A national third tier of Scottish league football was first established in the 1923–24 season as Division Three, but it only lasted for two full seasons due to the costs of meeting match guarantees and travel and other expenses being beyond most member clubs' capacity to pay.
As a result, the third-tier league was dissolved, and would not be re-established until 1946–47 with the C Division, which also included reserve teams of the clubs from the divisions above. Division C operated as a national competition for the first three seasons; thereafter, it was split into two regional sections until season 1954–55, when the third tier was again dissolved.Scottish Football League C Division overview, Scottish Football Historical Archive
The third tier was re-established in 1975–76 season, when a division known as the Second Division was set up. Its status within the Scottish football league system league system changed in season 1998–99, when clubs from the top tier (Premier Division) broke away from the Scottish Football League to form the Scottish Premier League. The Second Division was still the third tier of the Scottish league system, but became the second level of the Scottish Football League rather than the third. In 2013, the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League merged to form the Scottish Professional Football League, with the third tier becoming known as the Scottish League One.
Scottish Football League Division Three (1923–1926) SeasonWinnerRunner-up 1923–24 Arthurlie East Stirlingshire 1924–25 Nithsdale Wanderers Queen of the South 1925–26Championship withheld 1926–1946No third tier
Helensburgh had the most points, whereas Leith Athletic had a better points to match ratio.
Scottish Football League Division C (1946–1955) Scottish Reserve League Competitions Part 2 1945-1955, Scottish Football Historical Archive 1 November 2020The C Division – the “other clubs” division, Alan Bell, via Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database SeasonSectionWinnerRunner-up 1946–47 — Stirling Albion Dundee 'A' 1947–48 — East Stirlingshire East Fife 'A' 1948–49 — Forfar Athletic Leith Athletic1949–50South-East Hibernian 'A' Heart of Midlothian 'A'South-West Clyde 'A' Rangers 'A'1950–51North-East Heart of Midlothian 'A' Aberdeen 'A'South-West Clyde 'A' Ayr United 'A'1951–52North-East Dundee 'A' Heart of Midlothian 'A'South-West Rangers 'A' Morton 'A'1952–53North-East Aberdeen 'A' Hibernian 'A'South-West Rangers 'A' (2) Partick Thistle 'A'1953–54North-East Brechin City Aberdeen 'A'South-West Rangers 'A' (3) Partick Thistle 'A'1954–55North-East Aberdeen 'A' (2) Hibernian 'A'South-West Partick Thistle 'A' Rangers 'A' 1955–1975No third tier
Scottish Football League Second Division (1975–2013) SeasonWinnerRunner-upTop scorerPlayer Goals 1975–76 Clydebank Raith RoversMickey Lawson (Stirling Albion) 18 1976–77 Stirling Albion (2) Alloa AthleticDerek Frye (Stranraer) 24 1977–78 Clyde Raith RoversDerek Frye (Stranraer) 27 1978–79 Berwick Rangers Dunfermline AthleticBruce Cleland (Albion Rovers) 24 1979–80 Falkirk East StirlingshireIan Campbell (Brechin City) 25 1980–81 Queen's Park Queen of the SouthSteve Hancock (Stenhousemuir) 20 1981–82 Clyde (2) Alloa AthleticDanny Masterton (Clyde) 23 1982–83 Brechin City (2) Meadowbank ThistleRowan Alexander (Queen of the South)Ian Campbell (Brechin City) 23 1983–84 Forfar Athletic (2) East FifeJim Liddle (Forfar Athletic) 22 1984–85 Montrose Alloa AthleticBernie Slaven (Albion Rovers) 27 1985–86 Dunfermline Athletic Queen of the SouthPaul Smith (Raith Rovers)Keith Wright (Raith Rovers) 21 1986–87 Meadowbank Thistle Raith RoversJohn Sludden (Ayr United) 26 1987–88 Ayr United St JohnstoneJohn Sludden (Ayr United) 31 1988–89 Albion Rovers Alloa AthleticCharlie Lytwyn (Alloa Athletic) 23 1989–90 Brechin City (3) KilmarnockWillie Watters (Kilmarnock) 23 1990–91 Stirling Albion (3) MontroseMike Hendry (Queen's Park) 17 1991–92 Dumbarton CowdenbeathAndy Thomson (Queen of the South) 26 1992–93 Clyde (3) Brechin CityMiller Mathieson (Stenhousemuir) 26 1993–94 Stranraer Berwick RangersAndy Thomson (Queen of the South) 29 1994–95 Morton DumbartonMartin Mooney (Dumbarton) 17 1995–96 Stirling Albion (4) East FifeSteve McCormick (Stirling Albion) 25 1996–97 Ayr United (2) Hamilton AcademicalPaul Ritchie (Hamilton Academical) 31 1997–98 Stranraer (2) ClydebankIain Stewart (Inverness Caledonian Thistle) 16 1998–99 Livingston (2) Inverness Caledonian ThistleAlex Bone (Stirling Albion) 21 1999–00 Clyde (4) Alloa AthleticAlly Graham (Stirling Albion) 17 2000–01 Partick Thistle ArbroathIsaac English (Stenhousemuir) 18 2001–02 Queen of the South Alloa AthleticJohn O'Neill (Queen of the South)Paul Tosh (Forfar Athletic) 19 2002–03 Raith Rovers Brechin CityChris Templeman (Brechin City) 21 2003–04 Airdrie United Hamilton AcademicalGareth Hutchison (Berwick Rangers) 22 2004–05 Brechin City (4) StranraerPaul Shields (Forfar Athletic) 20 2005–06 Gretna Greenock MortonKenny Deuchar (Gretna) 18 2006–07 Greenock Morton (2) Stirling AlbionIain Russell (Brechin City) 21 2007–08 Ross County Airdrie UnitedAndy Barrowman (Ross County) 24 2008–09 Raith Rovers (2) Ayr UnitedKevin Smith (Raith Rovers) 18 2009–10 Stirling Albion (5) Alloa AthleticRory McAllister (Brechin City) 21 2010–11 Livingston (3) Ayr UnitedMark Roberts (Ayr United)Iain Russell (Livingston) 21 2011–12 Cowdenbeath ArbroathSteven Doris (Arbroath) 21 2012–13 Queen of the South (2) Alloa AthleticNicky Clark (Queen of the South) 32
Scottish League One (2013–) SeasonWinnerRunner-upTop scorerPlayer Goals 2013–14 Rangers Dunfermline AthleticMichael Moffat (Ayr United) 26 2014–15 Greenock Morton (3) StranraerDeclan McManus (Greenock Morton) 20 2015–16 Dunfermline Athletic (2) Ayr UnitedFaissal El Bakhtaoui (Dunfermline Athletic)Rory McAllister (Peterhead) 22 2016–17 Livingston (4) Alloa AthleticAndy Ryan (Airdrieonians) 23 2017–18 Ayr United (3) Raith RoversLawrence Shankland (Ayr United) 26 2018–19 Arbroath Forfar AthleticKevin Nisbet (Raith Rovers) 30 2019–20 Raith Rovers (3) FalkirkDavid Goodwillie (Clyde) 20 2020–21 Partick Thistle (2) Airdrieonians Mitch Megginson (Cove Rangers) 14 2021–22 Cove Rangers Airdrieonians Mitch Megginson (Cove Rangers) 18 2022–23 Dunfermline Athletic (3) FalkirkCallum Gallagher (Airdrieonians)Ruari Paton (Queen of the South) 22 2023–24 Falkirk (2) Hamilton AcademicalCallumn Morrison (Falkirk) 23 2024–25 Arbroath (2) Cove RangersRoss Cunningham (Kelty HeartsMitch Megginson (Cove Rangers) 132025–26Inverness Caledonian ThistleStenhousemuirOli Shaw (Hamilton Academical)19
Total wins 34 different clubs (counting reserve teams separately from first teams) have won the third tier of Scottish football. Three clubs (Clyde, Partick Thistle and Rangers) have won the third tier with both their first team and their reserve team.
Clubs participating in the 2026–27 Scottish League One are denoted in bold type. Clubs no longer active are denoted in italics.
ClubWinnersRunners-upStirling Albion51Brechin City42Livingston41Clyde4—Raith Rovers34Ayr United33Dunfermline Athletic32Rangers 'A'32Greenock Morton31Queen of the South23Aberdeen 'A'22Arbroath22Falkirk22Stranraer22Forfar Athletic21Clyde 'A'2—Partick Thistle2—Airdrieonians13East Stirlingshire12Heart of Midlothian 'A'12Hibernian 'A'12Partick Thistle 'A'12Berwick Rangers11Clydebank11Cove Rangers11Cowdenbeath11Dumbarton11Dundee 'A'11Inverness Caledonian Thistle11Montrose11Albion Rovers1—Arthurlie1—Gretna1—Nithsdale Wanderers1—Queen's Park1—Rangers1—Ross County1—Alloa Athletic—9Hamilton Academical—3East Fife—2Ayr United 'A'—1East Fife 'A'—1Kilmarnock—1Leith Athletic—1Morton 'A'—1Stenhousemuir–1St Johnstone—1
Livingston were known as Meadowbank Thistle between 1974 and 1995 Greenock Morton were known as Morton before 1994 Airdrieonians were known as Airdrie United before 2013
References Specific
General RSSSF – Scotland - Final Tables Third Level 1924-2004 RSSSF – Scotland - List of 3rd Level Champions