Scottish Championship


The Scottish Championship is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish Championship 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.

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.

Promotion and relegation

The champions are directly promoted to the Scottish Premiership, swapping places with the bottom-ranked club of the Premiership. The clubs finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th then enter the two-legged Premiership play-off. The 3rd-placed club plays the 4th-placed club, with the winner then playing the 2nd-placed club. The winner of that game then plays against the 11th-placed Premiership club. If the Championship play-off winner prevails, the club is promoted and the Premiership club is relegated; otherwise, the Premiership club remains in its league while the Championship club is not promoted.
For promotion and relegation, the Championship play-off system closely mirrors its Premiership counterpart — the bottom-ranked club in the Championship is automatically relegated while the 9th-placed club undergoes a play-off with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed clubs from League One.

Teams

Listed below are all the teams competing in the 2020–21 Scottish Championship season, with details of the first season they entered the second tier; the first season of their current spell in the second tier; and the last time they won the second tier.
TeamPosition in 2019–20First season in
second tier
First season of current
spell in second tier
Last second tier title
Alloa Athletic8th, Scottish Championship1921–222018–191921–22
Arbroath5th, Scottish Championship1921–222019–20
Ayr United4th, Scottish Championship1910–112018–191965–66
Dundee3rd, Scottish Championship1938–392019–202013–14
Dunfermline Athletic6th, Scottish Championship1912–132016–172010–11
Greenock Morton7th, Scottish Championship1893–942015–161986–87
Heart of Midlothian12th, Scottish Premiership 1977–782020–212014–15
Inverness Caledonian Thistle2nd, Scottish Championship1999–002017–182009–10
Queen of the South9th, Scottish Championship1923–242012–131950–51
Raith Rovers1st, Scottish League One 1902–032020–211994–95

Stadiums

Alloa AthleticArbroathAyr UnitedDundeeDunfermline Athletic
Recreation ParkGayfield ParkSomerset ParkDens ParkEast End Park
Capacity: Capacity: Capacity: Capacity: Capacity:

Greenock MortonHeart of MidlothianInverness Caledonian ThistleQueen of the SouthRaith Rovers
Cappielow ParkTynecastle ParkCaledonian StadiumPalmerston ParkStark's Park
Capacity: Capacity: Capacity: Capacity: Capacity:

Statistics

Championships

Records and awards

; Biggest home win: Heart of Midlothian 10–0 Cowdenbeath, 28 February 2015
; Biggest away win: Dumbarton 0–6 Rangers, 2 January 2016;
; Most points in a season: 91; Heart of Midlothian, 2014–15
; Fewest points in a season: 4; Brechin City, 2017–18
; Fewest goals scored in a season: 20; Brechin City, 2017–18
; Most goals scored in a season: 96; Heart of Midlothian, 2014–15
; Most goals conceded in a season: 90; Brechin City, 2017–18
; Fewest goals conceded in a season: 25; Hibernian, 2016–17
; Highest attendance: 50,349; Rangers 1–1 Alloa Athletic, 23 April 2016
; Lowest attendance: 318; Cowdenbeath 3–0 Greenock Morton, 25 March 2014

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1Stephen DobbieQueen of the South 66
2Lawrence ShanklandSt Mirren
Greenock Morton
Ayr United
Dundee United
62
3Jason CummingsHibernian 55
4Nicky ClarkRangers
Dunfermline Athletic
Dundee United
54
5Derek LyleQueen of the South 51

Broadcasting rights