The Scottish Football League Second Division is the second highest division of the Scottish Football League and the third highest overall in the Scottish football league system.
| Scottish Football League Second Division |
|---|
 Scottish Second Division 2007-08
|
| Founded |
| 1893 |
| Nation |
 Scotland |
| Promotion to |
| S.F.L. First Division |
| Relegation to |
| S.F.L Third Division |
| Number of teams |
| 10 |
| Domestic Cups |
| Scottish Cup Scottish League Cup Scottish League Challenge Cup |
| Champions (Scottish Second Division 2007-08) |
| Ross County |
History
Before 1975 the Second Division (sometimes also called Division B) was the second highest level in the Scottish system. The division was founded in 1893 but its champions were not automatically promoted, as promotion depended on a system of ballots (election) by all League clubs. The first champions, Hibernian, were bypassed in favour of third-place finishers Clyde. Sometimes poor-performing First Division teams would not be voted out (relegated) at all; the most notorious was Queen's Park, in whose favour the rules may have been most likely devised. Automatic promotion was finally introduced when the Second Division was restarted in 1922 after a hiatus provoked by World War I, and ironically, its first victims were Queen's Park.
In 1975, to minimize the number of clubs per division, the old First and Second divisions were recombined into the new Premier, First, and new Second divisions. Accordingly, the last second-tier Second Division champions, Falkirk, were not promoted to the top flight but made up the new second tier along with bottom clubs from the old First Division and other top clubs from the old Second.
Current Status
Today's Second Division contains ten teams, as does the First Division and the Third Division. The teams play each other four times with three points for a victory and one point each for a drawn game. In the event of two teams finishing with the same number of points, the respctive teams' position is decided on goal difference. If goal difference is equal too, the team who has scored the most goals is placed higher.
Introduction of Play-Offs
Prior to season 2005-06, the top two teams were promoted to Division One and the bottom two were relegated to Division Three. From 2005-06, there is automatic promotion only for the top team and automatic relegation for the bottom placed team. The teams which are placed 2nd, 3rd and 4th enter into a play-off with the team which is 9th in the First Division, and the team which is placed 9th enters into a similar play-off with the teams which are placed 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Third Division.
Sponsorship
On July 20, 2007, it was announced that Scottish Football League would be sponsored by Scottish soft drink company Irn-Bru for the next three seasons[1].
Teams for 2007/08 season
Winners of the Second Division
See also
List of managers in the Scottish football league system by date of appointment
Notes
- ^ "SFL ends search for new sponsor" article from BBC Sport