Scotland - List of Divisional Movements 

 

including 2019-20 season

This document lists all clubs which have appeared in the Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League and shows the periods they have spent in each division. The divisions are designated using Roman numerals as follows

 

Divisions
i         Scottish League Div 1/'A' Div 1890-1975, Premier Division 1975-98,
          Scottish Premier League from 1998
ii        Scottish League Div 2/'B' Div 1893-1975, Div 1 from 1975-2012, Championship from 2012
iii       Scottish League Div 3 1923-26, 'C' Div 1946-55, Div 2 from 1975-2012, Div 1 from 2012
iv        Scottish League Div 3 from 1994-2012, Div 2 from 2012

r  indicates a club which resigned during a season
x  indicates a club which was expelled during the season

For each club the club name is followed by the date the club joined the league or the period(s) of league membership and any previous names of the club during league membership (these are cross-referenced in the text). This is followed by the list of divisions the club has played in and the period(s) spent in each division. To the right of the division number is shown the total number of seasons spent in the division with the longest consecutive period given in square brackets. The total number of seasons spent in the League is given to the left of the highest division played in. There was no competition between 1938-39 and 1946-47 seasons due to WWII.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N P Q R S T V

About this document


Aberdeen (1904)
98  i    97  [89]  1905-
    ii   1   [1]   1904-05

Abercorn (1890-1915)
25  i    4   [3]   1890-93, 1896-97
    ii   21  [18]  1893-96, 1898-1915

Airdrieonians (1894-2002)
101  i   60  [33]  1903-36, 1947-48, 1950-54, 1955-65, 1966-73, 1974-75,
                   1980-82, 1991-93
    ii   41  [9]   1894-1903, 1936-47, 1948-50, 1954-55, 1965-66, 1973-74,
                   1975-80, 1982-91, 1993-02
 
Airdrie United (2002) Newly formed club took over defunct Clydebank's place
10  ii   5   [3]   2004-07, 2008-10
    iii  5   [2]   2002-04, 2007-08, 2010-

Albion Rovers (1903-15, 1919) 
98  i    9   [4]   1919-23, 1934-37, 1938-39*, 1948-49
    ii   53  [26]  1903-15, 1923-34, 1937-38, 1946-48, 1949-75, 1989-90
    iii  19  [14]  1975-89, 1990-94, 2011-
    iv   17  [17]  1994-2011

Alloa Athletic (1921)
84  i    1   [1]   1922-23
    ii   53  [29]  1921-22, 1923-39*, 1946-75, 1977-78, 1982-84, 1985-86
                   1989-90, 2000-01, 2002-03
    iii  25  [8]   1975-77, 1978-82, 1984-85, 1986-89, 1990-94, 1998-00, 2001-02
                   2003-11
    iv   5   [4]   1994-98, 2011-

Arbroath (1921)
84  i    9   [4]   1935-39*, 1959-60, 1968-69, 1972-75
    ii   45  [14]  1921-35, 1946-59, 1960-68, 1969-72, 1975-80, 2001-03
    iii  22  [14]  1980-94, 1998-01, 2003-05, 2008-10, 2011-
    iv   8   [4]   1994-98, 2005-08, 2010-11

Armadale (1921-32x) (expelled from league Nov 1932, record expunged)
10  ii   10  [10]  1921-32x

Arthurlie (1901-15, 1923-29) (resigned from league Apr 1929, record stood)
20  ii   19  [14]  1901-15, 1924-29
    iii  1   [1]   1923-24

Ayr (1897-1910) (see also Ayr United)
13  ii   13  [13]  1897-1910

Ayr Parkhouse (1903-04, 1906-10) (see also Ayr United)
5   ii   5   [4]   1903-04, 1906-10

Ayr United (1910) (merger in 1910 of Ayr and Ayr Parkhouse)
95  i    35  [12]  1913-25, 1928-36, 1937-39*, 1956-57, 1959-61, 1966-67,
                   1969-78 
    ii   50  [10]  1910-13, 1925-28, 1936-37, 1946-56, 1957-59, 1961-66,
                   1967-69, 1978-86, 1988-95, 1997-2004, 2009-10, 2011-
    iii  10  [5]   1986-88, 1995-97, 2004-09, 2010-11

Bathgate (1921-29) (resigned from league Mar 1929, record expunged)
7   ii   7   [7]   1921-29r

Beith (1923-26)
3   iii  3   [3]   1923-26
    
Berwick Rangers (1951)
61  ii   22  [20]  1955-75, 1979-81
    iii  30  [16]  1951-55, 1975-79, 1981-97, 2000-05, 2007-08
    iv   9   [4]   1997-00, 2005-07, 2008-
    
Bo'ness (1921-32x) (expelled from league Nov 1932, record expunged)
10  i    1   [1]   1927-28
    ii   9   [6]   1921-27, 1928-32x

Brechin City (1923-26, 1929)
79  ii   39  [21]  1929-39, 1954-75, 1983-87, 1990-91, 1993-94, 2003-04, 2005-06
    iii  35  [8]   1923-26, 1946-54, 1975-83, 1987-90, 1991-93, 1994-95, 1996-98, 2002-03,
                   2004-05, 2006-
    iv   5   [4]   1995-96, 1998-02
    
Broxburn United (1921-26)
5   ii   5   [5]   1921-26

Caledonian Thistle - see Inverness Caledonian Thistle
    
Cambuslang (1890-92)
2   i    2   [2]   1890-92

Celtic (1890)
115 i    115 [115] 1890-

Clackmannan (1921-22, 1923-26)
4   ii   1   [1]   1921-22
    iii  3   [3]   1923-26

Clyde (1891) 
114 i    63  [18]  1891-93, 1894-1900, 1906-24, 1926-51, 1952-56, 1957-61,
                   1962-63, 1964-72, 1973-75
    ii   36  [9]   1893-94, 1900-06, 1924-26, 1951-52, 1956-57, 1961-62,
                   1963-64, 1972-73, 1975-76, 1978-80, 1982-91, 1993-94, 2000-09
    iii  13  [6]   1976-78, 1980-82, 1991-93, 1994-00, 2009-10
    iv    2  [2]   2010-

Clydebank (1) (1914-31)
15  i    7   [5]   1917-22, 1923-24, 1925-26
    ii   8   [5]   1914-15, 1922-23, 1924-25, 1926-31

Clydebank (2) (1966-2002)
36  i    3   [2]   1977-78, 1985-87
    ii   29  [10]  1966-75, 1976-77, 1978-85, 1987-97, 1998-00 
    iii  4   [2]   1975-76, 1997-98, 2000-02

Cowdenbeath (1905)
94  i    11  [10]  1924-34, 1970-71
    ii   48  [24]  1905-24, 1934-39*, 1946-70, 1971-75, 1992-93, 2010-11
    iii  24  [17]  1975-92, 1993-94, 2001-03, 2006-08, 2009-10, 2011-
    iv   11   [7]  1994-01, 2003-06, 2008-09
    
Cowlairs (1890, 1893-95)
3   i    1   [1]   1890-91
    ii   2   [2]   1893-95

Dumbarton (1890-97, 1906)
106 i    19   [9]  1890-96, 1913-22, 1972-75, 1984-85
    ii   65  [25]  1896-97, 1906-13, 1922-54, 1955-72, 1975-84, 1985-88,
                   1992-94, 1995-96
    iii  14   [4]  1954-55, 1988-92, 1994-95, 1996-97, 2002-06, 2009-
    iv   8    [5]  1997-02, 2006-09
    
Dumbarton Harp (1923-25r) (resigned from league February 1925, record expunged)
1   iii  1   [1]   1923-25r

Dundee (1893)
110 i    91  [43]  1893-38*, 1947-76, 1979-80, 1981-90, 1992-94, 1998-2005, 2012-13
    ii   19  [6]   1938-47, 1976-79, 1980-81, 1990-92, 1994-98, 2005-12, 2013-

Dundee Hibernian - see Dundee United

Dundee United (1910-22, 1923) (Dundee Hibernian to 1923)
88  i    55  [35]  1925-27, 1929-30, 1931-32, 1960-95, 1996-
    ii   33  [21]  1910-22, 1923-25, 1927-29, 1930-31, 1932-60, 1995-96

Dundee Wanderers (1894-95)
1   ii   1   [1]   1894-95

Dunfermline Athletic (1912) 
87  i    38  [14]  1926-28, 1934-37, 1955-57, 1958-72, 1973-75, 1987-88,
                   1989-92, 1996-99, 2000-07, 2011-12,
    ii   43  [11]  1912-26, 1928-34, 1937-55, 1957-58, 1972-73, 1975-76,
                   1979-83, 1986-87, 1988-89, 1992-96, 1999-00, 2007-11
                   2012-
    iii  6   [3]   1976-79, 1983-86

Dykehead (1923-26) 
3   iii  3   [3]   1923-26

East Fife (1921)
84  i    14  [10]  1930-31, 1948-58, 1971-74
    ii   41  [13]  1921-30, 1931-48, 1958-71, 1974-78, 1984-88, 1996-97
    iii  21   [8]  1978-84, 1988-95, 1997-99, 2003-04, 2008-
    iv   8    [4]  1999-2003, 2004-08 

East Stirling/Clydebank - see East Stirlingshire

East Stirlingshire (1900) (known as East Stirling/Clydebank in 1964-65 season)
99  i    2   [2]   1932-33, 1963-64
    ii   53  [17]  1900-23, 1924-32, 1933-39, 1948-49, 1955-63, 1964-75,
                   1980-82
    iii  26  [12]  1923-24, 1946-48, 1949-55, 1975-80, 1982-94
    iv   18  [18]  1994-  
    
Edinburgh City (1931-49)
11  ii   8   [8]   1931-39
    iii  3   [3]   1946-49
 
Elgin City (2000)
12  iv   12  [12]  2000-
    
Falkirk (1902)
103 i    68  [30]  1905-35, 1936-51, 1952-59, 1961-69, 1970-74, 1986-88,
                   1991-93, 1994-96, 2005-10
    ii   32   [9]  1902-05, 1935-36, 1951-52, 1959-61, 1969-70, 1974-77,
                   1980-86, 1988-91, 1993-94, 1996-2005, 2010-
    iii  3    [3]  1977-80 

Forfar Athletic (1921)
84  ii   51  [26]  1921-25, 1926-39, 1949-75, 1984-92
    iii  27  [9]   1925-26, 1946-49, 1975-84, 1992-94, 1995-96, 1997-99, 2000-07
                   2010-
    iv   6   [3]   1994-95, 1996-97, 1999-00, 2007-10

Galston (1923-26) (resigned from league Jan 1926)
2   iii  2   [2]   1923-26r

Greenock Morton (1893) (known as Morton to 1993)
112 i    54  [27]  1900-27, 1929-33, 1937-38, 1946-49, 1950-52, 1964-66,
                   1967-75, 1978-83, 1984-85, 1987-88
    ii   51  [12]  1893-1900, 1927-29, 1933-37, 1938-39*, 1949-50, 1952-64,
                   1966-67, 1975-78, 1983-84, 1985-87, 1988-94, 1995-01, 2007-
    iii  6   [3]   1994-95, 2001-02, 2003-07
    iv   1   [1]   2002-03  
 
Gretna (2002-2007) (Dissolved at the end of the 2007-08 season)
6   i    1   [1]   2007-08
    ii   1   [1]   2006-07
    iii  1   [1]   2005-06
    iv   3   [3]   2002-05

Hamilton Academical (1897) (known as Hamilton Academicals to 1966)
108 i    42  [34]  1906-47, 1953-54, 1965-66, 1986-87, 1988-89, 2007-11
    ii   60  [20]  1897-1906, 1947-53, 1954-65, 1966-86, 1987-88, 1989-96, 1997-99
                   2004-07, 2011-
    iii  5   [3]   1996-97, 1999-00, 2001-04
    iv   1   [1]   2000-01

Heart Of Midlothian (1890)
115 i    111 [80]  1890-1977, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1983-
    ii   4   [2]   1977-78, 1979-80, 1981-83

Helensburgh (1923-26)
3   iii  3   [3]   1923-26
    
Hibernian (1893)
112 i    106 [40]  1895-1931, 1933-80, 1981-98, 1999-
    ii   6   [2]   1893-95, 1931-33, 1980-81, 1998-99

Inverness Caledonian Thistle (1994) (Caledonian Thistle until 1996)
18  i    7   [5]   2004-09, 2010-
    ii   6   [5]   1999-2004, 2009-10     
    iii  2   [2]   1997-99
    iv   3   [3]   1994-97
    
Johnstone (1911-26)
9   ii   8   [8]   1911-25
    iii  1   [1]   1925-26

Kilmarnock (1895)
110 i    84  [41]  1899-47, 1954-73, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1979-81, 1982-83,
                   1993-
    ii   25  [7]   1895-99, 1947-54, 1973-74, 1975-76, 1977-79, 1981-82,
                   1983-89, 1990-93
    iii  1   [1]   1989-90
                   
King's Park (1921-39)
18  ii   18  [18]  1921-39

Leith Athletic (1891-1915, 1924-26, 1927-53)
45  i    6   [4]   1891-95, 1930-32
    ii   31  [20]  1895-1915, 1927-30, 1932-39*, 1947-48
    iii  8   [5]   1924-26, 1946-47, 1948-53

Linthouse (1895-1900)
5   ii   5   [5]   1895-1900

Livingston (1974) (Meadowbank Thistle until 1995)
38  i    5   [5]   2001-06  
    ii   14  [6]   1983-85, 1987-93, 1999-01, 2006-09, 2011-
    iii  17  [9]   1974-83, 1985-87, 1993-95, 1996-99, 2010-11
    iv   2   [1]   1995-96, 2009-10
    
Lochgelly United (1914-26)
6   ii   4   [4]   1914-24
    iii  2   [2]   1924-26
    
Meadowbank Thistle - see Livingston

Mid-Annandale (1923-26)
3   iii  3   [3]   1923-26

Montrose (1923-26, 1929)
79  ii   37  [24]  1929-39, 1955-79, 1985-87, 1991-92
    iii  25  [9]   1923-26, 1946-55, 1979-85, 1987-91, 1992-94, 1995-96
    iv   17  [15]  1994-95, 1996-

Morton - see Greenock Morton

Motherwell (1893)
112 i    96  [43]  1903-1953, 1954-68, 1969-79, 1982-84, 1985-
    ii   16  [10]  1893-1903, 1953-54, 1968-69, 1979-82, 1984-85
    
Nithsdale Wanderers (1923-27)
4   ii   2   [2]   1925-27
    iii  2   [2]   1923-25
    
Northern (1893-94)
1   ii   1   [1]   1893-94 

Partick Thistle (1893)
112 i    80  [61]  1897-99, 1900-1901, 1902-70, 1971-75, 1976-82, 1992-96, 
                   2002-04, 2013-
    ii   27  [10]  1893-97, 1899-1900, 1901-02, 1970-71, 1975-76, 1982-92, 
                   1996-98, 2001-02, 2004-05, 2006-13,
    iii  5   [3]   1998-01, 2005-06

Peebles Rovers (1923-26)  
3   iii  3   [3]   1923-26
 
Peterhead (2000)
12  ii   6   [6]   2005-11
    iii  6   [5]   2000-05, 2011-

Port Glasgow Athletic (1893-1911)  
18  i    8   [8]   1902-10
    ii   10  [9]   1893-1902, 1910-11

Queen's Park (1900)
105 i    42  [22]  1900-22, 1923-39*, 1946-48, 1956-58
    ii   28  [17]  1922-23, 1948-56, 1958-75, 1981-83
    iii  20  [11]  1975-81, 1983-94, 2000-01, 2007-09
    iv   15  [6]   1994-00, 2001-07, 2009-
    
Queen Of The South (1923) 
82  i    20  [10]  1933-50, 1951-59, 1962-64
    ii   41  [15]  1925-33, 1950-51, 1959-62, 1964-79, 1981-82, 1986-89, 2002-
    iii  21  [13]  1923-25, 1979-81, 1982-86, 1989-02
    
Raith Rovers (1902)
101 i    36  [14]  1910-26*, 1927-29, 1938-39, 1949-62, 1967-70, 1993-94,
                   1995-97
    ii   55  [8]   1902-10, 1926-27, 1929-38, 1946-49, 1962-67, 1970-75,
                   1976-77, 1978-84, 1987-93, 1994-95, 1997-02, 2003-05, 2009-
    iii  10  [4]   1975-76, 1977-78, 1984-87, 2002-03, 2005-09

Rangers (1890)
115 i    116 [115] 1890-2012
    ii
    iii
    iv   1         2012-13
    
Renton (1890x, 1891-97r) (expelled from league Oct 1890, resigned from
                          league Oct 1897)
6   i    3   [3]   1890x, 1891-94,
    ii   3   [3]   1894-97r

Ross County (1994) 
20  1    1   [1]   2012-
    ii   12  [7]   2000-07, 2008-12   
    iii  2   [1]   1999-00, 2007-08
    iv   5   [5]   1994-99

Royal Albert (1923-26)
3   iii  3   [3]   1923-26
    
St. Bernard's (1893-1939)
40  i    7   [7]   1893-1900
    ii   33  [33]  1900-39

St. Johnstone (1911)
88  i    41  [13]  1924-30, 1932-39*, 1960-62, 1963-76, 1983-84, 1990-94, 1997-02, 2009-
    ii   44  [14]  1911-24, 1930-32, 1946-60, 1962-63, 1976-83, 1984-85, 2002-09
                   1988-90, 1994-97
    iii  3   [3]   1985-88

St. Mirren (1890)  
115 i    94  [45]  1890-1935, 1936-67, 1968-71, 1977-92, 2000-01, 2006-
    ii   21  [7]   1935-36, 1967-68, 1971-77, 1992-2000, 2001-06

Solway Star (1923-26)
3   iii  3   [3]   1923-26

Stenhousemuir (1921)
84  ii   47  [47]  1921-75
    iii  31  [23]  1975-98, 1999-2004, 2009-
    iv   6   [5]   1998-99, 2004-09
    
Stirling Albion (1946)
66  i    11 [3]    1949-50, 1951-52, 1953-56, 1958-60, 1961-62, 1965-68
    ii   28 [7]    1947-49, 1950-51, 1952-53, 1956-58, 1960-61, 1962-65,
                   1968-75, 1977-81, 1991-94, 1996-98, 2007-08, 2010-11
    iii  24 [10]   1946-47, 1975-77, 1981-91, 1994-96, 1998-01, 2004-07, 2008-10, 2011-
    iv   3  [3]    2001-04

Stranraer (1949)
63  ii   23 [20]  1955-75, 1994-95, 1998-99, 2005-06, 
    iii  35 [19]  1949-55, 1975-94, 1995-98, 1999-03, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2008-09
    iv   5  [3]   2003-04, 2007-08, 2009-
                   
Third Lanark (1890-1967) (defunct 1967)
70  i   58   [35]  1890-1925, 1928-29, 1931-34, 1935-53, 1957-65
    ii  12   [4]   1925-28, 1929-31, 1934-35, 1953-57, 1965-67

Thistle (1893-94)
1   i   1    [1]   1893-94
                          
Vale Of Leven (1890-92, 1905-26)
17  i   2    [2]   1890-92 
    ii  13   [13]  1905-24
    iii 2    [2]   1924-26

Division One continued throughout WWI but Division Two was suspended in 1915 and didn't resume until 1921.

Aberdeen, Dundee and Raith Rovers did not compete between 1917 and 1919 due to war-time travelling difficulties although they did retain full membership of Division One

Both divisions were suspended during WWII. After the war clubs were placed in Divisions A and B according to their 1939-40 status except that Queen's Park and Morton were placed in Division A and St. Johnstone, Ayr United, Albion Rovers, Arbroath, Cowdenbeath and Alloa Athletic were placed in Division B. Former Division Two clubs Brechin City, East Stirlingshire, Forfar Athletic and Montrose were placed in Division C along with new club Stirling Albion, the now defunct Edinburgh City and Leith Athletic, and Dundee Res, Dundee Utd Res and St. Johnstone Res.


About this document

Prepared and maintained by James M. Ross for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Original author: James M. Ross Last updated by James M. Ross 7 Dec 1999
Last updated by David Robson 17 February 2021

 

© Copyright 1995/1999 James M. Ross and RSSSF
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.

 

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