Scottish League One
The Scottish League One is the third tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish League One was established in July 2013, after the Scottish Professional Football League was formed by a merger of the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League.[1]
Founded | 2013 |
---|---|
Country | Scotland |
Confederation | UEFA |
Number of teams | 10 |
Level on pyramid | 3 |
Promotion to | Scottish Championship |
Relegation to | Scottish League Two |
Domestic cup(s) | Scottish Cup |
League cup(s) | Scottish League Cup Scottish Challenge Cup |
Current champions | Raith Rovers (1st title)[note 1] (2019–20) |
Most championships | Arbroath Ayr United Dunfermline Athletic Greenock Morton Livingston Raith Rovers Rangers (1 title)[note 1] |
TV partners | BBC Alba |
Website | spfl |
Current: 2020–21 Scottish League One |
Format
Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned league champion. If points are equal, the goal difference determines the winner. If this still does not result in a winner, the tied teams must take part in a playoff game at a neutral venue to determine the final placings.[2]
Promotion and relegation
The champions are directly promoted to the Scottish Championship, swapping places with the bottom club of the Championship. The clubs finishing 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 9th in the Championship then enter the two-legged Championship play-off. The 2nd-placed League One club plays the 3rd-placed League One club, whilst the team who finished 4th in League One will play the 9th-placed Championship side. The winners of these ties will then play each other. If a League One play-off winner prevails, that club is promoted, with the Championship club being relegated. If the Championship side is victorious, they then retain their place in the Championship.[3]
The League One play-off system is consistent to its Championship counterpart, in which the bottom club of League One is automatically relegated and the 9th-placed club undergoes a play-off with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed clubs from League Two.[3]
Teams
Listed below are all the teams competing in the 2020–21 Scottish League One season, with details of the first season they entered the third tier; the first season of their current spell in the third tier; and the last time they won the third tier.
Team | Position in 2019–20 | First season in third tier |
First season of current spell in third tier |
Last title (3rd tier) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Airdrieonians | 3rd, Scottish League One | 2002–03 [note 1] | 2013–14 | 2003–04 |
Clyde | 7th, Scottish League One | 1976–77 | 2019–20 | 1999–2000 |
Cove Rangers | Scottish League Two, 1st of 10 (champions) | 2020–21 | 2020–21 | — |
Dumbarton | 6th, Scottish League One | 1954–55 | 2018–19 | 1991–92 |
East Fife | 5th, Scottish League One | 1978–79 | 2016–17 | — |
Falkirk | 2nd, Scottish League One | 1977–78 | 2019–20 | 1979–80 |
Forfar Athletic | 9th, Scottish League One | 1946–47 | 2017–18 | 1983–84 |
Montrose | 4th, Scottish League One | 1923–24 | 2018–19 | 1984–85 |
Partick Thistle | Scottish Championship, 10th of 10 (relegated) | 1998–99 | 2020–21 | 2000–01 |
Peterhead | 8th, Scottish League One | 2005–06 | 2019–20 | — |
- note 1 as Airdrie United
Stadiums
Airdrieonians | Clyde | Cove Rangers | Dumbarton | East Fife |
---|---|---|---|---|
Excelsior Stadium | Broadwood Stadium | Balmoral Stadium | Dumbarton Football Stadium | Bayview Stadium |
Capacity: 10,101[4] | Capacity: 8,086[5] | Capacity: 2,602 | Capacity: 2,020[6] | Capacity: 1,980[7] |
Falkirk | Forfar Athletic | Montrose | Partick Thistle | Peterhead |
---|---|---|---|---|
Falkirk Stadium | Station Park | Links Park | Firhill Stadium | Balmoor |
Capacity: 7,937[8] | Capacity: 6,777[9] | Capacity: 4,936[10] | Capacity: 10,102[11] | Capacity: 3,150[12] |
Statistics
Championships
Season | Winner | Runner-up | Top scorer | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Goals | |||
2013–14 | Rangers | Dunfermline Athletic | Michael Moffat (Ayr United) | 26 |
2014–15 | Greenock Morton | Stranraer | Declan McManus (Greenock Morton) | 20 |
2015–16 | Dunfermline Athletic | Ayr United | Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Dunfermline Athletic) Rory McAllister (Peterhead) |
22 |
2016–17 | Livingston | Alloa Athletic | Andy Ryan (Airdrieonians) | 23 |
2017–18 | Ayr United | Raith Rovers | Lawrence Shankland (Ayr United) | 26 |
2018–19 | Arbroath | Forfar Athletic | Kevin Nisbet (Raith Rovers) | 30 |
2019–20[13] | Raith Rovers | Falkirk | David Goodwillie (Clyde) | 20 |
Top goalscorers
Rank | Player | Club(s)[note 2] | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ryan Wallace | Dunfermline Athletic (2013–2016) Albion Rovers (2016–17) Stranraer (2017) Arbroath (2018–2019) East Fife (2019–) | 62 |
2 | Alan Trouten | Brechin City (2013–2015) Ayr United (2015–2016) Brechin City (2016–2017) Albion Rovers (2017–2018) | 58 |
3 | Liam Buchanan | East Fife (2013–2014) Livingston (2016–2017) Raith Rovers (2017–2019) | 55 |
4 | Michael Moffat | Ayr United (2013–2014) Dunfermline Athletic (2014–2016) Ayr United (2017–2018) | 54 |
5 | Rory McAllister | Peterhead (2014–2017; 2019–2020) | 50 |
Broadcasting rights
Notes
- Scottish League One has only existed since 2013. For a complete record of clubs that have won the Scottish third tier, see List of winners of the Scottish League One and predecessors.
- Clubs only include those where players scored goals in the Scottish League One.
References
- "SPFL: New Scottish league brands unveiled". BBC Sport. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
- "The Rules and Regulations of the Scottish Professional Football League" (PDF). Scottish Professional Football League. 19 January 2016. pp. 36–7. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
- "The Scottish Professional Football League rules". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- "Airdrieonians Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
- "Clyde Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Dumbarton Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "East Fife Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
- "Falkirk Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Forfar Athletic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- "Montrose Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- "Partick Thistle Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- "Peterhead Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Dundee Utd, Raith & Cove win titles & reconstruction talks start after Dundee vote". BBC Sport. BBC. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- "Scottish League One 2013–14". Soccerbase. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- "Scottish League One 2014–15". Soccerbase. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- "Scottish League One 2015–16". Soccerbase. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- "Scottish League One 2016–17". Soccerbase. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- "Scottish League One 2017–18". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- "Scottish League One 2018–19". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
- "Scottish League One 2019–20". Soccerbase. Retrieved 14 August 2019.