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 UnitedDundee
Recreation ParkGayfield ParkSomerset ParkDens Park
Capacity: 3,100Capacity: 6,600Capacity: 10,185Capacity: 11,775
Dundee UnitedAlloaArbroathAyr UnitedDundeeDundee UtdDunfermlineMortonInverness CTPartick ThistleQueen of the SouthLocation of teams in 2019–20 Scottish ChampionshipDunfermline Athletic
Tannadice ParkEast End Park
Capacity: 14,223Capacity: 11,480
Greenock MortonInverness Caledonian ThistlePartick ThistleQueen of the South
CappielowCaledonian StadiumFirhill StadiumPalmerston Park
Capacity: 11,589Capacity: 7,750Capacity: 10,102Capacity: 8,690

Personnel and kits

TeamManagerCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsor
Alloa AthleticScotland Peter GrantScotland Andy GrahamPendleNorthern Gas and Power
ArbroathScotland Dick CampbellScotland Mark WhatleyPendleMegatech
Ayr UnitedScotland Mark KerrScotland Ross DochertyAdidasBitcoin BCH
DundeeNorthern Ireland James McPakeEngland Josh MeekingsMacronSwitch Gas & Electric
Dundee UnitedScotland Robbie NeilsonScotland Mark ReynoldsMacronUtilita
Dunfermline AthleticScotland Stevie CrawfordNorthern Ireland Paul PatonJomaSRJ Windows
Greenock MortonScotland David HopkinScotland Jim McAlisterest 1874Millions
Inverness CTScotland John RobertsonEngland Carl TremarcoErreàMcEwan Fraser Legal
Partick ThistleScotland Ian McCallScotland Thomas O'WareJomaJust Employment Law
Queen of the SouthScotland Allan JohnstonScotland Stephen DobbieMacronBB Body Repairers

Managerial changes

TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment
Alloa AthleticRepublic of Ireland Jim GoodwinSigned by St Mirren29 June 2019Pre-seasonScotland Peter Grant10 July 2019
Partick ThistleScotland Gary CaldwellSacked18 September 20199thScotland Ian McCall23 September 2019
Ayr UnitedScotland Ian McCallSigned by Partick Thistle23 September 20192ndScotland Sandy Stewart (interim)23 September 2019
Ayr UnitedScotland Sandy StewartEnd of interim22 October 20192ndScotland Mark Kerr22 October 2019

League summary

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsPPGPromotion, qualification or relegation
1Dundee United (C, P)2818555222+30592.11Promotion to the Premiership
2Inverness Caledonian Thistle27143103932+7451.67
3Dundee2711883231+1411.52
4Ayr United27124113835+3401.48
5Arbroath26106102426−2361.38
6Dunfermline Athletic28107114136+5371.32
7Greenock Morton28106124552−7361.29
8Alloa Athletic28710113343−10311.11
9Queen of the South2877142840−12281.00
10Partick Thistle (R)2768133247−15260.96Relegation to League One

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)

Home \ AwayALLARBAYRDUNDNUDNFGMOINVPARQOS
Alloa Athletic—0–11–40–31–02–10–20–21–12–2
Arbroath2–1—0–31–10–11–01–03–01–10–0
Ayr United2–11–1—1–22–00–14–20–24–11–0
Dundee2–12–01–0—0–24–32–10–01–31–2
Dundee United2–12–14–06–2—2–06–04–11–03–0
Dunfermline Athletic1–12–03–22–20–2—3–10–15–12–0
Greenock Morton4–11–02–31–01–21–1—2–13–22–2
Inverness CT2–22–12–01–00–32–05–0—1–32–0
Partick Thistle1–11–32–30–11–20–32–13–1—0–1
Queen of the South0–12–03–11–14–01–11–00–21–2—

Second half of season (Matches 19–36)

Home \ AwayALLARBAYRDUNDNUDNFGMOINVPARQOS
Alloa Athletic—2–00–2N/A0–0N/AN/A2–01–1N/A
ArbroathN/A—N/AN/AN/A0–01–2N/A2–12–0
Ayr UnitedN/AN/A—0–00–0N/A1–21–0N/A1–2
Dundee0–0N/A2–0—N/AN/AN/A0–22–0N/A
Dundee UnitedN/A0–1N/A1–1—N/A1–12–11–1N/A
Dunfermline Athletic1–3N/A0–12–02–0—1–2N/AN/A1–1
Greenock Morton4–41–1N/A1–1N/A3–2—N/A1–2N/A
Inverness CT1–10–1N/AN/AN/AN/A3–2—N/A3–1
Partick ThistleN/AN/A1–1N/A1–41–1N/AN/A—0–0
Queen of the South2–3N/AN/A0–10–12–30–4N/AN/A—

Season statistics

Scoring

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1Scotland Lawrence ShanklandDundee United24
2Scotland Kevin NisbetDunfermline Athletic18
3Scotland Kevin O'HaraAlloa Athletic10
Scotland Alan ForrestAyr United
England Kane HemmingsDundee
6Scotland Alan TroutenAlloa Athletic8
Scotland Bob McHughGreenock Morton
Scotland Stephen DobbieQueen of the South
9Scotland Nicky ClarkDundee United7
Scotland Jordan WhiteInverness CT

Source:

Hat-tricks

PlayerForAgainstScoreDateRef
Scotland Lawrence Shankland4Dundee UnitedInverness CT4–1 (H)3 August 2019
Scotland Bob McHughGreenock MortonAlloa Athletic4–1 (H)10 August 2019
Scotland Lawrence ShanklandDundee UnitedGreenock Morton6–0 (H)28 September 2019
Scotland Kevin Nisbet4Dunfermline AthleticPartick Thistle5–1 (H)30 November 2019
Scotland Lawrence ShanklandDundee UnitedPartick Thistle4–1 (A)11 January 2020

Note

4 Player scored four goals

Attendances

PosTeamTotalHighLowAverageChange
1Alloa Athletic16,2161,8276611,158−1.7%†
2Arbroath19,0064,0528011,462+53.9%†
3Ayr United24,8913,1677771,777−17.6%†
4Dundee68,60311,2334,2285,277−12.4%†
5Dundee United118,95014,1086,9298,496+67.3%†
6Dunfermline Athletic62,2756,4803,3974,151−17.1%†
7Greenock Morton22,4992,7421,1201,607−17.3%†
8Inverness Caledonian Thistle27,5182,9021,7602,116−17.0%†
9Partick Thistle35,0844,1011,7142,698−11.3%†
10Queen of the South19,5492,0411,0941,396−15.6%†
League total414,13114,1086613,022−3.1%†

Source:

Awards

Monthly awards

MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthRef.
ManagerClubPlayerClub
AugustScotland Robbie NeilsonDundee UnitedScotland Lawrence ShanklandDundee United
SeptemberScotland Ian McCallAyr United Partick ThistleScotland Alan ForrestAyr United
OctoberNorthern Ireland James McPakeDundeeScotland Declan McDaidDundee
NovemberScotland Robbie NeilsonDundee UnitedScotland Kevin NisbetDunfermline Athletic
DecemberScotland Robbie NeilsonDundee UnitedEngland Calum ButcherDundee United
JanuaryScotland Peter GrantAlloa AthleticScotland Kevin O'HaraAlloa Athletic
FebruaryScotland David HopkinGreenock MortonScotland Nicky CaddenGreenock Morton