Irn Bru Scottish Third Division
Season2011–12
ChampionsAlloa Athletic
PromotedAlloa Athletic
Stranraer
Relegatedn/a
Matches played180
Goals scored581 (3.23 per match)
Top goalscorerMartin Boyle (22)
Biggest home winAlloa Athletic 8–1 Elgin City
(7 April 2012)
Biggest away winMontrose 0–6 Stranraer
(27 August 2011)
Highest scoringEast Stirlingshire 6–3 Peterhead
(3 March 2012)
Alloa Athletic 8–1 Elgin City
(7 April 2012)
Longest winning run7 games
Alloa Athletic
Longest unbeaten run15 games
Alloa Athletic
Longest winless run12 games
East Stirlingshire
Longest losing run10 games
East Stirlingshire
Highest attendance2,551[1]
Alloa Athletic v Annan Athletic
(5 May 2012)
Lowest attendance215[2]
East Stirlingshire v Annan Athletic
(3 December 2011)
Average attendance475[3]

The 2011–12 Scottish Football League Third Division (also known as the 2011–12 Irn Bru Scottish Football League Third Division for sponsorship reasons) was the 17th season in the current format of 10 teams in the fourth-tier of Scottish football. The season started on 6 August 2011 and finished on 5 May 2012.[4]

Alloa Athletic secured the Third Division title on 7 April 2012, ending their one-year spell in the bottom tier of the Scottish Football League. A second promotion place is available through the play-offs which will be contested by runners-up Queen's Park along with Stranraer, Elgin City, and Albion Rovers of the Second Division. There is no relegation from this division but East Stirlingshire finished bottom for the sixth time in 10 years.

Teams

A total of 10 teams competed in the league, including eight sides from the previous season and the two teams relegated from the 2010–11 Scottish Second Division.

Arbroath as champions of the 2010–11 season were directly promoted to the 2011–12 Scottish Second Division.[5] Thus completing only a one-year stay in the bottom tier of the Scottish Football League. In the process, winning the club's first ever senior silverware since the club was founded in 1878 − 133 years ago. They were replaced by Peterhead who finished bottom of the 2010–11 Scottish Second Division, relegated for the first time since joining the Scottish Football League in 2000.[5]

A second promotion place was available via a play-off tournament between the ninth-placed team of the 2010–11 Scottish Second Division, Alloa Athletic, and the sides ranked second, third and fourth of the 2010–11 Scottish Third Division; Albion Rovers, Queen's Park and Annan Athletic respectively. The play off was won by Albion Rovers who defeated Annan Athletic in the final. Alloa Athletic were therefore relegated.[5]

Stadia and locations

Team Location Stadium Capacity[6] Average[3]
Alloa AthleticAlloaRecreation Park3,100672
Annan AthleticAnnanGalabank2,007473
Berwick RangersBerwick-upon-TweedShielfield Park4,065396
ClydeCumbernauldBroadwood8,006566
East StirlingshireStenhousemuirOchilview Park[A]3,746321
Elgin CityElginBorough Briggs3,927628
MontroseMontroseLinks Park3,292335
PeterheadPeterheadBalmoor3,150488
Queen's ParkGlasgowHampden Park52,025519
StranraerStranraerStair Park6,250354

A.^ East Stirlingshire ground shared with Stenhousemuir.[7]

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
Alloa Athletic Scotland Paul Hartley Pendle mte
Annan Athletic Scotland Harry Cairney Stanno M&S Engineering
Berwick Rangers Scotland Jimmy Crease Zoo Sport JB Site Investigations
Clyde Scotland Jim Duffy Joma Floortel
East Stirlingshire Scotland John Coughlin Jako Foxlane
Elgin City Scotland Ross Jack Hummel
Montrose Scotland Ray Farningham Nike Fotheringham Property Developments
Peterhead Scotland Jim McInally Umbro Bon Accord Glass
Queen's Park Scotland Gardner Speirs Joma Irn-Bru
Stranraer Scotland Keith Knox Stanno Stena Line

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification
1 Alloa Athletic (C, P) 36 23 8 5 70 39 +31 77 Promotion to the Second Division
2 Queen's Park 36 19 6 11 70 48 +22 63 Qualification for the Second Division Play-offs
3 Stranraer (P) 36 17 7 12 77 57 +20 58[lower-alpha 1]
4 Elgin City 36 16 9 11 68 60 +8 57
5 Peterhead 36 15 6 15 51 53 −2 51
6 Annan Athletic 36 13 10 13 53 53 0 49
7 Berwick Rangers 36 12 12 12 61 58 +3 48
8 Montrose 36 11 5 20 58 75 −17 38
9 Clyde 36 8 11 17 35 50 −15 35
10 East Stirlingshire 36 6 6 24 38 88 −50 24
Source: SPFL Archive
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Notes:
  1. ↑ Stranraer advanced to the final of the Second Division play-offs but were defeated by Albion Rovers, who retained their place in the Second Division. However, following the demotion of Rangers to the Third Division, Dundee were promoted from the First Division to the SPL, Airdrie United promoted from the Second to the First Division, and Stranraer were promoted from the Third to the Second Division.

Results

Each team plays every other team four times in the season. In each half of the season, a team plays every opponent once at home and once away from home. The same set of fixtures is repeated for the second half of the season, bringing each team's tally of games to 36.

Statistics

Top goalscorers

Pos Player Club Goals[8]
1 Australia Martin Boyle Montrose 22
2 Scotland Jamie Longworth Queen's Park 20
Scotland Rory McAllister Peterhead
4 Scotland Stevie May Alloa Athletic 19
5 Scotland Craig Gunn Elgin City 18
6 Scotland Craig Malcolm Stranraer 15
7 Scotland Michael Moore Stranraer 12
Scotland Stephen Stirling Stranraer
9 Scotland Ryan McCord Alloa Athletic 11
10 Scotland Michael Daly Queen's Park 10
Scotland Darren Gribben Berwick Rangers

Hat-tricks

PlayerForAgainstResultDate
Scotland Craig Gunn4Elgin CityBerwick Rangers4–16 August 2011
Scotland Stevie MayAlloa AthleticEast Stirlingshire3–12 January 2012
Scotland Jamie Longworth4Queen's ParkElgin City6–014 January 2012
Scotland Craig GunnElgin CityMontrose3–225 February 2012
Scotland Stevie May4Alloa AthleticElgin City8–17 April 2012
Scotland Martin BoyleMontroseClyde5–05 May 2012
  • 4 Player scored 4 goals

Awards

Month Third Division Manager of the Month SFL Player of the Month SFL Young player of the Month Ginger Boot
Manager Club Player Club Player Club Player Club
August[9] Scotland Harry Cairney Annan Athletic First division player First division player Scotland Craig Gunn Elgin City
September[10] Scotland Paul Hartley Alloa Athletic First division player Second division player First division player
October[11] Scotland Gardner Speirs Queen's Park First division player First division player Second division player
November[12] Scotland Ian Little Berwick Rangers First division player Second division player Scotland Darren Gribben Berwick Rangers
December[13] Scotland Keith Knox Stranraer First division player Scotland Stephen Stirling Stranraer Scotland Stephen Stirling Stranraer
January[14] Scotland Paul Hartley Alloa Athletic Scotland Stevie May Alloa Athletic Scotland Stevie May Alloa Athletic Scotland Stevie May Alloa Athletic
February[15] Scotland Ross Jack Elgin City Second division player First division player Second division player
March
April

References

  1. ↑ Alloa Athletic 1 - 1 Annan Athletic : Saturday, 5 May 2012 Archived 25 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Scottish Football League. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  2. ↑ East Stirlingshire 1 - 0 Annan Athletic : Saturday, 3 December 2011 Archived 23 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Scottish Football League. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  3. 1 2 Third Division soccerway.com. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  4. ↑ BBC Sport - Football - 2011-2012 Scottish football fixtures - Scots Div 3 Archived 20 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine, news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 BBC Sport - Football - Ups and downs, news.bbc.co.uk Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  6. ↑ "IRN-BRU Third Division Clubs". www.scottishfootballleague.com. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  7. ↑ East Stirlingshire FC Archived 6 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, www.eaststirlingshirefc.com. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  8. ↑ Scottish Third Division Top Scorers BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 May 2012
  9. ↑ "IRN-BRU Phenomenal Awards for August 2011". Scottish Football League. 9 September 2011. Archived from the original on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  10. ↑ "IRN-BRU Phenomenal Awards - September 2011". Scottish Football League. 7 October 2011. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  11. ↑ "IRN-BRU SFL Phenomenal Awards - October 2011". Scottish Football League. 18 November 2011. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  12. ↑ "IRN-BRU SFL November Manager and Player of the Month Awards". Scottish Football League. 18 December 2011. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  13. ↑ "IRN-BRU SFL Phenomenal Awards - December 2011". Scottish Football League. 23 January 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  14. ↑ "IRN-BRU SFL Phenomenal Awards - January 2012". Scottish Football League. 17 February 2012. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  15. ↑ "IRN-BRU SFL Phenomenal Awards - February 2012". Scottish Football League. 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
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