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Scottish League One

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Scottish League One
Founded2013; 11 years ago (2013)
CountryScotland
ConfederationUEFA
Number of clubs10
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toScottish Championship
Relegation toScottish League Two
Domestic cup(s)Scottish Cup
League cup(s)Scottish League Cup
Scottish Challenge Cup
Current championsFalkirk (1st title)[note 1]
(2023–24)
Most championshipsDunfermline Athletic (2 titles)[note 1]
TV partnersBBC Alba
Websitespfl.co.uk
Current: 2024–25 Scottish League One

The Scottish League One, known as William Hill League One for sponsorship reasons,[1] 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.[2]

Format

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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.[3]

Promotion and relegation

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The champions are directly promoted to the Scottish Championship, swapping places with the bottom club of the championship.[3] The clubs finishing 2nd, 3rd, 4th in League One, and the 9th placed team 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]

For promotion and relegation, the League One play-off system closely mirrors 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

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Listed below are all the teams competing in the 2024–25 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 2023–24 First season in
third tier 		First season of current
spell in third tier 		Last title (3rd tier)
Alloa Athletic 3rd, Scottish League One 1975–76 2021–22 —
Annan Athletic 8th, Scottish League One 2023–24 2023–24 —
Arbroath 10th, Scottish Championship (relegated) 1986–87 2024–25 2018–19
Cove Rangers 5th, Scottish League One 2020–21 2023–24 2021–22
Dumbarton 4th, Scottish League Two (promoted) 1954–55 2024–25 1991–92
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 9th, Scottish Championship (relegated) 1997–98 2024–25 —
Kelty Hearts 6th, Scottish League One 2022–23 2022–23 —
Montrose 4th, Scottish League One 1923–24 2018–19 1984–85
Queen of the South 7th, Scottish League One 1923–24 2022–23 2012–13
Stenhousemuir 1st, Scottish League Two (promoted) 1974–75 2024–25 —

Stadiums

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See also: List of Scottish Professional Football League stadiums
Alloa Athletic Annan Athletic Arbroath Cove Rangers Dumbarton
Recreation Park Galabank Gayfield Park Balmoral Stadium Dumbarton Football Stadium
Capacity: 3,100[4] Capacity: 2,504 Capacity: 6,600[5] Capacity: 3,023 Capacity: 2,020[6]
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Kelty Hearts Montrose Queen of the South Stenhousemuir
Caledonian Stadium New Central Park Links Park Palmerston Park Ochilview
Capacity: 7,512[7] Capacity: 2,181[8] Capacity: 4,936[9] Capacity: 8,690[10] Capacity: 3,746[11]

Statistics

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Championships

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Main article: List of winners of the Scottish League One and predecessors
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[12] Raith Rovers Falkirk David Goodwillie (Clyde) 20
2020–21 Partick Thistle Airdrieonians Mitch Megginson (Cove Rangers) 14
2021–22 Cove Rangers Airdrieonians Mitch Megginson (Cove Rangers) 18
2022–23 Dunfermline Athletic Falkirk Callum Gallagher (Airdrieonians)
Ruari Paton (Queen of the South) 		22
2023–24 Falkirk Hamilton Academical Callumn Morrison (Falkirk) 23

Top goalscorers

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As of 29 September 2023[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]
Rank Player Club(s)[note 2] Goals
1 Rory McAllister Peterhead (2014–2017; 2019–2020)
Cove Rangers (2020–2022)
Montrose (2022–2023) 		83
2 Calum Gallagher Rangers (2013–2014)
Dumbarton (2018–2019)
Airdrieonians (2019–2023)		 68
Ryan Wallace Dunfermline Athletic (2013–2016)
Albion Rovers (2016–17)
Stranraer (2017)
Arbroath (2018–2019)
East Fife (2019–2022)
4 Alan Trouten Brechin City (2013–2015)
Ayr United (2015–2016)
Brechin City (2016–2017)
Albion Rovers (2017–2018)
Alloa Athletic (2021–2022)		 58
5 Liam Buchanan East Fife (2013–2014)
Livingston (2016–2017)
Raith Rovers (2017–2019)		 55

Italics denotes players still playing football,
Bold denotes players still playing in Scottish League One.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b 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.
  2. ^ Clubs only include those where players scored goals in the Scottish League One.

References

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  1. ^ "WILLIAM HILL AND SPFL AGREE LANDMARK TITLE SPONSORSHIP DEAL". spfl.co.uk. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  2. ^ "SPFL: New Scottish league brands unveiled". BBC Sport. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d "The Rules and Regulations of the Scottish Professional Football League" (PDF). Scottish Professional Football League. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Alloa Athletic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  5. ^ "Arbroath Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  6. ^ "Dumbarton Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  7. ^ "Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Kelty Hearts Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Montrose Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  10. ^ "Queen of the South Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  11. ^ "Stenhousemuir Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  12. ^ "Dundee Utd, Raith & Cove win titles & reconstruction talks start after Dundee vote". BBC Sport. BBC. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Scottish League One 2013–14". Soccerbase. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  14. ^ "Scottish League One 2014–15". Soccerbase. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  15. ^ "Scottish League One 2015–16". Soccerbase. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  16. ^ "Scottish League One 2016–17". Soccerbase. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  17. ^ "Scottish League One 2017–18". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  18. ^ "Scottish League One 2018–19". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  19. ^ "Scottish League One 2019–20". Soccerbase. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Scottish League One 2020–21". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  21. ^ "Scottish League One 2021–22". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  22. ^ "Scottish League One 2022–23". Soccerbase. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  23. ^ "Scottish League One 2023–24". Soccerbase. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
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