The Third Division

[pete 2,499]

Rangers: Does life in Division Three beckon?

 

The Rangers newco has applied to join the Scottish Football League after having their bid to replace the old Ibrox club in the Scottish Premier League rejected.

 

Chief executive Charles Green says the relaunched Rangers will play in whatever division the SFL deems fit , but manager Ally McCoist favours an entry to the bottom tier, the Third Division.

 

In such a scenario, Stranraer would be promoted to Division Two and, below, BBC Sport profiles the teams Rangers would be up against next season.

Annan Athletic

 

ANNAN ATHLETIC

 

Ground : Galabank, capacity 2,000 (500 seated), season 2011-12 average 475, artificial surface*

 

Dumfries and Galloway club Annan joined the SFL in 2008 after a vacancy was created by Gretna going out of business.

 

In their four seasons in Division Three, they have come close to promotion once when they reached the play-offs in 2011. Harry Cairney's side have never played Rangers.

 

*Artificial surface being installed for start of season 2012-13.

Berwick Rangers

 

BERWICK RANGERS

 

Ground : Shielfield Park, capacity 4,100 (1,350 seated), season 2011-12 average 400, grass surface

 

Affectionately known as 'The Wee Gers', Berwick famously beat the big Gers in a Scottish Cup tie in 1967 with future Rangers manager Jock Wallace in goal.

 

Another surprise Scottish Cup result between the sides took place in 2002, when Berwick held their Glasgow visitors to a 0-0 draw before Rangers eventually won the replay.

Clyde's Broadwood Stadium

 

Clyde moved to Broadwood Stadium in 1994

 

CLYDE

 

Ground : Broadwood Stadium, capacity 8,000, season 2011-12 average 535, artificial surface*

 

Cumbernauld-based Clyde have struggled in recent years, slipping from the First Division in 2009 to the Third Division in 2011, following financial problems that beset the club.

 

Experienced manager Jim Duffy led the side to a second-bottom finish last term.

 

Games between the Bully Wee and Rangers were commonplace until the mid-1970s and the two sides met sporadically in cup tournaments, the most recent meeting being a 5-2 extra-time win for the Ibrox side in 2005.

 

*Artificial surface being installed for start of season 2012-13.

East Stirlingshire

 

EAST STIRLINGSHIRE

 

Ground : Ochilview Park, capacity 3,750 (600 seated), season 2011-12 average 320, artificial surface

 

Shire have been tennants of Second Division club Stenhousemuir since leaving Firs Park in 2008 and averaged home crowds of around 300 last season.

 

Billy Dodds netted a hat-trick in a 6-0 win for Rangers when they last played East Stirlingshire in 2002.

Elgin City

 

ELGIN CITY

 

Ground : Borough Briggs, capacity 4,900 (450 seated), season 2011-12 average 630, grass surface

 

Elgin, who joined the SFL with Peterhead in 2000, came close to reaching the Second Division for the first time last season, when they reached the promotion play-offs but fell at the semi-final stage.

 

The former Highland League side have lost all three meetings with Rangers in the Scottish Cup.

Montrose's Links Park

 

Links Park has an artificial surface

 

MONTROSE

 

Ground : Links Park, capacity 3,250 (1,300 seated), season 2011-12 average 335, artificial surface

 

The Angus side boast last season's Division Three top scorer Martin Boyle, who netted 22 league goals. Rangers have won all five meetings with Montrose, the last of which was in 1976.

Peterhead

 

PETERHEAD

 

Ground : Balmoor Stadium (pictured at top of page), capacity 4,000 (1,000 seated), season 2011-12 average 490, grass surface

 

Unlike Elgin, Peterhead have reached the Second Division but were relegated from that division in 2011 and missed out on the play-offs last season.

 

With 20-goal Rory McAllister on board last season, the Balmoor side finished fifth. They have only played Rangers once, a 5-0 Scottish Cup defeat at Ibrox in 2006.

Queen's Park striker Jamie Longworth

 

Longworth was Queen's Park's top scorer last term

 

QUEEN'S PARK

 

Ground : Hampden Park, capacity 52,025, season 2011-12 average 520, grass surface

 

Rangers fans are used to watching their side at the national stadium in cup semi-finals and finals and matches against Queen's Park would in effect be a city derby for Ally McCoist's side.

 

The Spiders' Jamie Longworth challenged Boyle and McAllister in the scoring stakes last season with 20 goals.

 

Queen's Park faced Rangers regularly between the 1870s and 1930s, but meetings have been sporadic ever since, the most recent being a 6-0 Scottish League Cup win for Rangers at Ibrox when Maurice Johnston scored four goals.

Stirling Albion

 

STIRLING ALBION

 

Ground : Forthbank Stadium, capacity 3,800 (2,508 seated), season 2011-12 average 570, grass surface

 

Stirling were relegated after finishing bottom of the Second Division last season.

 

Albion fans have watched their side slip down the leagues over the last few years, having been in the First Division as recently as 2008.

 

The Binos' last match against Rangers was a narrow League Cup defeat at Ibrox in 1995.

 

What a cash season these teams are going to have going from empty grounds to a sell out. They will probably be asking their own support to stay away so they can ask rangers supporters for a higher price.

[foggy dewhurst 0]

its something to look forward to going to new places to watch the gers i used to love it if we got a cup-tie away to some of the small sides meting the locals having a laugh aye the fans can make it an adventure .

[Bears 0]

There's a great journey to be had by the traveling Bears. Forget the politics and awful mess we're in. Once we're playing football again it'll be a time to remember for years to come.

 

One thing I'd want put in place ASAP is a price cap on tickets at away grounds Rangers will visit. I've no doubt there'll be at least a 30% jump when we go. That needs to be addressed the second we know where we'll be playing

 

Club chairman will say its down to running costs and having to put on extra police, that's knickers, the fact the away end and most likely a high % of the home end will be full of Bears will cover those costs

[Zappa 0]

I don't even want to think about us having to play 3rd division football.

 

I don't support the idea at all and most of our remaining players over the age of 19 won't support it either. How something so unthinkable and potentially devastating seems to have become so appealing and even romantic is completely beyond me.

 

They're wrongly treating us like a new club and we're getting stitched up again IMHO.

[amms 0]

As an aside is there any other team in the world who have an average attendance that's 1% of their grounds capacity?

 

Zappa with the way feelings are running among supporters and a lot of clubs I think we should be pleased if we are in any league next season currently.

[foggy dewhurst 0]

probably find that the police and health and saftey will also have their say .

[Zappa 0]

Zappa with the way feelings are running among supporters and a lot of clubs I think we should be pleased if we are in any league next season currently.

 

I know what you mean, but I won't be pleased at all about us having to play in the 3rd if that's what happens. I'm not saying I subscribe to this, but there's a train of thought that having no league might be better than being forced to start at the bottom of Scottish football because it would enable us to gain entry into the English leagues. I don't know if I would want us to take that route, but I definitely don't want us to be playing in the Scottish 4th tier. It's absurd.

[Gribz 743]

Would be great to fill hampden!!

[johnnyk 158]

The more I think about it the more it smells of div 1 and another set up by the prats in charge. If there is still a transfer embargo we will probably get relegated far less win the league so they can't hang that on us. I fear more sanctions for us when we do eventually get back to the SPL, I hope it's div 3 so we start again with no sanctions but I'm so sure now.

[alexscottislegend 2,064]

I know what you mean, but I won't be pleased at all about us having to play in the 3rd if that's what happens. I'm not saying I subscribe to this, but there's a train of thought that having no league might be better than being forced to start at the bottom of Scottish football because it would enable us to gain entry into the English leagues. I don't know if I would want us to take that route, but I definitely don't want us to be playing in the Scottish 4th tier. It's absurd.

What level of English league could we go in at though? If we could accepted into the Conference Premeier that may be acceptable but below that we would spend YEARS trying to climb to the top of the greasy pile - it might kill us for good. There are some big names in the Confgerence like Lincoln and Grimsby, Nothampton in League 2 were once in the top tier. The English levels are nothing like the Scottish 3rd where we should be able to do a Gretna and go up in successive seasons; that is unlikely to happen what erver level we enter the English league.