2020–21 Scottish Championship
The 2020–21 Scottish Championship is the eighth season of the Scottish Championship, the second tier of Scottish football.
Season | 2020–21 |
---|---|
Dates | 16 October 2020 – 30 April 2021 |
Matches played | 67 |
Goals scored | 210 (3.13 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Liam Boyce (9 goals)[1] |
← 2019–20 2021–22 →
All statistics correct as of 5 February 2021. |
Ten teams contest the league: Alloa Athletic, Arbroath, Ayr United, Dundee, Dunfermline Athletic, Greenock Morton, Heart of Midlothian, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Queen of the South and Raith Rovers.
In June 2020, eight of the ten clubs voted in favour of shortening the season from the usual 36 games to 27 (playing each other three times), with the season starting on 16 October 2020.[2] This was done to reduce costs in light of the coronavirus pandemic.[2]
Teams
The following teams changed division after the 2019–20 season.[3]
Stadia and locations
Alloa Athletic | Arbroath | Ayr United | Dundee |
---|---|---|---|
Recreation Park | Gayfield Park | Somerset Park | Dens Park |
Capacity: 3,100[4] | Capacity: 6,600[5] | Capacity: 10,185[6] | Capacity: 11,506[7] |
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Dunfermline Athletic |
Location of teams in 2020–21 Scottish Championship |
Greenock Morton | |
East End Park | Cappielow | ||
Capacity: 11,480[8] | Capacity: 11,589[9] | ||
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Heart of Midlothian | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Queen of the South | Raith Rovers |
Tynecastle Park | Caledonian Stadium | Palmerston Park | Stark's Park |
Capacity: 19,852[10] | Capacity: 7,750[11] | Capacity: 8,690[12] | Capacity: 8,867[13] |
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Personnel and kits
Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alloa Athletic | ![]() |
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Pendle | Northern Gas and Power |
Arbroath | ![]() |
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Pendle[16] | Megatech[16] |
Ayr United | ![]() |
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Hummel[17] | Bitcoin BCH[18] |
Dundee | ![]() |
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Macron[19] | Crown Engineering Services[20] |
Dunfermline Athletic | ![]() |
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Joma[22] | SRJ Windows[22] |
Greenock Morton | ![]() |
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est 1874 | Millions[23] |
Heart of Midlothian | ![]() |
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Umbro | Save the Children |
Inverness CT | ![]() |
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Puma[24] | ILI Group[24] |
Queen of the South | ![]() |
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Macron[26] | BB Body Repairers |
Raith Rovers | ![]() |
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Joma[27] | valmcdermid.com[27](Home) TAG (Away) |
Managerial changes
Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heart of Midlothian | ![]() |
End of contract | 21 June 2020[28] | Pre-season | ![]() |
21 June 2020[29] |
Greenock Morton | ![]() |
Resigned | 10 December 2020[30] | 7th | ![]() |
10 December 2020[30] |
League summary
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Heart of Midlothian | 15 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 41 | 17 | +24 | 36 | Promotion to the Premiership |
2 | Dunfermline Athletic | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 24 | 15 | +9 | 24 | Qualification for the Premiership play-off semi-final |
3 | Raith Rovers | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 28 | 22 | +6 | 21 | Qualification for the Premiership play-off quarter-final |
4 | Dundee | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 20 | |
5 | Ayr United | 14 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 18 | +2 | 17 | |
6 | Greenock Morton | 14 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 18 | −5 | 17 | |
7 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 15 | +3 | 14 | |
8 | Queen of the South | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 30 | −11 | 14 | |
9 | Arbroath | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 19 | −9 | 11 | Qualification for the Championship play-offs |
10 | Alloa Athletic | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 13 | 32 | −19 | 8 | Relegation to League One |
Results
Teams play each other three times, twice in the first two thirds of the season (home and away) and once in the last third of the season, making a total of 135 games, with each team playing 27.
First two thirds of season (Matches 1–18)
Last third of season (Matches 19–27)
Season statistics
Top scorers
- As of 5 February 2021
Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Hearts | 9 |
2 | ![]() |
Dundee | 7 |
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Dunfermline Athletic | ||
4 | ![]() |
Queen of the South | 6 |
5 | ![]() |
Ayr United | 5 |
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Dundee | ||
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Hearts | ||
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Raith Rovers |
Source:[1]
Hat-tricks
Player | For | Against | Score | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
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Dunfermline Athletic | Alloa Athletic | 4–1 (A) | 24 October 2020 |
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Dundee | Queen of the South | 3–1 (A) | 26 December 2020 |
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Hearts | Arbroath | 3–1 (H) | 29 December 2020 |
Attendances
Games are mostly being played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited attendance is allowed at some grounds with strict conditions under the Scottish Government Tier system, dependent on the club's geographical location.
Awards
Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manager | Club | Player | Club | ||
October | ![]() |
Dunfermline Athletic | ![]() |
Dunfermline Athletic | |
November | ![]() |
Dunfermline Athletic | ![]() |
Dunfermline Athletic | |
December | ![]() |
Heart of Midlothian | ![]() |
Dundee | |
January | |||||
February | |||||
March | |||||
April |
References
- "Scottish Championship Top Scorers". BBC. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- Idessane, Kheredine (14 June 2020). "Scottish Championship clubs vote for 27-game season starting in October". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "Dundee Utd, Raith & Cove win titles and reconstruction talks start after Dundee vote". BBC Sport. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- "Alloa Athletic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Arbroath Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Ayr United Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Dundee Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Dunfermline Athletic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Greenock Morton Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Heart of Midlothian Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- "Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Queen of the South Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- "Raith Rovers Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- Hall, Jamie (27 June 2017). "Goodwin's delight in landing midfielder Thomas Grant". Alloa Advertiser. Newsquest. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- Johnstone, Darren (30 January 2016). "Arbroath captain Mark Whatley insists play-offs firmly in Red Litchties' sights". Deadline News. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- "New strips – sneak peak!". Arbroath FC. 24 June 2017. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- "Hummel partner club in record deal". Ayr United FC. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- "New sponsor announced". Ayr United F.C. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- "Dee sign with Macron". dundeefc.co.uk. 14 January 2019.
- "Crown Engineering Services become main club sponsor". dundeefc.co.uk. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- "Captain and vice-captain appointed". Dunfermline Athletic FC. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- "Away kit launched". Dunfermline Athletic F.C. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
- Mitchell, Jonathan (7 April 2017). "Order the new tartan away kit today". Greenock Morton F.C. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- "New partners and new kit for season 2020-21". Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- "Report - Stranrer 14.7.18". Queen of the South F.C. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
- "Introducing ... 2017/18 kit". Queen of the South F.C. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- "introducing our 2020-21 home kit". Raith Rovers FC. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- "Robbie Neilson: Hearts name Dundee Utd boss to replace Daniel Stendel". BBC. 21 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- "Robbie Neilson: Hearts name Dundee Utd boss to replace Daniel Stendel". BBC. 21 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- "Greenock Morton: David Hopkin quits in 'selfless act' to save money". BBC. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- "The Rules of the Scottish Professional Football League" (PDF). SPFL. pp. 38–39. Retrieved 20 October 2019.