The 2007–08 Scottish Football League Third Division was the 14th season in the format of ten teams in the fourth-tier of Scottish football. The season started on 4 August 2007 and ended on 26 April 2008. East Fife F.C. finished top and were promoted alongside Arbroath F.C. as play-off winners. Stranraer F.C. were also promoted due to Gretna being demoted to the Third Division.
Teams for 2007–08
Berwick Rangers as champions of the 2006–07 season were directly promoted to the 2007–08 Scottish Second Division. They were replaced by Forfar Athletic who finished bottom of the 2006–07 Scottish Second Division.
A second promotion place was available via a play-off tournament between the ninth-placed team of the 2006–07 Scottish Second Division, Stranraer, and the sides ranked second, third and fourth in the 2006–07 Scottish Third Division, Arbroath, Queen's Park and East Fife respectively. The play-off was won by Queen's Park who defeated East Fife in the final. Stranraer were therefore relegated.
Overview Relegated from Second Division to Third Division Forfar Athletic Stranraer (via play-offs)
Promoted from Third Division to Second Division Berwick Rangers Queens Park (via play-offs)
Stadia and attendances TeamStadium Capacity Highest Lowest AverageEast Fife Bayview Stadium 2,000 1,300 540 769Arbroath Gayfield Park 6,488 959 421 611Montrose Links Park 3,292 1,470 321 597Dumbarton Strathclyde Homes Stadium 2,025 907 258 559Elgin City Borough Briggs 3,927 624 301 471Stenhousemuir Ochilview Park 3,776 755 212 414Forfar Athletic Station Park 5,177 615 270 410East Stirlingshire Firs Park 1,800 791 235 377Albion Rovers Cliftonhill 1,249 512 186 307Stranraer Stair Park 5,600 487 117 255
Source: The League Insider
Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Stenhousemuir Campbell Money Resigned 29 September 2007 John Coughlin 12 October 2007 Ayr United Neil Watt Resigned 23 October 2007 Brian Reid 24 October 2007 Dumbarton Gerry McCabe Sacked 11 November 2007 Jim Chapman 31 December 2007 East Stirlingshire Gordon Wylde Resigned 28 February 2008 Jim McInally 13 March 2008 Forfar Athletic Jim Moffat Mutual consent 21 April Dick Campbell 8 May Berwick Rangers Michael Renwick Sacked 28 February Allan McGonigal 13 May
Table
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.
First half of season
Second half of season
Top scorers Scorer Goals Team John Baird18Montrose Paul McManus17East Fife Michael Mullen13Stranraer Roddy Hunter12Montrose Darren ShallickerElgin City Andrew Brand11East Stirlingshire John GemmellAlbion Rovers Brian ScottArbroath Gregory TadeStranraer Joseph Savage10East Stirlingshire Kenny WrightAlbion Rovers Scott Dalziel9Stenhousemuir William Martin8Albion Rovers Barry SellarsArbroath Douglas CameronEast Fife Greig McDonald7East Fife
Source: The League Insider
Events
15 March: East Fife confirm their promotion to the Second Division as Third Division champions with a 3–0 victory over East Stirlingshire, becoming the first team in Britain to win a league trophy in the 2007–08 season.
29 March: Berwick Rangers are relegated from the Second Division after a 2–2 draw with Peterhead. 10 May: Arbroath are promoted to the Second Division after a 2–1 aggregate win over Stranraer in the Second Division play-off final. Cowdenbeath, who were beaten by Arbroath in the semi-finals, are relegated to the Third Division. 29 May: Second Division play-off runners-up Stranraer are promoted to the Second Division following Gretna's demotion to the Third Division.
Monthly awards
MonthThird Division managerSFL PlayerSFL Young playerAugust Gordon Wylde (East Stirlingshire)First Division playerFirst Division playerSeptember John McGlashan (Arbroath)Second Division playerFirst Division player October David Baikie (East Fife)First Division playerFirst Division playerNovember David Baikie (East Fife)First Division player Scott Fox (East Fife)December Gerry Britton (Stranraer)Second Division playerFirst Division playerJanuary David Baikie (East Fife)Second Division playerFirst Division playerFebruary Derek Ferguson (Stranraer)First Division playerFirst Division playerMarch Robbie Williamson (Elgin City)First Division playerFirst Division playerApril Derek Ferguson (Stranraer) First Division playerFirst Division player
Second Division play-offs
References