The 2017–18 Scottish League Two (known as Ladbrokes League Two for sponsorship reasons) was the 24th season in the current format of 10 teams in the fourth-tier of Scottish football. The last placed team entered a play-off with a team nominated by the Scottish Football Association from outside the SPFL determining which team enters League Two in the 2018–19 season. The fixtures were published on 23 June 2017.
Ten teams contested the league: Annan Athletic, Berwick Rangers, Clyde, Cowdenbeath, Edinburgh City, Elgin City, Montrose, Peterhead, Stenhousemuir and Stirling Albion.
Prize money In April 2018, the SPFL confirmed the prize money to be allocated to the league members at the conclusion of the competitions. The League Two winners would receive £64,000 with a total pot of £24.5 million to be distributed across the four divisions.
Teams The following teams changed division since the 2016–17 season.
To League Two
Relegated from Scottish League One Peterhead Stenhousemuir
From League Two
Promoted to Scottish League One Arbroath Forfar Athletic
Stadia and locations Annan Athletic Berwick Rangers Clyde Cowdenbeath Galabank Shielfield Park Broadwood Stadium Central Park Capacity: 2,504 Capacity: 4,099 Capacity: 8,086 Capacity: 4,309 Edinburgh City Elgin City Ainslie Park Borough Briggs Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 4,520 Montrose Peterhead Stenhousemuir Stirling Albion Links Park Balmoor Ochilview Park Forthbank Stadium Capacity: 4,936 Capacity: 3,150 Capacity: 3,746 Capacity: 3,808
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Annan Athletic Stanno M&S Engineering Ltd Berwick Rangers Mitre JMS Harkin (H) P J Brown (A) Clyde Hummel Advance Construction Group (H) Rock Regen (A) Cowdenbeath Uhlsport Subsea Pressure Controls Edinburgh City Joma CMC Property Elgin City EC 1893 McDonald & Munro Montrose Nike Carnegie Fuels Ltd Peterhead Adidas Independent Oilfield Services Stenhousemuir Mitre Warriors in the Community Stirling Albion Macron Prudential
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Clyde & (joint interim) End of interim 6 May 2017 Pre-season 20 May 2017 Annan Athletic Signed by Clyde 20 May 2017 2 June 2017 Cowdenbeath Signed by Heart of Midlothian 1 July 2017 1 July 2017 Berwick Rangers Sacked 22 August 2017 9th 29 August 2017 Edinburgh City Resigned 30 September 2017 9th 10 October 2017 Elgin City Signed by Forfar Athletic 1 October 2017 6th 12 October 2017 Cowdenbeath Resigned 31 October 2017 10th 14 November 2017 Clyde Sacked 31 October 2017 8th 13 November 2017
League summary
League table
Positions by round The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological progress, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for matchday 13, but then postponed and played between days 16 and 17, it will be added to the standings for day 16.
Leader - Promotion to 2018–19 Scottish League One Qualification to League One play-offs Qualification to League Two play-offs
Team \ Round1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Montrose 2 3 2 2 2 2 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1Peterhead 4 2 3 4 4 3 2 4 3 3 3 3 4 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 2Stirling Albion 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 4 5 5 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3Stenhousemuir 7 7 4 6 3 4 3 2 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 4 4 4 4 Clyde 9 5 8 8 6 8 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 6 4 6 6 5 5 5Elgin City 6 8 6 3 5 7 5 6 5 5 5 5 3 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 4 5 6 6 6Annan Athletic 8 9 7 9 7 6 8 7 6 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 5 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7Berwick Rangers 1 6 9 5 8 5 6 5 7 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8Edinburgh City 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 9Cowdenbeath 5 4 5 7 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Source: Updated: 28 April 2018
Results 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
Second half of season
Season statistics Scoring Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 David GoodwillieClyde252 Darren L. SmithStirling Albion223 Rory McAllisterPeterhead20 Mark McGuiganStenhousemuir5 Blair HendersonAnnan Athletic166 Russell McLeanPeterhead157 Aidan SmithAnnan Athletic128 Lewis MilneMontrose11 Chris TemplemanMontrose10 Brian CameronElgin City10
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ref Blair Henderson Annan Athletic Stenhousemuir 3–1 Russell McLean Peterhead Annan Athletic 3–3 Lewis Milne Montrose Stirling Albion 5–0 Blair Henderson Annan Athletic Stirling Albion 3–1
Discipline
Player
Yellow cards
RankPlayerClubCards1 Kevin NicollClyde132 Peter WatsonAnnan Athletic12 Fraser MullenCowdenbeath4 Steven SwinglehurstAnnan Athletic11 Craig ThomsonEdinburgh City6 Robbie BuchananCowdenbeath10 Kyle MillerCowdenbeath Darryl McHardyElgin City Thomas ReillyElgin City
Red cards
RankPlayerClubCards1 Kevin NicollClyde2224 players1
Club
Yellow cards
RankClubCards1Annan Athletic742Cowdenbeath723Berwick Rangers67
Red cards
RankClubCards1Clyde5Cowdenbeath3Annan Athletic4Edinburgh City
Attendances
Awards
Monthly awards MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthRef.ManagerClubPlayerClubAugust Dave Mackay Stirling Albion Darren L. Smith Stirling Albion September Brown Ferguson Stenhousemuir Mark McGuigan StenhousemuirOctober Gavin Price Elgin City Craig Johnston MontroseNovember Stewart Petrie Montrose Cammy Ballantyne MontroseDecember Jim McInally Peterhead Rory McAllister PeterheadJanuary Jim McInally Peterhead Darren L. Smith Stirling AlbionFebruary Dave Mackay Stirling Albion Peter MacDonald Stirling AlbionMarch Danny Lennon Clyde Chris McStay Clyde
League Two play-offs The first round was contested between the winners of the 2017–18 Highland Football League (Cove Rangers) and the 2017–18 Lowland Football League (Spartans). The winners then played against the bottom club in League Two, and would have been promoted to League Two for the 2018–19 season if they had won.
Due to fixture congestion in the Highland League preventing a champion being crowned in time, the dates for the first round were pushed back a week.
First round
First leg
Second leg
Second round
First leg
Second leg
References