2012–13 Scottish Third Division
| Season | 2012–13 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Rangers |
| Promoted | Rangers |
| Matches played | 180 |
| Goals scored | 589 (3.27 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Andrew Little (Rangers) (22 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Stirling Albion 9–1 East Stirlingshire |
| Biggest away win | Montrose 0–6 Peterhead |
| Highest scoring | Stirling Albion 9–1 East Stirlingshire |
| Longest winning run | 11 games[1] Rangers |
| Longest unbeaten run | 20 games[1] Rangers |
| Longest winless run | 10 games[1] East Stirlingshire |
| Longest losing run | 10 games[1] East Stirlingshire |
| Highest attendance | 50,048[1] Rangers 1–0 Berwick Rangers |
| Lowest attendance | 192[1] East Stirlingshire 2–2 Annan Athletic |
| Average attendance | 5,598[1] |
|
← 2011–12
2013–14 →
|
|
The 2012–13 Scottish Football League Third Division (known as the Irn Bru Scottish Football League Third Division for sponsorship reasons) was the 18th season in the current format of 10 teams in the fourth tier of Scottish football. Alloa Athletic were the current champions. Following the liquidation of their old operating company, Rangers made their debut in this division, having been elected to the SFL. The members of the Scottish Football League then voted to place them in the Third Division.
Rangers were confirmed as champions after a goalless away draw with Montrose on 30 March.[2] They were presented with the trophy after a 1–0 win against Berwick Rangers on 4 May in front of 50,048.[3]
During their first season in the division, Rangers had one of the highest home attendances in Britain, consistently ranking in the top four in the UK as a whole and first in Scotland. They set the record for the highest attendance in a 4th tier league worldwide.[4] Bottom side Stirling Albion defeated Rangers on 6 October 2012 in what was reported to be a shock result.[5]
Contents
Teams
2011–12 champions Alloa Athletic were promoted from this division, and were replaced by Stirling Albion, who finished bottom of the Second Division. Another promotion spot was available through the promotion play-offs, however this was won by second division side Albion Rovers, who thus stayed in the Second Division. However, losing play-off finalists Stranraer were elevated to the Second Division as a result of Rangers being elected to the bottom tier.
There was no relegation from this division, as this is the lowest in the Scottish League.
Stadiums and locations
| Team | Location | Home ground | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annan Athletic | Annan | Galabank | 3,500 |
| Berwick Rangers | Berwick-upon-Tweed | Shielfield Park | 4,131 |
| Clyde | Cumbernauld | Broadwood Stadium | 8,029 |
| East Stirlingshire | Stenhousemuir | Ochilview Park | 3,776 |
| Elgin City | Elgin | Borough Briggs | 3,927 |
| Montrose | Montrose | Links Park | 3,292 |
| Peterhead | Peterhead | Balmoor | 4,000 |
| Queen's Park | Glasgow | Hampden Park | 52,025 |
| Rangers | Glasgow | Ibrox Stadium | 50,987 |
| Stirling Albion | Stirling | Forthbank Stadium | 3,808 |
League table
| Pos |
Team
|
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rangers (C) (P) | 36 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 87 | 29 | +58 | 83 | Promotion to the 2013–14 Scottish League One |
| 2 | Peterhead | 36 | 17 | 8 | 11 | 52 | 28 | +24 | 59 | Qualification to the Scottish Second Division Play-offs |
| 3 | Queen's Park | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 60 | 54 | +6 | 56 | |
| 4 | Berwick Rangers | 36 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 59 | 55 | +4 | 49 | |
| 5 | Elgin City | 36 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 67 | 69 | −2 | 49 | |
| 6 | Montrose | 36 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 60 | 68 | −8 | 47 | |
| 7 | Stirling Albion | 36 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 59 | 58 | +1 | 45 | |
| 8 | Annan Athletic | 36 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 54 | 65 | −11 | 43 | |
| 9 | Clyde | 36 | 12 | 4 | 20 | 42 | 66 | −24 | 40 | |
| 10 | East Stirlingshire | 36 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 49 | 97 | −48 | 29 |
Updated to games played on 19 May 2013.
Source: Scottish Football League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Results
Teams play each other four times in this league. In the first half of the season each team plays every other team twice (home and away) and then do the same in the second half of the season, for a total of 36 games
First half of season
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column. Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win. |
Second half of season
Source: BBC Sport 1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column. Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win. |
Season statistics
Top goalscorers
- As of 27 April 2013
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Andrew Little |
Rangers | 22 |
| 2 |  Rory McAllister |
Peterhead | 21 |
| 3 | Darren Lavery |
Berwick Rangers | 17 |
| Lee McCulloch |
Rangers | 17 | |
| 5 | David Templeton |
Rangers | 15 |
| 6 | Stuart Leslie |
Elgin City | 14 |
| 7 | Craig Gunn |
Elgin City | 13 |
| Jordan White |
Stirling Albion | 13 | |
| 9 | Ally Love |
Annan Athletic | 12 |
| 10 | Scott Chaplain |
Annan Athletic | 11 |
| Lawrence Shankland |
Queen's Park | 11 |
References
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- ↑ Scottish Third Division Top Scorers ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 1 January 2013
