But aside from the Citizens' spectacular collapse after Christmas (they still won the relegation playoff though) it was generally a close, competitive league. In 2026/27 there's no obvious favourite to win the division, and there's no obvious favourite to be Club 42 either.
So predicting the table for the coming season is clearly a mug's game. When has that ever stopped me, though?
ANNAN ATHLETIC
I thought Annan would really struggle last year but Wullie Gibson steadied the ship and earned a new contract; they were never really at risk of the drop or in the promotion playoff hunt. Talismanic striker Tommy Goss is away, and the defence has lost regulars Max Kilsby and Ryan Muir. Veteran Aaron Muirhead has returned to see out his career at the club where it all started and probably has enough left in the tank, but they really need ex-Airdrie forward Cammy Cooper to show something at a lower level.
I thought Annan would really struggle last year but Wullie Gibson steadied the ship and earned a new contract; they were never really at risk of the drop or in the promotion playoff hunt. Talismanic striker Tommy Goss is away, and the defence has lost regulars Max Kilsby and Ryan Muir. Veteran Aaron Muirhead has returned to see out his career at the club where it all started and probably has enough left in the tank, but they really need ex-Airdrie forward Cammy Cooper to show something at a lower level.
CLYDE
Darren Young's side seemed to get better as the season progressed and he has mostly managed to get the band back together. Winger Timam Scott looks the pick of the newbies, if you don't count keeper Jay Hogarth (who signed for Falkirk and then was loaned back). Scott Williamson and Kyle Connell provided sufficient firepower up top and they will fancy that they can beat last term's third placed finish.
DUMBARTON
Last season's struggles seemed less due to the quality of the squad - especially after January - and more down to issues in the dugout. The jury is still out on manager Frank McKeown but he seems to have been well backed. Getting loan keeper Aidan Rice back is a coup and they have added Tommy Robson to a defence that is well marshalled by Somali international Ali Omar. A front line of Bang Bang Deryn Lang and Leighton McIntosh is okay but another striker would be welcome. How high they can finish probably depends on whether the coach can get them to equal the sum of their parts.
EDINBURGH CITY
A points deduction and Michael McIndoe's decision to gut his squad in January and play lots of youngsters made 2025/26 a bit of a crazy one for City, and it's no surprise that McIndoe has brought in almost an entirely new team ahead of this campaign. Cammy McKinley scored lots of goals in the Lowland League and will be expected to lead the line, while the arrival of the Leitch brothers and Ricky Waugh overhauls the midfield. Don't expect them to be at the bottom again, but it's bound to be a wild ride.
A points deduction and Michael McIndoe's decision to gut his squad in January and play lots of youngsters made 2025/26 a bit of a crazy one for City, and it's no surprise that McIndoe has brought in almost an entirely new team ahead of this campaign. Cammy McKinley scored lots of goals in the Lowland League and will be expected to lead the line, while the arrival of the Leitch brothers and Ricky Waugh overhauls the midfield. Don't expect them to be at the bottom again, but it's bound to be a wild ride.
ELGIN CITY
Elgin's summer has been overshadowed by the dismissal of Allan Hale under curious circumstances, and his replacement Stefan Laird is somewhat unproven. On the bright side, defender Evan Towler (Montrose) and young winger Kieran Willox (who was on loan at Inverness from Stoke City last season) look like good additions. However top scorer Ryan Sargent has returned to the Highland League and Kane Hester is coming off a mediocre campaign. The worry is that other clubs are overtaking them.
FORFAR ATHLETIC
Forfar scraped into the promotion playoffs last season and have a lot to thank veteran boss Jim Weir for. It's fair to say he got the most out of a limited squad and with star defender Stuart Morrison and forward Jake Sutherland away he will need to do the same again. They've not really improved the team much via the transfer market so far and will be very vulnerable if veteran striker Martin Rennie doesn't get into double figures.
KELTY HEARTS
Expectations should probably be high for the club that was relegated from League One last time out, but it's certainly not clear that they should bounce straight back up. Keeper Jamie Smith and midfielder Connor McManus look like solid additions and they still have the creativity of Innes Murray and Lewis Moore. Up front Ryan Shanley has a great record at this level. Bringing back 37 year old Kallum Higginbotham seems a weird one though.
Expectations should probably be high for the club that was relegated from League One last time out, but it's certainly not clear that they should bounce straight back up. Keeper Jamie Smith and midfielder Connor McManus look like solid additions and they still have the creativity of Innes Murray and Lewis Moore. Up front Ryan Shanley has a great record at this level. Bringing back 37 year old Kallum Higginbotham seems a weird one though.
STIRLING ALBION
Stirling's eighth placed finish was their worst for twenty-three years and understandably got Alan Maybury the boot. Steven Whittaker is the new man in charge and their success probably depends on how he fares in his first managerial role. Bringing in Josh Mullin from Raith certainly looks like a coup and an attack of Russell MacLean, Jordan Allan and Dunfermline loanee Lucas Fyfe could be dangerous. I'm intrigued by the signing of former Celtic and Bayern Munich starlet Barry Hepburn too.
STRANRAER
Stranraer quietly improved last season to the point that they were unlucky to miss the playoffs. They particularly used the loan market well and have signed Dom Plank and Dean Cleland permanently after good spells last year. There are high expectations for Hibs full-back Lewis Gillie. The loss of top scorer Deryn Lang is a problem though and they generally lacked goals last season from other areas, while star centre-back Lewis Reid - a nominee for League Two Player of the Year last time out - has stepped up to full-time football with Ross County.
THE SPARTANS
Never forget the 'The'. They were pipped to the title by Kilby and then got beaten by Clyde in the playoffs. Dougie Samuel has a settled side and the attacking combo of Mark Stowe and Marc McNulty will take them a long way. David Mackay's arrival from Alloa will improve the defence and veteran midfielders Sean Welsh and James Craigen provide plenty of nous. They should be there or thereabouts again.
So my inevitably wrong predicted table looks like this:
1. CLYDE
2. THE SPARTANS
3. KELTY HEARTS
4. STIRLING ALBION
5. DUMBARTON
6. EDINBURGH CITY
7. STRANRAER
8. FORFAR ATHLETIC
9. ANNAN ATHLETIC
10. ELGIN CITY
Feel free to bookmark this and use it against me in the coming weeks and months!
Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.
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