Worst Signings of the 2025/26 Premiership season (part 1)

Your customary reminders of the previous 'winners' of this prestigious award:

2012/13: Rory Boulding (Kilmarnock)

2013/14: Stephane Bahoken (St. Mirren)

2014/15: Jim Fenlon (Ross County)

2015/16: Rodney Sneijder (Dundee United)

2016/17: Joey Barton (Rangers)

2017/18: Eduardo Herrera (Rangers)

2018/19: Umar Sadiq (Rangers)

2019/20: Madis Vihmann (St. Johnstone)

2020/21: Shane Duffy (Celtic)

2021/22: Matty Longstaff (Aberdeen)

2022/23: Anthony Stewart (Aberdeen)

2023/24: Sam Lammers (Rangers)

2024/25: Kevin Van Veen (St. Mirren)

Now, let's get down to business with the 2025/26 vintage. I was not short of candidates for this season's list, so there are certainly some players who would have been a shoo-in in years gone past that didn't make it this time around.

As always this is split into two parts. Here's the rundown from 25 to 11...

25. ISAAC PAPPOE (DUNDEE UNITED)

The Ghanaian under-20 international wrecked his knee in only his fourth appearance for United back in August and was ruled out for the rest of the season. Attempts by the club to end his loan in January were unsuccessful, which presumably means they've been stuck with paying his wages for all this time.

24. LEWIS MONTSMA (DUNDEE)

Dutch defender Montsma joined Dundee at the end of the January window. "Dundee is a great opportunity for me. The main thing in my career is to play games again" he said. He hasn't made a single appearance for the Dark Blues. He's on a deal to the end of the season, plus a year's option; I'm guessing the option won't be taken up.

23. SAM HART (FALKIRK)

Hart was hooked at half-time during his first start and hasn't got on the pitch since Christmas. However he is still hanging around at Falkirk, either as a deep depth piece for the defence or because parent club Port Vale refused to take him back.

22. ZAC WILLIAMS (KILMARNOCK)

Williams is a Welsh under-21 international defender who had been a regular for Crewe Alexandra for the last two seasons, but who bizarrely agreed a new contract with Crewe before immediately moving to Rugby Park on loan. He's played only 23 minutes since November and doesn't even make the bench under Neil McCann. Kilmarnock lost each of the seven league games he appeared in.

21. JUNIOR ROBINSON (LIVINGSTON)

Robinson couldn't get a game even as defensive injuries piled up for Livingston. After being an unused sub about a million times, he was allowed 14 minutes off the bench at Ibrox...and after that he wasn't even an unused sub very often. Unsurprisingly the diminutive right-back returned to parent club West Ham in January.

20. OLIVER ANTMAN (RANGERS)

Antman has had the odd flash - an impressive debut, as well as a big cameo as a sub at Falkirk recently - but one expects a lot more for £3.5million. The Finnish winger has so far failed to show any consistency and hasn't started a league game since the end of November.

19. HAYATO INAMURA (CELTIC)

Brendan Rodgers called Inamura "a club signing", which is code for "I didn't want him". Rodgers explained rather damningly that the defender was left out of the Champions League squad because "we also need a player that can defend". Inamura returned to Japan on loan in January and chances are that the sole Celtic appearance he made against Livingston will be his only one for the club.

18. TREY OGUNSUYI (FALKIRK)

There were high hopes for the Belgian U19 international when he arrived on loan from Sunderland. However, one Falkirk fan on the BBC website described him as "never looked interested, didn't run, couldn't score and the stadium let out an audible groan when he came on". He returned south in January having started only two games and has spent the second half of the season at Shrewsbury Town where he has hit the net a couple of times.

17. NICOLAS MILANOVIC (ABERDEEN)

At the time of writing, Milanovic hasn't played in the league since January, even before Stephen Robinson took over at Aberdeen. And now his chances of minutes have reduced further. “He’s probably been a little bit unfortunate with the system, when we’ve gone 3-5-2 or 3-4-3,” said Robinson recently. Which is a problem, given Robinson pretty much always plays either system and Milanovic is a winger that the Dons spunked four hundred grand on. That said, the Australian failed to impress in the first half of the season even in a formation which seemed perfect for his strengths. By January he was being linked with a loan return down under, and regardless of the manager or tactics going forward it's hard to see him succeeding in the North East.

16. ALEX TAMM (LIVINGSTON)

A big powerful international striker? Sounds good. Five sub appearances, no goals (even by his teammates while he is on the pitch)? Not so good. Livingston's January signing has played more minutes in the last three months for Estonia than he has for his club, where he isn't even making the bench.

15. MALIK DIJKSTEEL (ST. MIRREN)

St. Mirren originally agreed a pre-contract with Dijksteel last summer, and then Dijksteel refused to play for "personal reasons" until Cork City agreed to let him move to Scotland immediately, with St. Mirren paying a fee. It hasn't been worth it; Dijksteel hasn't been trusted to start a game, and in fact the only match they've won in which he was involved (and scored a goal while he was on the pitch) was an extra time cup win at Championship side Airdrie. He's also been out injured since February.

14. JAHMAI SIMPSON-PUSEY (CELTIC)

Even as Celtic's injuries in defence (and goals against) piled up, Simpson-Pusey went months on end without even making the bench. He made as many appearances for the B team in the Challenge Cup (where he was part of a team that lost five goals at East Fife) as he did for the first team, though that one game against Kilmarnock yielded a clean sheet. His loan from Manchester City was essentially a waste of everyone's time and he moved on to Koln in the Bundesliga in January where he has got rather more game time.

13. NIKOLAJ MOLLER (DUNDEE UNITED)

It's hard to be an effective target man striker with "a head like a 50p piece" as one United fan described him to me on Twitter. Moller's only goal in Scotland was in a cup tie against Ayr, but the club remarkably managed to get a six figure transfer fee for the Swede in February.

12. SHIN YAMADA (CELTIC)

Celtic can't afford to spend £1.5million on a striker who is so much of a project that he's only fourth-choice up front when he arrives. Yamada was trusted to start only one game and was shipped out on loan to the German second division in January, where he has managed only a single goal so far. He is still under contract for another three years.

11. YEVHENII KUCHERENKO (DUNDEE UNITED)

I don't remember Kucherenko being calamitous from the word go, but his form deteriorated in the autumn and he was dropped after an epic stinker at home to Falkirk where he gifted Calvin Miller a goal after failing to hold a weak shot and then punched a corner into his own net whilst under no pressure. Somehow United got a fee for him in January, and he subsequently moaned to journalists that all his problems were because Scottish referees let him be fouled all the time...

The top ten will come next week...

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2025/26 Scottish Premiership preview

Before we get on to anything else, I'd like to point out that I got huge stick last season for predicting Dundee would come tenth. Just saying, like. What do you mean, even a stopped clock is right twice a day? Anyway...

In recent years, my Premiership season preview has tended to follow a pattern: first we have The Cheeks Of The Glasgow a***, then we look at the three clubs whose budgets should -but often don't - put them comfortably clear of the rest, and then the other seven who could all potentially charge into the top six, and who could also potentially slump into a relegation battle.

So starting at the top, the question is whether the fact that RANGERS now appear to have some sort of plan going forward might actually lead to a title challenge. I'm the sort of football hipster who likes what Russell Martin wants to do with his team and the passing out from the back should help to break down the low blocks they'll face most weeks. I'm also impressed by their use of the loan market, getting in good short-term defensive fixes in Nasser Djiga and Max Aarons as well as exciting young Spurs winger Mikey Moore. But they're going forward with the same, er, forwards as last season (though Hamza Igamane looks offski) and I think they need to find a real gem in that area if they are to overhaul their rivals.

The gap to CELTIC should be smaller this season though, even if Brendan Rodgers does finally get to spend some of the hundred trillion dollars or so that the club are choosing to hide away for a rainy day that never comes. The main concern is out wide where Nicolas Kuhn has been sold and Jota is out long term. If new boy Benjamin Nygren is to play in midfield that actually seems to leave them a bit overloaded in that area  - one of Nygren, Reo Hatate and Arne Engels would have to be on the bench every week - but they look so much stronger defensively than Rangers and if Kieran Tierney stays fit then they have upgraded from Greg Taylor at left-back. I do expect a title race this year, but I also still expect Celtic will win it.

There is of course no way that anyone else will be in the top two - whatever Tony Bloom claims about his investment at Tynecastle - but the next three places should be ABERDEEN, HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN and HIBERNIAN in some order. Of course in reality at least one of the trio will probably have a shocker - last year it was the Jambos, though Aberdeen's lousy form in the second half of the season (the Cup win excepting) and the added pressures of European football make them the most likely to have a mare this time around. New signings Nicolas Milanovic and Adil Aouchiche should boost the midfield and getting Alfie Dorrington back for another loan looks like a smart move; however they look weak up front with Pape Habib Gueye. Kevin Nisbet and Oday Dabbagh gone, and none of them were actually that brilliant in the first place. One feels they really need a splash move in that area.

In contrast, Hibs were tremendous in the first half of 2025 and have spunked a million quid on Togo forward Thibault Klidje as they look to keep the momentum going. There are high hopes that this could be a breakout season for striker Kieron Bowie, while Jamie McGrath and Josh Mulligan will fit in well to a midfield that already has plenty of good options. This squad looks well built for exactly what manager David Gray wants to do - no mean feat given he's only been in the job a year - and they should absolutely fancy their chances of another third place finish.

Expectations are also high on the other side of Edinburgh, what with Bloom's involvement and the arrival in the dugout of Derek McInnes. This should give Hearts a higher floor, and signings like Stuart Findlay and Claudio Braga, along with the retention of Lawrence Shankland, should certainly make them candidates for the final podium place. However it is simply not realistic to think they can do any more than that without a much bigger splurge in the transfer market - and at the moment the priority is to trim a squad that looks a bit bloated.

As for the other seven, you could maybe pick a name out of a hat for who will grab a top six spot. DUNDEE UNITED would seem to be the obvious choice following their fourth place finish but Jim Goodwin has moved on a lot of the squad that won promotion in 2023/24 and brought in eleven new players, none of whom are Scottish or have experience of Scottish football. There's certainly a chance they will take time to gel, and it's not entirely impossible it will all go badly wrong. A decent chunk of their recent success was down to loan striker Sam Dalby, and new attackers Zac Sapsford and Max Watters have a big hole to fill there.

ST. MIRREN also look like a good bet simply because they managed it last time out. Stephen Robinson has lost some important players in Zach Hemming, Ryan Alebiosu, Richard Taylor, Caolan Boyd-Munce and Toyosi Olusanya but has been very busy with nine new signings plus permanent deals for Killian Phillips and Roland Idowu. Jamaican duo Richard King and Jalmaro Calvin look like low-risk, high-reward acquisitions and there are high hopes for Dutch winger Malik Dijksteel. The worry is that Jonah Ayunga and Mikael Mandron don't offer enough goals up top.

MOTHERWELL feel like an unknown quantity under new boss Jens Berthel Askou, and he inherited a squad that had so many loan players last season that a high turnover was inevitable. They have spent a decent fee (by their standards) on winger Ibrahim Said and also brought in New Zealand international wideman Elijah Just. Well seem happy that front two Tawanda Maswanise and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos will push on, but it will be interesting to see what they do with the substantial funds incoming from the imminent sale of Lennon Miller.

In contrast, it feels like we know exactly what we'll get from KILMARNOCK now that Stuart Kettlewell is in charge, and that's not necessarily a good thing. Killie were due a refresh and only ten players from last season's first team squad remain (with two of those, Robby McCrorie and Marley Watkins, potentially heading for the exit door). There are ten new signings but is there a lot of quality there? They need new strikers Marcus Dackers and Djenairo Daniels to hit the ground running and Scott Tiffoney to adequately replace Dan Armstrong. They also look short at the back after Corrie Ndaba and Joe Wright left. This could be a tough campaign and Kettlewell had better hope the home support are kinder than the fans at Fir Park were...

Meanwhile, goodness knows what is happening at DUNDEE. Their shambolic defending last season nearly got them a relegation playoff and punting Tony Docherty at the end of it wasn't a crazy move...but replacing him with Steven Pressley was. A rubbish League Cup campaign has left him with very little credit in the bank and a rough start to the league season will put him under huge pressure very quickly. Given that multiple starters have left during the summer this was always going to be a hard ask, and I'm not convinced Simon Murray will score twenty goals in a season again.

Newly promoted sides can often carry momentum into the next campaign, but I don't expect FALKIRK  to do as well as Dundee United did last season. They've mostly stuck with the squad that got them promoted, and I'm not convinced that a lot of these players - who have either played in the lower leagues for years or who have failed to establish themselves in the top flight in the past - will make the step up successfully. There will be a heavy dependence on veterans Scott Arfield and Brian Graham to provide creativity and goals.

In fact, I could see LIVINGSTON fairing better, even though - as I stated above with Dundee United - making a lot of signings comes with risk. Aside from captain Jamie Brandon (who joined Killie) I don't think anyone who left would have impressed in the Premiership, and whilst I'm not sure that Graham Carey and Stevie May have much to offer I think Mo Sylla and Macaulay Tait are particularly great additions. Importantly, it feels like Robbie Muirhead has finally matured into a quality striker and his contribution will be crucial. And at the other end Jerome Prior may well prove to be one of the best keepers in the country.

So here's my (inevitably inaccurate) predicted table:

1. CELTIC

2. RANGERS

3. HIBERNIAN

4. HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN

5. ABERDEEN

6. ST. MIRREN

7. DUNDEE UNITED

8. MOTHERWELL

9. LIVINGSTON

10. KILMARNOCK

11. FALKIRK

12. DUNDEE

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2025/26 Scottish Championship preview

 Ah, the mad, bad Scottish Championship, a place where teams who think they're too good for this level quickly learn to show respect after they've been scudded at Gayfield. There's a reason why clubs looking to get promoted fill their squad with players who are known to be good at this level, rather than ones who they think can do a job in the top flight.

Thus ROSS COUNTY followed their relegation by quickly moving for Declan Gallagher and Ross Docherty, who formed the backbone of the Dundee United side that won the division in 2023/24, and Arran Lyall who was a decent winger for Morton last year. The two clear issues for County are up front - they will be a completely different proposition if/when talented striker Ronan Hale goes - and in the dugout, as Don Cowie is somewhat fortunate to still be in a job after the collapse at the end of last season. There's a clear move away from a back three to a team with wingers, and that midfield with Docherty and new signings Dean Cornelius, Jamie Lindsay and Adam Emslie looks suave, but an ageing Nicky Clark will not replace Hale's goals and Cowie better have learned some lessons.

ST. JOHNSTONE's 'Championship experience signings' were more for depth - Morton centre-backs Jack Baird and Morgan Boyes, Accies full-back Reghan Tumilty, Raith forward Jamie Gullan - but it's their subsequent moves for Exeter defender Cheick Diabate and midfielders Reece McAlear from Livi and Stevie Mallan (who has been out of football with injury for 18 months) that catch the eye. Even if Uche Ikpeazu chooses to leave they will still be dangerous up top with Makenzie Kirk and Adama Sidibeh. Simo Valakari's tactics should, in theory, work better now they're expected to be on the front foot.

As the best of the rest last time out, AYR UNITED will have designs on another promotion battle. Their most crucial signing may be Kevin Holt, who adds some nous and experience to the defence. Dom Thomas looks like a super acquistion too, and it'll be interesting to see how young Celtic loan duo Jude Bonnar and Kyle Ure do. They still have their choice of George Oakley, Curtis Main and (when fit again) Anton Dowds up top, but you feel like the team as a whole are still a level below the duo that have been relegated into this division.

PARTICK THISTLE also made the playoffs last term but they've had a tumultuous off-season with budget cuts and a bit of a mess regarding appointing a new manager; Captain and talisman Brian Graham turned down the job and then left for Falkirk after they gave it to Mark Wilson. Wilson's managerial CV doesn't fill one with optimism and whilst Thistle still have Logan Chalmers and Robbie Crawford to provide creativity and a solid defence marshalled by Lee Ashcroft and Daniel O'Reilly, they have only one senior striker in veteran Tony Watt. Young midfielder Ts'oanelo Lets'osa might be a wildcard though after returning to Scotland from Belgium.

RAITH ROVERS came fifth in 2024/25 after a late charge following Barry Robson's appointment as manager. Rebuffing a six-figure bid from rivals Dunfermline for star man Dylan Easton keeps the supporters sweet but only wing-back Jai Rowe and winger Paul McMullan (who doesn't really fit into their three-at-the-back system) look like reinforcements. Lewis Vaughan's fitness will always be key to their success, though Jack Hamilton is a solid alternative. Their season may depend on whether Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson can keep defying Father Time, and whether a proposed co-op agreement with Rangers works out for them.

Eventually, Dougie Imrie's tactics will go stale, or for some other reason GREENOCK MORTON will slide away from mid-table. That's not to say it'll be this season though. It's not exactly ideal that they lost Baird, Boyes, Lyall or quality keeper Ryan Mullen, but they've picked up a new keeper in Jmaes Storer and defenders Kris Moore  and Sonny Hart from down south. Crucially, they've kept Tomi Adeloye who will be good for goals as long as he doesn't get injured. All in all, Morton should be able to scrap sufficiently to avoid relegation again, but that seems to be their ceiling.

DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC have far higher aspirations now that Neil Lennon is in charge. Having failed with their wild attempt to sign Easton, they have instead boosted their midfield with Charlie Gilmour from Inverness and the exciting Alfons Amade, who is a Mozambique international who previously played for Germany's under-20s. Rory MacLeod, who is still a teenager, feels like a high risk, high reward capture from Dundee United to compete with the oft-injured Chris Kane up top, and the emergence of brothers John and Andrew Tod (sons of Pars legend Andy) is fun to see. Remember the name Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen though; this is a central defender who should already be playing at a higher level.

QUEEN'S PARK stank the place out in the last few months of last season and would surely have been relegated via the playoffs had Hamilton Accies not had their points deduction. They've had a nightmare offseason with massive cuts to their budget and a move to the woefully inadequate Lesser Hampden ground, so good luck to rookie manager Sean Crichton. If there is hope it is in the shape of Josh Fowler, their new forward who has joined from Dubai City (!) and was banging them in during the League Cup games. Most of their more talented and more experienced players have exited though and a squad mix of a few veterans, a lot of raw youths and some former Dumbarton players is likely to struggle...especially if the stuff off the park gets worse, as it may well do.

If the Spiders were lucky to stay up, AIRDRIEONIANS were even luckier; the problems at Hamilton gave them a reprieve via the relegation playoffs and they need to try and build on that despite the loss of captain Adam Frizzell and striker Ben Wilson. However many of the new faces have a feel of being good League One players rather than Championship-quality, with ex-Accies trio Jamie Barjonas, Euan Henderson and Sean McGinty being particular examples. Up front they currently depend on converted midfielder Chris Mochrie to lead the line, and could really do with a decent striker as an alternative.

And finally there's ARBROATH, the sole part-time team who, despite their recent history at this level, have to be tipped to be closer to the bottom than the top. They look pretty solid though, with Aaron Muirhead joining permanently after a loan spell to partner Tam O'Brien at the back and Harry Cochrane and Ross Callachan added to the midfield. They still look light up top though, as whichever of Gavin Reilly, Calum Gallagher and Nikolay Todorov starts up front is not likely to score many. It's worth noting that their best players of the second half of their promotion campaign were loanees Fraser Taylor and Sam Stanton, and they are of course gone.

So here's my (inevitably wrong) predicted table:

1. ST. JOHNSTONE

2. ROSS COUNTY

3. DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC

4. AYR UNITED

5. RAITH ROVERS

6. GREENOCK MORTON

7. PARTICK THISTLE

8. AIRDRIEONIANS

9. ARBROATH

10. QUEEN'S PARK

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2025/26 Scottish League One preview

 For my annual League One reviews, I've tended to assume that full-time sides (the ones that are not financial basket-cases) are likely to beat out part-time ones over the course of a whole season. Of course Arbroath put that particular theory to shame last season, but I'm not going to let a small thing like that stop me.

Of this season's four full-time League One teams, INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE are the bookies' favourites but start with a five point deduction courtesy of last season's administration adventure. Five points isn't a huge amount, but it's the equivalent of nearly two wins and may make this tougher than many think. Caley Thistle have also lost loanee striker Alfie Bavidge plus excellent keeper Musa Dibaga and midfielder Charlie Gilmour, though they've replaced the latter two adequately with Ross Munro and Joe Chalmers respectively. They also did well to retain Paul Allan and get Alfie Stewart back on loan. They unquestionably have the best midfield in the division and wingers Luis Longstaff and Liam Sole could have big years; however at the moment their starting attackers are Billy McKay (36) and David Wotherspoon (35). A new striker (or a Bavidge return) is required if they really are going to be the team to beat.

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH finished last season strongly and so boss Peter Murphy has largely chosen to run it back, signing three loan players permanently. Jordan Allan and new striker Kurtis Guthrie (who played for Livingston in the top flight a few years back) should be a threatening pair and mitigate the exit of Adam Brooks. They've also used the loan market well to get St. Mirren defender Callum Penman and exciting Killie midfielder Cole Burke, while Kai Kennedy is hugely talented if he can stay fit. This looks like the best squad the Doonhamers have had in the last few seasons and could take them far.

In contrast, COVE RANGERS went down a rebuild route; Paul Hartley has lost a number of players, including goalie Nick Suman and club legend Connor Scully, and is operating a very streamlined squad at the time of writing. There is plenty of quality in striker Mitch Megginson and midfielders Fraser Fyvie and Declan Glass but new keeper Robbie Mutch will be a downgrade from the terrific Suman (who joined Aberdeen) and the lack of depth - and, surprisingly, the lack of loan signings so far - will be a concern unless Hartley is very busy in the market in the next month.

And then we come to the aforementioned basket-case. HAMILTON ACADEMICAL were relegated after a points deduction and now, having had to move to Cumbernauld for the season, they have been hit with a transfer embargo until next summer as well. Whilst they held on to a pretty solid core - including forwards Oli Shaw and Scott Robinson and midfielders Barry Maguire and Steven Bradley - they seem to only have around 13 senior players; just to add to the chaos, at least two veterans who had been kept on to join the coaching staff apparently can't be re-registered as players due to the embargo. They feel like the obvious answer to the question "Which Scottish club is most likely to end up in administration this season?".

Which of the part-time clubs could emulate Arbroath's success? I'm not sure any jump out for me. PETERHEAD could well carry momentum from their League Two title triumph; guys like Craig McGuffie, Peter Pawlett and Cammy Smith have been round the block and Oliver Colloty really impressed up front after joining mid-season. Jack Newman should be a good signing in goal, though I'm not sure veteran forward Niall McGinn has much left to offer. It'll be strange seeing them without Rory McAllister up front though.

The other promoted side, EAST FIFE, have only made one new signing at the time of writing - Lewis Latona on loan from Livingston - and it'll be a huge ask for 39 year old forward Alan Trouten to repeat last season's ridiculous goal tally. He and Nathan Austin should give them enough firepower but neither the defence nor midfield look of League One standard (as it stands, their only goalkeeper is youth product Matty Rollo, who made his debut in the League Cup groups). They need reinforcements if they are to show they belong here.

STENHOUSEMUIR did remarkably well to make the promotion playoffs last season but admitted afterward that their finances had sailed rather too close to the wind for comfort. The exit of Blair Alston is probably a sign they are cutting their cloth. Striker Matty Yates has also gone (though his expected move to Accies fell through and he's still a free agent) and most of their signings are short-term ones to deal with an injury crisis. Finlay Gray looks like a great addition from Dumbarton and boosts a midfield area that is probably still a strength, and Gregor Buchanan and Ross Meechan provide experience at the back. However they look very unlikely to challenge for top four again.

ALLOA ATHLETIC just missed out on that fourth spot and there was perhaps a feeling that Andy Graham's side underachieved a little last season. With the exception of loan keeper Liam McFarlane most of their newcomers feel like depth pieces though medical student midfielder Andy Clarke looks worth taking a punt on. They'll need McFarlane to prove an adequate replacement for PJ Morrison between the sticks, but otherwise the backbone of last season's team is still here and still looks strong. I don't think League Cup form holds much weight but the Wasps were very, very good in the group stage.

Last season was quite a turbulent one for KELTY HEARTS, who lost manager Michael Tidser to Dunfermline and then endured a nightmare period under Charlie Mulgrew. Tam O'Ware took the reins after Mulgrew's exit and kept them out of a relegation playoff; he was rewarded with the gig permanently and has only retained nine players. If he can gel the newbies quickly, he could be rewarded; midfielders Innes Murray and Alex Ferguson look like particularly smart acquisitions. But top scorer Ross Cunningham is away and they're looking to former Stirling forward James Graham for goals.

And finally MONTROSE are heading for their eighth consecutive season at this level, which is some job. It does seem to be getting gradually tougher for Stewart Petrie's side though. Keeping Kieran Freeman and Craig Wighton permanently after loan spells will help, and Ewan Loudon scored a lot of goals in the Highland League last season. And the defence, marshalled by 42 year old Sean Dillon, isn't short of experience. But they're another team who could do with bringing in a few loans if they are to avoid a relegation scrap.

So here's my (inevitably wrong) predicted table:

1. QUEEN OF THE SOUTH

2. INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE

3. COVE RANGERS

4. PETERHEAD

5. ALLOA ATHLETIC

6. KELTY HEARTS

7. STENHOUSEMUIR

8. MONTROSE

9. EAST FIFE

10. HAMILTON ACADEMICAL

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2025/26 Scottish League Two preview

Lessons I've learned from the League Two previews I've done in the past (many of which have been extremely, spectacularly wrong):

- Do not pay much attention to the League Cup group results. They tend not to be a good indicator of what's coming.

- If there is a team that is pretty well bankrolled, put them near the top as they will either romp it or, if they don't, they will sack their manager and/or bring in loads of players in January and then romp it.

- The weakest team right now is not actually all that likely to come bottom, as they will also sack their manager and/or bring in loads of players in January and then turn it around. The team that finishes bottom will probably be the seventh or eighth best right now, but will be overtaken by a few sides that panic sufficiently early to get out of danger.

There is a little extra spanner in the works this year: DUMBARTON start with a five point penalty following their administration in League One last season. That doesn't sound like much, but a six point deduction was the difference between Bonnyrigg Rose staying up and going down last time out. It's a new beginning for the Sons, on the pitch as well as off; pretty much none of their best performers from last year remain and manager Stevie Farrell has had to mostly build a new team. While centre-backs Mark Durnan and Morgyn Neill give them a solid backbone, they will be heavily dependent on veterans Leighton McIntosh and Ally Roy for goals and probably need some of their many loan players to shine if they are going to avoid a fight at the bottom.

I also fear for the other side relegated from League One, ANNAN ATHLETIC. Star striker Tommy Goss is set to leave after an alleged fallout with player-boss Wullie Gibson, while potential replacement Joel Mumbongo picked up a serious knee injury on his debut. Aidan Smith is probably good for double-figures and that will be crucial, while Paul McGowan and Paul Smith add a bit of midfield nous. I can see them starting badly, punting Gibson and then hauling themselves out of trouble but I'm not sure they have the budget to make wholesale changes if they are in danger.

Having only avoided the relegation playoff via goal difference, FORFAR ATHLETIC need to improve, and while Lewis Martin and Jake Dolzanski should strengthen the defence their problem in recent years has very much been at the other end of the park. New boys Martin Rennie and Scott Shepherd will be relied on heavily for goals, and their ability to deliver will be the difference between them climbing the table and not.

STRANRAER were always near the bottom last season and it could well be the same again for them. Manager Chris Aitken has turned over the squad (thirteen signings so far) but he's relying on a lot of lower league players to make the step up. He's done well to get winger James Dolan back after a year away studying in Spain, and signing defender Lewis Reid permanently from Queen's Park is actually a bit of a coup.

Moving to the business end of the table, EAST KILBRIDE are the newly promoted side but are also the ones who could be described as 'bankrolled' so I'd make them favourites. They've considerably reinforced the team that won the Lowland League with Rhys Breen and Magnus MacKenzie added to the backline and Ouzy See joining the attack. John Robertson is a solid bet to be League Two's top scorer this season.

Curiously EK signed two players and then punted them in a matter of days; one is striker Josh O'Connor (son of Scotland international Garry) who looks like quite the star signing for ELGIN CITY. Elgin made the promotion playoffs last season and have added keeper Tom Ritchie, defender Connall Ewan and midfielder Miko Virtanen as well which is not too shabby. They have lost the flair of Dujon Golding though. City's target will be to remain in that top four.

EK also let Mouhamed Niang go and he should add a bit of steel to the CLYDE midfield. After a couple of seasons that go into the "bad start, sack manager, sign lots of players, turn it around" category they will look to continue their steady improvement under Darren Young. Guys like full-back Tommy Robson and striker Scott Williamson are probably better than this level and the Niang-Andy Murdoch pairing in the centre of the park is very strong. However captain Lee Hamilton left and they are banking on Sam Campbell, signed from East Stirling, making the step up to replace him in central defence.

EDINBURGH CITY were probably 2024-25's surprise package with Michael McIndoe impressing as manager. Their weakness still seems to be their small squad and the resultant lack of depth. If they can avoid injuries they will be dangerous. Aside from keeping Malik Zaid permanently after a successful loan, McIndoe has had to dip into the lower leagues again to augment the squad (though that worked pretty well for them last year). They did struggle to replace Connor Young's goals after his January exit and have lost Ouzy See too, so they'll need Innes Lawson and James Stokes to continue to contribute heavily from midfield.

As ever, THE SPARTANS resisted making wholesale changes as they go into their fourteenth season under Dougie Samuel. They've convinced Sean Welsh to drop down to League Two and kept defender Bailey Dall on a permanent deal. Crucially Blair Henderson and Cammy Russell are as reliable as any front pairing at this level and so they will have aspirations of finishing higher than last year's fifth spot.

And finally STIRLING ALBION seemed to spend the entirety of last season in mid-table. They'll be hoping new attackers Ross Cunningham and Russell McLean can move them up, while they did well to attract defender Lee Hamilton from Clyde. However the bulk of the squad have been around for the last few seasons and it's possible that they have reached their ceiling under Alan Maybury.

So my (inevitably wrong) predicted table:

1. EAST KILBRIDE

2. THE SPARTANS

3. ELGIN CITY

4. EDINBURGH CITY

5. CLYDE

6. STIRLING ALBION

7. FORFAR ATHLETIC

8. STRANRAER

9. DUMBARTON

10. ANNAN ATHLETIC

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

The eighteenth annual Narey's Toepoker Team of the Year

I'm getting later at doing this every year, so sorry about that. Still, traditions are traditions. And it's always a fun excuse to look back at the teams from the olden days. I can barely remember when Stephen Hughes was actually a thing...

2007/08: Allan McGregor (Rangers), Alan Hutton (Rangers), Carlos Cuellar (Rangers), Lee Wilkie (Dundee United), Lee Naylor (Celtic), Barry Robson (Celtic), Stephen Hughes (Motherwell), Barry Ferguson (Rangers), Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Scott McDonald (Celtic), Steven Fletcher (Hibernian)

2008/09: Lukasz Zaluska (Dundee United), Andreas Hinkel (Celtic), Gary Caldwell (Celtic), Lee Wilkie (Dundee United), Sasa Papac (Rangers), Scott Brown (Celtic), Bruno Aguiar (Hearts), Pedro Mendes (Rangers), Andrew Driver (Hearts), Scott McDonald (Celtic), Kris Boyd (Rangers)

2009/10: John Ruddy (Motherwell), Steven Whittaker (Rangers), David Weir (Rangers), Andy Webster (Dundee United), Sasa Papac (Rangers), Steven Davis (Rangers), Morgaro Gomis (Dundee United), James McArthur (Hamilton), Anthony Stokes (Hibernian), Kris Boyd (Rangers), David Goodwillie (Dundee United)

2010/11: Marian Kello (Hearts), Steven Whittaker (Rangers), Daniel Majstorovic (Celtic), Michael Duberry (St. Johnstone), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Steven Naismith (Rangers), Beram Kayal (Celtic), Alexei Eremenko (Kilmarnock), David Templeton (Hearts), Nikica Jelavic (Rangers), David Goodwillie (Dundee United)

2011/12: Cammy Bell (Kilmarnock), Adam Matthews (Celtic), Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic), Paul Dixon (Dundee United), James Forrest (Celtic), Victor Wanyama (Celtic), Ian Black (Hearts), Dean Shiels (Kilmarnock), Jon Daly (Dundee United), Gary Hooper (Celtic)

2012/13: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Mihael Kovacevic (Ross County), Gary Warren (Inverness CT), Mark Reynolds (Aberdeen), Stevie Hammell (Motherwell), Victor Wanyama (Celtic), Nicky Law (Motherwell), Murray Davidson (St. Johnstone), Leigh Griffiths (Hibernian), Michael Higdon (Motherwell), Billy Mckay (Inverness CT) 

2013/14: Jamie MacDonald (Hearts), Dave Mackay (St. Johnstone), Virgil Van Dijk (Celtic), Mark Reynolds (Aberdeen), Andrew Robertson (Dundee United), Scott Brown (Celtic), Stuart Armstrong (Dundee United), Peter Pawlett (Aberdeen), Kris Commons (Celtic), Kris Boyd (Kilmarnock), Stevie May (St. Johnstone)

2014/15: Craig Gordon (Celtic), Shay Logan (Aberdeen), Virgil Van Dijk (Celtic), Jason Denayer (Celtic), Graeme Shinnie (Inverness CT), Ryan Jack (Aberdeen), Greg Tansey (Inverness CT), Greg Stewart (Dundee), Stefan Johansen (Celtic), Gary Mackay-Steven (Dundee United/Celtic), Adam Rooney (Aberdeen)

2015/16: Jamie MacDonald (Kilmarnock), Callum Paterson (Hearts), Igor Rossi (Hearts), Andrew Davies (Ross County), Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen), Nir Bitton (Celtic), Jackson Irvine (Ross County), Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen), Kenny McLean (Aberdeen), Marvin Johnson (Motherwell), Leigh Griffiths (Celtic)

2016/17: Joe Lewis (Aberdeen), Callum Paterson (Hearts), Jozo Simunovic (Celtic), Joe Shaughnessy (St. Johnstone), Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen), Stuart Armstrong (Celtic), Adam Barton (Partick Thistle), Scott Sinclair (Celtic), Moussa Dembele (Celtic), Liam Boyce (Ross County)

2017/18: Jon McLaughlin (Hearts), James Tavernier (Rangers), Scott McKenna (Aberdeen), Christophe Berra (Hearts), Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Scott Brown (Celtic), Dylan McGeouch (Hibernian), John McGinn (Hibernian), James Forrest (Celtic), Daniel Candeias (Rangers), Kris Boyd (Kilmarnock)

2018/19: Allan McGregor (Rangers), James Tavernier (Rangers), Kristoffer Ajer (Celtic), Craig Halkett (Livingston), Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Callum McGregor (Celtic), David Turnbull (Motherwell), James Forrest (Celtic), Ryan Christie (Celtic), Ryan Kent (Rangers), Alfredo Morelos (Rangers)

2019/20: Mark Gillespie (Motherwell), James Tavernier (Rangers), Kristoffer Ajer (Celtic), Jon Guthrie (Livingston), Borna Barisic (Rangers), James Forrest (Celtic), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Ali McCann (St. Johnstone), Niall McGinn (Aberdeen), Odsonne Edouard (Celtic), Alfredo Morelos (Rangers)

2020/21: Benjamin Siegrist (Dundee United), James Tavernier (Rangers), Conor Goldson (Rangers), Jason Kerr (St. Johnstone), Borna Barisic (Rangers), Steven Davis (Rangers), Ali McCann (St. Johnstone), Ryan Kent (Rangers), David Turnbull (Celtic), Martin Boyle (Hibernian), Odsonne Edouard (Celtic)

2021/22: Craig Gordon (Hearts), James Tavernier (Rangers), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Ryan Edwards (Dundee United), Stephen Kingsley (Hearts), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Joe Aribo (Rangers), Regan Charles-Cook (Ross County), Barrie McKay (Hearts), Jota (Celtic), Alfredo Morelos (Rangers)

2022/23: Trevor Carson (St. Mirren), James Tavernier (Rangers), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Conor Goldson (Rangers), Greg Taylor (Celtic), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Reo Hatate (Celtic), Jota (Celtic), Malik Tillman (Rangers), Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic), Kevin Van Veen (Motherwell)

2023/24: Dimitar Mitov (St. Johnstone), James Tavernier (Rangers), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Frankie Kent (Hearts), Owen Beck (Dundee), Matt O'Riley (Celtic), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Dan Armstrong (Kilmarnock), Abdallah Sima (Rangers), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), Bojan Miovski (Aberdeen)

And here's this season's list:

GOALKEEPER: DIMITAR MITOV (ABERDEEN)

Honourable mentions: Jordan Smith (Hibernian), Kasper Schmeichel (Celtic)

This isn't just recency bias following his cup final heroics; Mitov was impressive all season for the Dons and was badly missed during a couple of injury layoffs. Smith only got his chance for Hibs because Jozef Bursik was so consistently terrible, but he grabbed it (and often the ball) with both hands. In contrast to Mitov,  Schmeichel had a nightmare at Hampden last month but had actually been reliable enough the rest of the season. I'd have put Zach Hemming ahead of him but the St. Mirren stopper didn't play enough games to qualify.

RIGHT-BACK: ALISTAIR JOHNSTON (CELTIC)

Honourable mentions: James Tavernier (Rangers), Nicky Devlin (Aberdeen)

Tav's seven year run as my pick at right-back comes to an end; he only really makes the top three here because there was a dearth of options (you could say the same about Aberdeen's Devlin). Johnston is the clear first choice though after another excellent all-round season which has led to him being linked with big money moves elsewhere.

LEFT-BACK: JAMES PENRICE (HEARTS)

Honourable mentions: Nicky Cadden (Hibernian), Greg Taylor (Celtic)

Penrice had shown at Livingston that he has a wand of a left foot, and he displayed it to good effect during his first campaign at Tynecastle. Cadden was more of a wing-back - or a winger playing wing-back - than a full-back, but I've put him in here. His crossing from deep was a big part of Hibs' attacking play. Celtic will miss Taylor if/when he goes this summer, when prodigal son Kieran Tierney inevitably gets injured again and again and again.

CENTRE-BACK: CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS (CELTIC), JOHN SOUTTAR (RANGERS)

Honourable mentions: Jack Iredale (Hibernian), Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian), Liam Scales (Celtic), Dan Casey (Motherwell)

CCV is a mainstay of this list now - four times he's made it. Celtic are lucky that he shows no particular urge to test himself at a higher level. Souttar was miles ahead of everyone Rangers partnered him. As for the others, Iredale's insertion into the Hibs lineup coincided with an improvement in those around him, including the hereto haphazard Bushiri. Scales was quietly very good for Celtic and often kept the far more expensive Trusty and Nawrocki out of the team. Motherwell may find it difficult to retain Casey this summer, as he has improved year on year.

CENTRAL MIDFIELD: CALLUM MCGREGOR (CELTIC), NICOLAS RASKIN (RANGERS), REO HATATE (CELTIC)

Honourable mentions: Nectarios Triantis (Hibernian), Beni Baningime (Hearts), Vicko Sevelj (Dundee United), Mohamed Diomande (Rangers), Lennon Miller (Motherwell), Killian Phillips (St. Mirren)

Just the fifth time McGregor has been named to this team, and a second for Hatate; the Celtic duo were both outstanding again. Raskin raised his game dramatically in the second half of the season, forcing his way into Belgium's national team and onto the radar of several bigger clubs after his fine perfomances as midfield anchor. Russell Martin would love to hold on to him and Diomande, who is a lot more skilful on the ball than he often gets credit for. Triantis, Baningime and Sevelj were all impressive no. 6's for their clubs this season. Miller will clearly go on to much greater things, while Phillips was St. Mirren's Player of the Year and got himself an Ireland call-up.

WINGERS: DAIZEN MAEDA (CELTIC), NICOLAS KUHN (CELTIC)

Honourable mentions: Vaclav Cerny (Rangers), Luca Stephenson (Dundee United), Martin Boyle (Hibernian), Jamie McGrath (Aberdeen)

Maeda was the best player in the country this season and could have been picked as a striker, but for the purposes of this I've stuck him wide. 'Kuhn or Cerny' was the hardest pick in this list; whilst the latter showed more consistency, Kuhn had a few months this season where he was unplayable every week and gets the nod for that. Stephenson did well on loan from Liverpool and United really want him back. Boyle is more of a striker than a winger these days but regardless he is as important to Hibs as ever and shows no signs of slowing down. McGrath was a big factor in Aberdeen's fast start but injuries affected much of his season.

STRIKER: CYRIEL DESSERS (RANGERS)

Honourable mentions: Simon Murray (Dundee), Simon Dalby (Dundee United)

18 league goals is nothing to be sneezed at; however when one watched Dessers, one could believe his xG was probably double that. I think the Premiership's top scorer probably gets in this team by default, though. Lord knows what would have happened to Dundee without Simon Murray, and lord knows why Murray wasted a chunk of his career playing in the lower leagues with Queen's Park given he's playing so well at age 33. Dalby's goals dried up a bit as the season went on but he's been too good for United to be able to sign permanently.

And that's another year sorted. Maybe when I reach twenty, that'll be enough?

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.