From the 1968 merger until 1982, a three-division setup was in operation, organised on merit (i.e a hierarchy with promotion and relegation between them, rather than three sections of equal prominence split geographically) but with an end-of-season playoff between the three divisional winners to determine the overall champion who won the "Evening Times Trophy", resulting in six of those fourteen seasons being won by the 'B Division' winners, and one – 1979–80 – in which the 'C Division' winners, Blantyre Victoria, were declared champions.