Scottish League One ins and outs - summer 2018
- Published
John Baird has switched from Inverness Caledonian Thistle to Forfar Athletic
Barry Smith has started a clear-out as his Raith Rovers side face a second season in League One after failing to win promotion despite starting the last campaign as favourites for the title.
Brechin City and Dumbarton have undergone their own overhauls after their drop from the Championship.
However, having had their own financial problems last season, Airdrieonians and Stranraer have been among the busiest recruiters.
A plethora of former Falkirk strikers will look to steer their new clubs to promotion.
Rory Loy has joined Dumbarton from Falkirk
Rory Loy has joined Dumbarton after leaving the Bairns, John Baird has signed for Forfar Athletic after exiting Inverness Caledonian Thistle, while Darryl Duffy has made his switch from St Mirren to Airdrieonians permanent after being on loan last season.
Relegated Dumbarton lost Cyprus international Dimitrios Froxylias to Falkirk, while fellow midfielder Tom Walsh also elected to stay in the Championship with Caley Thistle.
Big personalities to exit the playing front are Rab Douglas, the 46-year-old former Scotland international who came out of retirement to help Arbroath resolve a goalkeeping crisis, and Darren Dods, the Brechin manager deciding not to register himself as a player this time.
Arbroath found themselves in the unusual situation of having a player pinched by Highland League champions Cove Rangers, with the Red Lichties saying they "reluctantly" accepted a five-figure fee for midfielder Blair Yule.
Airdrieonians
Manager: Stevie Findlay
Last season: 7th
Predictions: 6th
In: Ben McKenzie, goalkeeper (St Johnstone); Darryl Duffy, forward (St Mirren, loan to permanent); David Wilson, defender (Livingston); Chris O'Neil, defender (Brechin City, loan to permanent); Scott Gallacher, goalkeeper (Dumbarton); Sean Crighton, defender (Brechin City); Grant Gallagher, midfielder (Dumbarton); Joao Vitoria, forward (Albion Rovers); Jonathan Page, defender (East Fife); David Hutton, goalkeeper (Arbroath); Kyle Wilkie, midfielder (East Fife); Leighton McIntosh, forward (Arbroath); Scott Robertson, defender (Stranraer); Kieran Miller, midfielder (East Fife); Jamie McFaulds, defender (unattached).
Out: Jordan McGregor, defender (Aberdeen); Adam Brown, midfielder (Alloa Athletic); David Brownlie, defender (Stranraer); Willie Muir, goalkeeper (Forfar Athletic); Ross Brown, midfielder; Jordan McGregor, defender; John Higgins, defender; Tom Fry, midfielder; Matthew Kerr, goalkeeper. Loan ended: Luke Watt, defender (Motherwell); Rohan Ferguson, goalkeeper (Motherwell); Daniel Higgins, defender (Kilmarnock); Jake Hastie, midfielder (Motherwell); Lee Kilday, defender (Greenock Morton).
Arbroath
Manager: Dick Campbell
Last season: 4th
Predictions: 2nd
In: Darren Jamieson, goalkeeper (Hamilton Academical); Finn Graham, midfielder (Brechin City); Jason Thomson, defender (Raith Rovers); Darren Hill, goalkeeper (Linlithgow Rose). Loan: Lewis Toshney, defender (Dundee United). Loan: Callum Smith, forward (Dunfermline Athletic).
Out: David Hutton, goalkeeper (Airdrieonians); Leighton McIntosh, forward (Airdrieonians); Josh Skelly, forward (Montrose); Blair Yule, midfielder (Cove Rangers, undisclosed); Rab Douglas, goalkeeper; Ricky Gomes, goalkeeper. Loan ended: Scott Martin, midfielder (Hibernian); Ryan Stewart, goalkeeper (Luncarty).
Brechin City
Manager: Darren Dods
Last season: 10th in Championship
Predictions: 4th
In: Dene Shields (Xewkja Tigers, forward); Dougie Hill, defender (Dumbarton); Conor Brennan, goalkeeper (Greenock Morton); Giuliano Morena, midfielder (Virtus Castelfranco); Sean Burns, defender (Queen's Park); Jamie Henry, midfielder (Annan Athletic); Boris Melingui, forward (Leek Town); Jordan Tapping, defender (East Stirlingshire). Loan: Callum Hendry, forward (St Johnstone).
Out: Graeme Smith, goalkeeper (Stenhousemuir); Isaac Layne, forward (Stranraer); Sean Crighton, defender (Airdrieonians); Willie Dyer, defender (Dumbarton); Chris O'Neil, defender (Airdrieonians, loan to permanent); Liam Watt, midfielder (East Fife); Finn Graham, midfielder (Arbroath); Darren Dods, defender (retired); Gary Fusco, midfielder (retired); James Dale, midfielder; Craig Storie, midfielder. Loan ended: Callumn Morrison, midfielder (Heart of Midlothian); Dylan Mackin, forward (Livingston).
Dumbarton
Manager: Stevie Aitken
Last season: 9th in Championship
Predictions: 3rd
In: Brad Spencer, midfielder (Kilmarnock); Michael Paton, midfielder (Dunfermline Athletic); Rory Loy, forward (Falkirk); Ross Forbes, midfielder (Greenock Morton); Cammy Ballantyne, defender (Dundee United); Willie Dyer, defender (Brechin City); Jamie McGowan, goalkeeper (Greenock Morton); Bobby Barr, midfielder (Raith Rovers); Grant Adam, goalkeeper (Forfar Athletic); Ross Perry, defender (Albion Rovers); Andy Little, forward (Stirling Albion). Loan: Jack Aitchison, forward (Celtic); Scott Allardice, midfielder (Dundee United).
Out: Dimitrios Froxylias, midfielder (Falkirk); Tom Walsh, midfielder (Inverness Caledonian Thistle); Liam Dick, defender (Alloa Athletic); Dougie Hill, defender (Brechin City); David Smith, defender (Stranraer); Grant Gallagher, midfielder (Airdrieonians); Scott Gallacher, goalkeeper (Airdrieonians); Chris Johnston, midfielder (Annan Athletic); Danny Handling, midfielder (Edinburgh City); Mark Stewart, forward (Stirling Albion); David Wilson, midfielder (Annan Athletic); Jamie Ewings, goalkeeper (retired); Christian Nade, forward; Kyle Prior, midfielder; Chris McLaughlin, defender. Loan ended: Sam Wardrop, defender (Celtic); Aidan Wilson, defender (Rangers); Liam Burt, midfielder (Rangers); Kevin Nisbet, forward (Partick Thistle); Andy Stirling, midfielder (Queen of the South).
East Fife
Manager: Darren Young
Last season: 6th
Predictions: 9th
In: Brett Long, goalkeeper (Dundee United); Liam Watt, midfielder (Brechin City); Daryll Meggatt, defender (Alloa Athletic); Craig McDowall, goalkeeper (Alloa Athletic); Scott McBride, midfielder (Forfar Athletic); Jonny Court, forward (Raith Rovers); Scott Agnew, midfielder (Stranraer); Ross Davidson, midfielder (Albion Rovers); Ross Dunlop, defender (Stenhousemuir); Kyle Bell, midfielder (Raith Rovers); Anton Dowds, forward (Heriot Watt University). Loan: Rory Currie, forward (Heart of Midlothian).
Out: Chris Duggan, forward (Raith Rovers); Jonathan Page, defender (Airdrieonians); Kyle Wilkie, midfielder (Airdrieonians); Mark Lamont, midfielder (Stranraer); Connor McManus, midfielder (Stranraer); Kieran Millar, midfielder (Airdrieonians); Ryan Goodfellow, goalkeeper (Cowdenbeath); Ross Mutch, forward (Kelty Hearts); Robert Jones, forward; Kyle Wilson, midfielder; Ryan Inglis, midfielder. Loan ended: Ben McKenzie, goalkeeper (Kilmarnock); Adam Livingstone, defender (Motherwell); Scott Allardice, midfielder (Dundee United); Matthew Knox, forward (Livingston).
Forfar Athletic
Manager: Jim Weir
Last season: 8th
Predictions: 7th
In: Gary Fraser, midfielder (Partick Thistle); John Kelly, defender (Partick Thistle); John Baird, forward (Inverness Caledonian Thistle); Darren Whyte, defender (St Mirren); Willie Muir, goalkeeper (Airdrieonians); Ross Meechan, defender (Stenhousemuir); Thomas Reilly, midfielder (Elgin City).
Out: Grant Adam, goalkeeper (Dumbarton); Patrick Cregg, midfielder (Montrose); Scott McBride, midfielder (East Fife); Josh Peters, forward (Queen's Park); Kevin McNaughton, defender (retired); Gary Fraser, midfielder; Mark Millar, midfielder; Dean Brotherston, forward; Marc Scott, midfielder. Loan ended: Greg Hurst, forward (St Johnstone); Russell Dingwall, midfielder (Ross County); Ross MacIver, forward (Ross County); Darren Whyte, defender (St Mirren). Loan: Sam Clark, defender (Forfar West End); Jack Allan, midfielder (Forfar West End).
Montrose
Manager: Stewart Petrie
Last season: 1st in League Two
Predictions: 8th
In: Patrick Cregg, midfielder (Forfar Athletic); Josh Skelly, forward (Arbroath); Danny Cavanagh, midfielder (Broughty Athletic). Loan: Euan Henderson, forward (Heart of Midlothian); Ryan Harrington, defender (Aberdeen).
Out: Lewis Milne, midfielder (Raith Rovers); Kerr Hay, forward (Elgin City); Chris Templeman, forward (retired); Gary Fraser, forward; Connor McLaren, midfielder. Loan ended: Cammy Ballantyne, defender (Dundee United).
Raith Rovers
Manager: Barry Smith
Last season: 2nd
Predictions: 1st
In: Nat Wedderburn, midfielder (Dunfermline Athletic); Robbie Thomson, goalkeeper (Falkirk); Grant Gillespie, midfielder (Dundee United); Kevin Nisbet, forward (Partick Thistle); Nathan Flanagan, midfielder (St Mirren); Chris Duggan, forward (East Fife); Lewis Milne, midfielder (Montrose). Loan: Kieran Wright, goalkeeper (Rangers)
Out: Aaron Lennox, goalkeeper (Partick Thistle); Greig Spence, forward (Alloa Athletic); Bobby Barr, midfielder (Dumbarton); Jason Thomson, defender (Arbroath); Jonny Court, forward (East Fife); Kyle Bell, midfielder (East Fife); Scott Robertson, midfielder (retired); Kevin McHattie, defender; Graeme Smith, goalkeeper; John Herron, midfielder; Andreas Thorsen, midfielder; Yaw Osei, forward; Willis Furtado, midfielder. Loan ended: Dario Zanatta, midfielder (Heart of Midlothian); Regan Hendry, midfielder (Celtic).
Stenhousemuir
Manager: Brown Ferguson
Last season: 4th in League Two
Predictions: 10th
In: Connor Duthie, midfielder (Dunfermline Athletic); Graeme Smith, goalkeeper (Brechin City); Kyle Johnson, defender (Ross County); Alan Cook, midfielder (Alloa Athletic, loan to permanent); Alan Reid, defender (Albion Rovers); Morgyn Neill, defender (Stranraer); Jesus Garcia Tena, defender (Edinburgh City); Kieran Gibbons, midfielder (East Kilbride). Loan: Sebastian Ross, midfielder (Aberdeen); Conor McBrearty, defender (St Mirren); Kevin O'Hara, forward (Falkirk).
Out: Ross Meechan, defender (Forfar Athletic); Ross Dunlop, defender (East Fife); Mick Dunlop, defender (Peterhead); Martin Scott, midfielder (Cowdenbeath); Eddie Ferns, midfielder (Clyde); David Marsh, defender (Cowdenbeath); Jamie Longworth, forward (East Kilbride); Chris Smith, goalkeeper; Joshua Gracie, defender; Nathan Blockley, midfielder. Loan ended: Harry Paton, midfielder (Heart of Midlothian); Andy Dallas, forward (Rangers); Innes Murray, midfielder (Hibernian).
Stranraer
Manager: Stephen Farrell
Last season: 5th
Predictions: 5th
In: Ian Smith, midfielder (Dundee); Max Ashmore, midfielder (Ross County); Isaac Layne, forward (Brechin City); David Smith, defender (Dumbarton); Connor McManus, midfielder (East Fife); Mark Lamont, midfielder (East Fife); David Brownlie, defender (Airdrieonians); Adam Cummins, defender (Queen's Park); Luke Donnelly, midfielder (Queen's Park); Lyle Avci, goalkeeper (Ayr United); Andrew McDonald, defender (St Mirren). Loan: Ciaran Diver, forward (Celtic).
Out: Scott Agnew, midfielder (East Fife); Scott Robertson, defender (Airdrieonians); Morgyn Neill, defender (Stenhousemuir); Paul Woods, midfielder (East Kilbride); Gavin Scott, midfielder (USA scholarship); David Barron, defender; Stephen Okoh, forward; Ryan Thomson, midfielder. Loan ended: Angus Beith, midfielder (Heart of Midlothian); Dean Hawkshaw, midfielder (Kilmarnock); Dylan Dykes, midfielder (Ross County); Ross Lyon, defender (Rangers); Cameron MacPherson, midfielder (St Mirren).