mentioned in the last few years of the 19th century included Rechabites, Oddfellows, Single and Married Men, HMS Niger, the gunboat Cockchafer, the cutter Active, HMS Severn and Lerwick Juniors; more relevant were the first appearances of Viking FC and Scalloway Athletic ([Pet 89]).

NB: in 1931/32, Lerwick Celtic FC won the Flag League.
 
1934    Lerwick Thistle FC  
1935-45   not known
1946    Scalloway FC
1947-57   not known
1958    Ness United
1959      not known
1960    Scalloway FC
1961-64   not known
1965    Scalloway FC
1966-74   not known
Premier League
1975    Scalloway FC
1976    Lerwick Spurs FC
1977    Scalloway FC
1978    Whitedale FC
1979    Whitedale FC         
1980    Toft FC
1981    Whitedale FC        
1982    Whitedale FC
1983    Whitedale FC
1984    Lerwick Spurs FC
1985    Lerwick Thistle FC  
1986    Whitedale FC     
1987    Whitedale FC
1988    Lerwick Spurs FC
1989    Lerwick Spurs FC      (Whalsay FC finished fifth; Scalloway FC third from bottom)
1990    Whitedale FC
1991    Lerwick Spurs FC
1992    Lerwick Thistle FC  
1993    Lerwick Thistle FC  
1994    Lerwick Celtic FC  
1995    Lerwick Thistle FC  
1996    Lerwick Thistle FC  
1997    Lerwick Thistle FC  
1998    Lerwick Thistle FC  
1999    Delting FC       
2000    Lerwick Thistle FC  
2001    Whalsay FC
2002    Delting FC 
2003    Delting FC 
2004    Delting FC 
2005    Delting FC 
2006    Delting FC 
2007    Delting FC 
2008    Delting FC 
2009    Whalsay FC  
2010    Whalsay FC  
2011    Whalsay FC  
2012    Lerwick Spurs FC
2013    Lerwick Spurs FC
2014    Lerwick Spurs FC
2015    Lerwick Celtic FC  
2016    Lerwick Spurs FC 
2017    Whitedale FC
2018    Whitedale FC
2019    Lerwick Spurs FC 
2020      not contested
2021    Lerwick Spurs FC 
2022    Ness United
2023    Lerwick Spurs FC 
2024    Lerwick Celtic FC  
2025    Lerwick Spurs FC     

Number of Titles (50; since 1975 (introduction Premier League))

13 Lerwick Spurs FC 

10 Whitedale FC

 8 Delting FC 
   Lerwick Thistle FC 

 4 Whalsay FC

 3 Lerwick Celtic FC

 2 Scalloway FC

 1 Ness United
   Toft FC

Various Other Leagues

Viking League
        Champions           Challenge Cup Winners
1977    S.I.C.              Norscot
1978    Norscot             S.I.C.
1979    Banks                 not held
1980    Norscot             Truckers 
1981    Banks               Sandwick
1982    Police              Banks
1983    Scalloway Legion    Delting
1984    Scalloway Legion    Banks
1985    Police              Delting
1986    Scalloway Legion    Truckers
NB: In 1987, the Viking League amalgamated with Shetland FA to make a 1st and a 2nd Division format.

Westside League
NB: started in the early 1970s; league apparently played as single round robin
        Single League       Westside Shield
1981    Whitedale           
1982    Whitedale          
1983    West United          
1984    Spurs 'B'           Whitedale
1985    S.V.T.              S.V.T.
1986    Burra               Whitedale
1987    Scalloway Legion    Burra

Works League
        Double League       Knock-out  
1984    O.I.L.              O.I.L.         
1985    S.V.T.              Shetland Times 
1986    O.I.L.              Mean Machine          
1987    Shetland Times      Mean Machine

About this document

Thanks to Davy Macdonald for a correction

Sources: [Pet 89], Lerwick Thistle, Delting, http://www.calciomondialeweb.it/

Prepared and maintained by Hans Schöggl for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Hans Schöggl
Last updated: 11 Sep 2025