Looking at the results of play-offs this weekend, with Arbroath losing to Dunfermline and Airdrieonians losing to Alloa, Stenhousemuir seeing off QotS, means we have a line-up so far consisting of

ICT
Livingston
Arbroath*
Raith Rovers*
Queens Park*
Ayr United
Greenock Morton*

With one from either Alloa*/Stenhousemuir (Alloa for me please, but who do you guys think will come up?)

Then it's a shoot out between Partick & Dunfermline for the right to face either St Mirren or Kilmarnock in the Play-off

I think Dunfermline might see off Partick, whilst I reckon it's St Mirren rather than Kilmarnock* So then Dunfermline/St Mirren Final...who would win that??

(I have starred* teams I fancy watching away)

I'm thinking the line-up for next season will be completed by Alloa, Partick & St Mirren. (be fun to see if I get any of those right!)

-----

Meanwhile in League 1... I reckon Hamilton will stay up, so with Ross County and Airdrieonians down there with QotS and one from Stenhousemuir/Alloa, I think that is quite a competitive league for next season

Stenhousemuir

St Mirren

Dunfermline

I can see Partick going up this season although it’s probably more likely St Mirren manage to hold on. Looking at those away days I’m really happy to see so many relatively close to where I stay

I think Stenny have performed well enough this year to (hopefully) earn a spot and it may be interesting to see if they do come up how they fare against Ayr! I also hope Hamilton stay in L1 as without all those penalties they would have been in the playoffs at the top of the table. Other than that I only really care that ICT are back in the Championship.

Coming away from the stenny v ict game a few weeks ago I got talking to an old stenny fan walking back to the car. ( probably a bit younger than me but he looked older 😃. O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us / To see oursels as ithers see us!"

He said he hoped ict go up and stenny stay down. Your team is playing well and you have a very good manager I said, why not go up.

We are happy watching the team, winning more than losing, enjoying the football. If we go up we will have to find money for the increased wages getting better players in. We have a set number who come to watch home games so where is that money coming from.

Very astute I thought.

Promotion for Stenny would bring a big descision on whether they go full time in the second tier or remain part time. Remaining part time hampers their chance of survival IMO but going full time brings its own cost issues. That said for their performances this season they deserve to go up more than Alloa on a purely football level.

The whole Hamilton/Clyde home/away ground thing is just mad, a weird situation for fans going to both games that's for sure. I'm sure I read over the weekend that HMRC have started a winding up petition for the Accies so they probably need to be in the higher division more.

26 minutes ago, The Hammer said:

The whole Hamilton/Clyde home/away ground thing is just mad, a weird situation for fans going to both games that's for sure. I'm sure I read over the weekend that HMRC have started a winding up petition for the Accies so they probably need to be in the higher division more.

You did, but they say they expect it to be resolved. Some detail here:

Daily Record

Hamilton Accies and extent of debt to HRMC revealed as cl...

Accies announced yesterday that they face a winding up petition from HRMC

On 5/11/2026 at 12:13 PM, The Hammer said:

Promotion for Stenny would bring a big descision on whether they go full time in the second tier or remain part time. Remaining part time hampers their chance of survival IMO but going full time brings its own cost issues. That said for their performances this season they deserve to go up more than Alloa on a purely football level.

The whole Hamilton/Clyde home/away ground thing is just mad, a weird situation for fans going to both games that's for sure. I'm sure I read over the weekend that HMRC have started a winding up petition for the Accies so they probably need to be in the higher division more.

We've had part-time teams in the Champ before, such as Alloa and Brechin*, and Arbroath this time, although they seem to operate as a hybrid. This is their best spell for about 60 years, they're exceptionally well run, and their crowds are up significantly, to a point where they rival the likes of Morton and Airdrie, but as somebody who never makes predictions (and never will 😂 ) I predict it won't last. These teams get their day in the sun every few years. As for Stenny, they have a tiny stadium and attract about 400 fans so I think they just have to enjoy it while it lasts. Naysmith's away anyway, the best manager in their history, so imo that's the end of that.
As for ourselves, we are a Championship-sized club that has punched above its weight but has hit rock bottom recently, but if AS gets it right we should be back to where we should be in a sustainable shape, as we were from about 2001-2017 until some appalling mismanagement happened.

Edit *Brechin reached tier 2 via the playoffs in 2016-17. They didn't win a single game and after successive relegations are now at tier 5.

Edited May 13May 13 by The Mantis

By far the best option for us is for Stenhousmuir to get promoted. Alloa have had sustained time in the Championship in the past, I think they have a bit more money behind them than Stenny and they would be a bigger threat. Stenhousmuir have had an amazing season, unprecedented for them, but it's likely not sustainable. As other have noted they will lose Naysmith and Brown Ferguson and most likely a few players as well. It will be very hard for them to compete.

In terms of relegation, it's probably best for us for St Mirren to stay up. Relegated teams get the parachute payment boost, they will also have far more prize money to spend and the money that they earned from their league cup win. They will be a much harder proposition than Partick or Dunfermline, although all of those three will probably be title contenders.

Then there were nine...

• Partick v St Mirren - Thursday 21st May 8:00pm

• St Mirren v Partick - Monday 25th May 8:00pm

1. ??????????

2. Livingston

3. Arbroath

4. Dunfermline

5. Raith Rovers

6. Queens Park

7. Ayr United

8. Morton

9. Inverness CT

10. Stenhousemuir

You must be pretty sure there's no Alloa supporters here

Feck aye, 5:30 tonight 😂

Mon Alloa...

1 hour ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

You must be pretty sure there's no Alloa supporters here

C'mon Alloa...I've been to Stenny and their ground is a bit of a sh#tehole [good team & manager this season, yes]...an entire central Scotland mini-break for me and the wife rests on Alloa's promotion!

Never in doubt

Stenny promoted

1 minute ago, tm4tj said:

Never in doubt

Stenny promoted

I came in too late and missed the Alloa goal. But from the few minutes that I saw, Stenny must be favourites to go straight back down.

They were on the ropes, and playing no football at all.

Agreed but they're all probably knackered. Part time outfit and their manager is away to Ayr. Pleased they got promotion though as they pushed us all the way.

All will be revealed tonight after the 1-1 draw in the first leg.

All to play for in Paisley, live on Sky TV

St Mirren 1-0 Partick Thistle (F/T)

1. Partick Thistle

2. Livingston

3. Arbroath

4. Dunfermline

5. Raith Rovers

6. Queens Park

7. Ayr United

8. Morton

9. Inverness CT

10. Stenhousemuir

Yeah, that's going to be a tough division .... If we can finish anywhere in the top 6 that would be an achievement based on what we have been through in the last couple of years.

Super early and completely inaccurate prediction below :)

1. St Mirren / Partick Thistle

2. Livingston

3. Dunfermline

4. Ayr United

5. Raith Rovers

6. Inverness CT

7. Arbroath

8. Queens Park

9. Morton

10. Stenhousemuir

I would take that right now @Scotty 😃😃😃😃.

I do slightly disagree with Stenhousemuir ending bottom though, I think they'll surprise a few people especially if they get recruitment etc correct 👍👍.

I would swap Stenhousemuir and Queens Park, QP didn't have the best season so I reckon they'll struggle again with Morton just pipping them to 9th.

I suppose recruitment will be key for us too, especially if we are going to mount a serious play off push.

Well it was too much for Patrick again, once they get over that crushing blow, they must surely be favourites to go up avoiding the play-offs (if they shrug off the play-off blues)

Dunfermline and Raith Rovers in the play-off mix, with perhaps Ayr United?

Inverness could do a Falkirk and go straight through, but is that asking too much? I would settle for a season on consolidation say 5th place with a play-off place a definite bonus

1 hour ago, Eagle4Caley said:

Inverness could do a Falkirk and go straight through, but is that asking too much? I would settle for a season on consolidation say 5th place with a play-off place a definite bonus

I would settle for survival - of the club as a whole, and remaining in the Championship!

Based on our current squad we have no chance!! We can only assume that after yesterday's release news that we hope to have some players coming in on loans (unlikely to have any deals just yet), players re-signing on new deals, but obviously a lot of new players. By new I include Big Jordan if he returns plus Graeme Shinnie or other players previously with us (e.g.Sole or Lawal both released by Livingston).

Tried to load a prediction I had on next season but technology and age got in the way!

bc

Edited May 27May 27 by big cherly