2023–24_Scottish_League_One
2023–24 Scottish League One
Football league season
The 2023–24 Scottish League One (known as cinch League One for sponsorship reasons) was the eleventh season of Scottish League One, the third tier of Scottish football. The season began on 5 August 2023.[1]
Quick Facts Season, Dates ...
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 5 August 2023 – 4 May 2024 |
| Champions | Falkirk |
| Promoted | Falkirk Hamilton Academical (via play-offs) |
| Relegated | Stirling Albion (via play-offs) Edinburgh City |
| Matches played | 180 |
| Goals scored | 572 (3.18 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Callumn Morrison 23 goals |
| Biggest home win | Hamilton Academical 5–0 Annan Athletic (29 September 2023) Hamilton Academical 5–0 Stirling Albion (11 November 2023) Hamilton Academical 5–0 Queen of the South (2 December 2023) Cove Rangers 7–2 Edinburgh City (23 December 2023) Falkirk 5–0 Stirling Albion (30 December 2023) Stirling Albion 5–0 Kelty Hearts (27 January 2024) |
| Biggest away win | Montrose 1–7 Falkirk (30 March 2024) |
| Highest scoring | Cove Rangers 7–2 Edinburgh City (23 December 2023) |
| Longest winning run | Cove Rangers Falkirk 7 games |
| Longest unbeaten run | Falkirk 36 games |
| Longest winless run | Edinburgh City 17 games |
| Longest losing run | Edinburgh City 7 games |
| Highest attendance | 7,272 Falkirk 2–2 Alloa Athletic (4 May 2024) |
| Lowest attendance | 226 Edinburgh City 1–4 Kelty Hearts (7 October 2023) |
| Total attendance | 214,508 |
| Average attendance | 1,191 |
← 2022–23 2024–25 →
All statistics correct as of 4 May 2024. | |
Close
Ten teams contested the league: Alloa Athletic, Annan Athletic, Cove Rangers, Edinburgh City, Falkirk, Hamilton Academical, Kelty Hearts, Montrose, Queen of the South and Stirling Albion.
The following teams changed division after the 2022–23 season.
To League OnePromoted from League Two Relegated from the Championship |
From League OneRelegated to League Two Promoted to the Championship
|
Stadia and locations
More information Alloa Athletic, Annan Athletic ...
| Alloa Athletic | Annan Athletic | Cove Rangers | Edinburgh City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreation Park | Galabank | Balmoral Stadium | Meadowbank Stadium |
| Capacity: 3,100[4] | Capacity: 2,504[5] | Capacity: 3,023[6] | Capacity: 1,280[7] |
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| Falkirk |
 Location of teams in 2023–24 Scottish League One |
Hamilton Academical | |
| Falkirk Stadium | New Douglas Park | ||
| Capacity: 7,937[8] | Capacity: 6,018[9] | ||
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| Kelty Hearts | Montrose | Queen of the South | Stirling Albion |
| New Central Park | Links Park | Palmerston Park | Forthbank Stadium |
| Capacity: 2,181[10] | Capacity: 4,936[11] | Capacity: 8,690[12] | Capacity: 3,808[13] |
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Personnel and kits
More information Team, Manager ...
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alloa Athletic |  Andy Graham |
Scott Taggart |
Pendle | Northern Gas and Power |
| Annan Athletic |  Peter Murphy |
 Steven Swinglehurst |
EV2 Sportswear | M & S Engineering |
| Cove Rangers | Paul Hartley |
Mitch Megginson |
Adidas | ACE Group |
| Edinburgh City | Michael McIndoe |
 Alieu Faye |
Hummel | AMG Construction Group |
| Falkirk | John McGlynn |
Stephen McGinn |
O'Neills | Crunchy Carrots |
| Hamilton Academical | John Rankin |
Scott Martin |
LF Sports | Active Access |
| Kelty Hearts | Michael Tidser |
Reece Lyon |
Umbro | I-Scaff Access Solutions |
| Montrose | Stewart Petrie |
Paul Watson |
Uhlsport | Montrose Port Authority (Home) InterMoor (Away) |
| Queen of the South | Marvin Bartley |
Josh Todd |
Macron | Blinds by Mark McGowan |
| Stirling Albion | Darren Young |
Ross McGeachie |
Joma | Prudential |
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Managerial changes
More information Team, Outgoing manager ...
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelty Hearts | John Potter |
Appointed Raith Rovers technical director | 12 May 2023[14] | Pre-season | Michael Tidser |
17 May 2023[15] |
| Edinburgh City | Alan Maybury |
Mutual consent | 3 October 2023[16] | 10th | Michael McIndoe |
9 October 2023[17] |
| Alloa Athletic | Brian Rice |
Appointed Livingston coach | 9 November 2023 | 6th | Andy Graham |
15 November 2023 |
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More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falkirk (C, P) | 36 | 27 | 9 | 0 | 96 | 28 | +68 | 90 | Promotion to the Championship |
| 2 | Hamilton Academical (O, P) | 36 | 22 | 8 | 6 | 73 | 28 | +45 | 74 | Qualification for the Championship play-offs |
| 3 | Alloa Athletic | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 60 | 55 | +5 | 56 | |
| 4 | Montrose | 36 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 58 | 57 | +1 | 53 | |
| 5 | Cove Rangers | 36 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 58 | 63 | −5 | 49 | |
| 6 | Kelty Hearts | 36 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 48 | 63 | −15 | 44 | |
| 7 | Queen of the South | 36 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 46 | 53 | −7 | 41 | |
| 8 | Annan Athletic | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 55 | 68 | −13 | 39 | |
| 9 | Stirling Albion (R) | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 39 | 58 | −19 | 39 | Qualification for the League One play-offs |
| 10 | Edinburgh City (R) | 36 | 3 | 5 | 28 | 38 | 98 | −60 | 8[lower-alpha 1] | Relegation to League Two |
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Source: [19]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-to head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Play-off (only for deciding promotion, play-off participation and relegation).[20]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-to head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Play-off (only for deciding promotion, play-off participation and relegation).[20]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- On 25 January 2024, Edinburgh City were deducted 6 points, having failed to pay its players’ wages on time and defaulting its tax obligations to HMRC, as well as not engaging fully in the disciplinary process leading to further breaches of SPFL Rules.[18]
Teams play each other four times, twice in the first half of the season (home and away) and twice in the second half of the season (home and away), making a total of 180 games, with each team playing 36.
First half of season (Matches 1–18)
More information Home \ Away, ALO ...
| Home \ Away | ALO | ANN | COV | EDI | FAL | HAM | KEL | MON | QOS | STI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alloa Athletic | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| Annan Athletic | 1–1 | — | 1–3 | 3–2 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 3–0 |
| Cove Rangers | 1–2 | 3–2 | — | 7–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 |
| Edinburgh City | 3–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | — | 0–2 | 0–3 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 1–2 | 1–3 |
| Falkirk | 3–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 |
| Hamilton Academical | 2–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 5–0 |
| Kelty Hearts | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | — | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 |
| Montrose | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 5–2 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 0–2 | — | 1–4 | 1–0 |
| Queen of the South | 3–4 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–3 | — | 0–1 |
| Stirling Albion | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — |
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Source: [21]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Second half of season (Matches 19–36)
More information Home \ Away, ALO ...
| Home \ Away | ALO | ANN | COV | EDI | FAL | HAM | KEL | MON | QOS | STI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alloa Athletic | — | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 0–5 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 |
| Annan Athletic | 2–3 | — | 4–2 | 3–0 | 3–3 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 |
| Cove Rangers | 2–3 | 2–1 | — | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 4–2 |
| Edinburgh City | 2–5 | 1–2 | 0–2 | — | 2–2 | 2–5 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| Falkirk | 2–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–1 | — | 3–2 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 5–0 |
| Hamilton Academical | 1–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | — | 4–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 |
| Kelty Hearts | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–5 | — | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Montrose | 4–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–7 | 1–2 | 4–2 | — | 3–2 | 0–1 |
| Queen of the South | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–3 | — | 2–2 |
| Stirling Albion | 1–5 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | — |
Close
Source: [21]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Scoring
Top scorers
More information Rank, Player ...
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Callumn Morrison |
Falkirk | 23 |
| 2 | Rumarn Burrell |
Cove Rangers | 21 |
| 3 | Ross MacIver |
Falkirk | 14 |
| Kevin O'Hara |
Hamilton Academical | ||
| 5 | Bobby Wales |
Alloa Athletic | 12 |
| Aidan Nesbitt |
Falkirk |
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More information Month, Manager of the Month ...
| Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Club | Player | Club | |
| August | John Rankin |
Hamilton Academical | Jamie Smith |
Hamilton Academical |
| September | John McGlynn |
Falkirk | Callumn Morrison |
Falkirk |
| October | Kyle MacDonald |
Hamilton Academical | ||
| November | Paul Hartley |
Cove Rangers | Rumarn Burrell |
Cove Rangers |
| December | John McGlynn |
Falkirk | ||
| January | Calvin Miller |
Falkirk | ||
| February | Andy Graham |
Alloa Athletic | Taylor Steven |
Alloa Athletic |
| March | John McGlynn |
Falkirk | Callumn Morrison |
Falkirk |
| April | Aidan Smith |
Annan Athletic | ||
Close
Bracket
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Stirling Albion | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| 4 | Dumbarton | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||
| Dumbarton | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||
| The Spartans | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 3 | The Spartans | 2 | 5 | 7 | |||||||||
| 2 | Peterhead | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
Semi-finals
First leg
Dumbarton v Stirling Albion
| 7 May 2024 | Dumbarton | 2–1 | Stirling Albion | Dumbarton |
| 19:45 | Hilton  12'T.Wallace 84' (pen.) |
Hilson 27' |
Stadium: Dumbarton Football Stadium Attendance: 900 Referee: Ross Hardie |
The Spartans v Peterhead
| 7 May 2024 | The Spartans | 2–1 | Peterhead | Edinburgh |
| 19:45 | Watson 17' Henderson 90' (pen.) |
O'Keefe 8' |
Stadium: Ainslie Park Attendance: 843 Referee: Dan McFarlane |
Second leg
Peterhead v The Spartans
| 11 May 2024 | Peterhead | 1–5 (2–7 agg.) | The Spartans | Peterhead |
| 15:00 | Strachan 66' |
Russell 3' Henderson 30', 67' (pen.), 78'Whyte 62' |
Stadium: Balmoor Stadium Attendance: 947 Referee: Iain Snedden |
Stirling Albion v Dumbarton
| 11 May 2024 | Stirling Albion | 0–0 (1–2 agg.) | Dumbarton | Stirling |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Forthbank Stadium Attendance: 1,087 Referee: Lloyd Wilson |
Final
First leg
Dumbarton v The Spartans
| 14 May 2024 | Dumbarton | 2–1 | The Spartans | Dumbarton |
| 19:30 | Wallace 21' Gray 29' |
Sonkur 48' |
Stadium: Dumbarton Football Stadium Attendance: 850 Referee: Steven Kirkland |
Second leg
The Spartans v Dumbarton
| 17 May 2024 | The Spartans | 2–2 (3–4 agg.) | Dumbarton | Edinburgh |
| 19:30 | Russell 3' Henderson 90+4' (pen.) |
Ruth 5', 53' |
Stadium: Ainslie Park Attendance: 2,281 Referee: Grant Irvine |
- "Key dates for Season 2023/24". SPFL. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- Lindsay, Clive (22 April 2023). "Scottish League 2: Stirling Albion aim to avoid Yo-Yo return after title win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- Lindsay, Clive (17 April 2023). "What now for Dunfermline Athletic after promotion?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- "Alloa Athletic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Annan Athletic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Cove Rangers Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- "Edinburgh City". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
- "Falkirk Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Hamilton Academical Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Kelty Hearts Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- "Montrose Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Queen of the South Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Stirling Albion Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "John Potter announced as Technical Director". Raith Rovers FC. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
- "Kelty Hearts: Michael Tidser officially unveiled as new manager". Dunfermline Press. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
- "Edinburgh City part ways with manager Alan Maybury after poor start to the season". Edinburgh Evening News. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- "Michael McIndoe announced as Edinburgh City's new manager". Edinburgh Evening News. 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- Edinburgh City will not appeal against six-point deduction over late payments, Brian McLauchlin, BBC Sport, 29 January 2024
- "cinch League One Table". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- "The Rules of the Scottish Professional Football League" (PDF). SPFL. pp. 38–39. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- "cinch League One Results". SPFL. Retrieved 4 May 2024.