The 2019–20 Scottish Championship (known as Ladbrokes Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the 26th season in the current format of 10 teams in the second-tier of Scottish football. Ten teams contested the league: Alloa Athletic, Arbroath, Ayr United, Dundee, Dundee United, Dunfermline Athletic, Greenock Morton, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Partick Thistle and Queen of the South.
The season began on 3 August 2019 and was scheduled to end on 2 May 2020. On 13 March 2020 all SPFL leagues were indefinitely suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. On 8 April 2020, the SPFL proposed to end the 2019–20 season by utilising a points per game ratio to determine the final standings. The plan was approved on 15 April 2020, declaring that the season was over, as Dundee United were declared title winners with Partick Thistle relegated to League One. Partick Thistle joined Heart of Midlothian F.C. (which had been relegated from the Scottish Premiership under similar circumstances) in suing the Scottish Professional Football League on the grounds that their relegation was unfair; Partick was two points behind the second-to-last-place team but had played one less game. Ultimately, the lawsuit failed and Partick and Hearts were indeed relegated.
Teams The following teams have changed division since the 2018–19 season:
To Championship
Arbroath secured promotion to the Championship on 13 April 2019. Dundee were relegated from the Premiership on 4 May 2019.
From Championship
Ross County secured promotion to the Premiership on 26 April 2019. Falkirk were relegated to League One on 3 May 2019.
Stadia and locations Alloa AthleticArbroathAyr UnitedDundeeRecreation ParkGayfield ParkSomerset ParkDens ParkCapacity: 3,100Capacity: 6,600Capacity: 10,185Capacity: 11,775Dundee UnitedDunfermline AthleticTannadice ParkEast End ParkCapacity: 14,223Capacity: 11,480Greenock MortonInverness Caledonian ThistlePartick Thistle Queen of the South CappielowCaledonian StadiumFirhill StadiumPalmerston Park Capacity: 11,589Capacity: 7,750Capacity: 10,102Capacity: 8,690
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Alloa Athletic Pendle Northern Gas and Power Arbroath Pendle Megatech Ayr United Adidas Bitcoin BCH Dundee Macron Switch Gas & Electric Dundee United Macron Utilita Dunfermline Athletic Joma SRJ Windows Greenock Morton est 1874 Millions Inverness CT Erreà McEwan Fraser Legal Partick Thistle Joma Just Employment Law Queen of the South Macron BB Body Repairers
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Alloa Athletic Jim Goodwin Signed by St Mirren 29 June 2019 Pre-season Peter Grant 10 July 2019 Partick Thistle Gary Caldwell Sacked 18 September 2019 9th Ian McCall 23 September 2019 Ayr United Ian McCall Signed by Partick Thistle 23 September 2019 2nd Sandy Stewart (interim) 23 September 2019 Ayr United Sandy Stewart End of interim 22 October 2019 2nd Mark Kerr 22 October 2019
League summary
League table
Results Teams play each other four times, twice in the first half of the season (home and away) and twice in the second half of the season (home and away), making a total of 180 games, with each team playing 36.
First half of season (Matches 1–18)
Second half of season (Matches 19–36)
Season statistics Scoring
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Lawrence ShanklandDundee United242 Kevin NisbetDunfermline Athletic183 Kevin O'HaraAlloa Athletic10 Alan ForrestAyr United Kane HemmingsDundee6 Alan TroutenAlloa Athletic8 Bob McHughGreenock Morton Stephen DobbieQueen of the South9 Nicky ClarkDundee United7 Jordan WhiteInverness CT
Hat-tricks
PlayerForAgainstScore DateRef Lawrence Shankland4Dundee UnitedInverness CT4–1 (H)3 August 2019 Bob McHughGreenock MortonAlloa Athletic4–1 (H)10 August 2019 Lawrence ShanklandDundee UnitedGreenock Morton6–0 (H)28 September 2019 Kevin Nisbet4Dunfermline AthleticPartick Thistle5–1 (H)30 November 2019 Lawrence ShanklandDundee UnitedPartick Thistle4–1 (A)11 January 2020
Note
4 Player scored four goals
Attendances
Awards
Monthly awards MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthRef.ManagerClubPlayerClub August Robbie Neilson Dundee United Lawrence Shankland Dundee United September Ian McCall Ayr UnitedPartick Thistle Alan Forrest Ayr United October James McPake Dundee Declan McDaid Dundee November Robbie Neilson Dundee United Kevin Nisbet Dunfermline Athletic December Robbie Neilson Dundee United Calum Butcher Dundee United January Peter Grant Alloa Athletic Kevin O'Hara Alloa Athletic February David Hopkin Greenock Morton Nicky Cadden Greenock Morton
References