A national second tier of Scottish league football was established in season 1893–94, as Division Two. Until the 1921–22 season, promotion was not automatic but decided by Scottish Football League clubs on a ballot basis, thus some champion teams were able to retain the title. In the 1946–47 season it became known as the B Division before being changed back to Division Two for season 1955–56.
The second tier became known as the First Division in season 1975–76, when the top division (Division One) became the Premier Division, although its status within the Scottish football league system league system changed in 1998–99 when clubs from the top tier (Premier Division) broke away to form the Scottish Premier League. The First Division was still the second tier in the Scottish league system, but was the top level of the Scottish Football League rather than the second. The Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League merged in 2013 to form the Scottish Professional Football League, with the second tier becoming known as the Scottish Championship.
Before 1915 clubs finishing on equal points would play-off for the title. In 1909–10 Leith Athletic and Raith Rovers both finished with 33 points but decided not to play-off for the title and were therefore declared joint Champions.[1]
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Third | Top scorer[2] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=280 | Player | Goals | ||||
| 1946–47 | Dundee | Airdrieonians | East Fife | Bobby Flavell (Airdrieonians) | 38 | |
| 1947–48 | East Fife | Albion Rovers | Hamilton Academical | Henry Morris (East Fife) | 39 | |
| 1948–49 | Raith Rovers (4) | Stirling Albion | Airdrieonians | Willie Penman (Raith Rovers) | 35 | |
| 1949–50 | Morton | Airdrieonians | Dunfermline Athletic | Neil Mochan (Morton) | 24 | |
| 1950–51 | Queen of the South | Stirling Albion | Ayr United | Peter McKay (Dundee United) | 31 | |
| 1951–52 | Clyde (2) | Falkirk | Ayr United | Billy McPhail (Clyde) | 36 | |
| 1952–53 | Stirling Albion | Hamilton Academical | Queen's Park | James Cunningham (Alloa Athletic) | 26 | |
| 1953–54 | Motherwell | Kilmarnock | Third Lanark | Jimmy Inglis (Cowdenbeath) Ian Roger (St Johnstone) | 29 | |
| 1954–55 | Airdrieonians (2) | Dunfermline Athletic | Hamilton Academical | Hugh Baird (Airdrieonians) | 34 | |
| width=205 | Club | width=105 | Winners | width=105 | Runners-up | width=105 | Third |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falkirk | 7 | 9 | 7 | ||||
| St Johnstone | 7 | 3 | 6 | ||||
| Dundee | 6 | 5 | 7 | ||||
| Ayr United | 6 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| Raith Rovers | 6 | 5 | 3 | ||||
| Greenock Morton | 6 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Partick Thistle | 6 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| Hibernian | 6 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 5 | 6 | 3 | |||||
| St Mirren | 5 | 2 | — | ||||
| Dunfermline Athletic | 4 | 9 | 7 | ||||
| Dundee United | 4 | 4 | 3 | ||||
| Hamilton Academical | 4 | 3 | 6 | ||||
| Stirling Albion | 4 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Motherwell | 4 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Airdrieonians (1878) | 3 | 9 | 4 | ||||
| Kilmarnock | 3 | 6 | 3 | ||||
| Leith Athletic | 3 | 4 | 1 | ||||
| Cowdenbeath | 3 | 3 | 1 | ||||
| Heart of Midlothian | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Dumbarton | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Third Lanark | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Abercorn | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Queen's Park | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| St Bernard's | 2 | — | 4 | ||||
| Ross County | 2 | — | — | ||||
| Queen of the South | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| Albion Rovers | 1 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| East Fife | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| Port Glasgow Athletic | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| East Stirlingshire | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Alloa Athletic | 1 | 1 | — | ||||
| Livingston | 1 | 1 | — | ||||
| Rangers | 1 | — | 1 | ||||
| Bo'ness | 1 | — | — | ||||
| Gretna | 1 | — | — | ||||
| Arbroath | — | 5 | 6 | ||||
| Clydebank (1965) | — | 2 | 5 | ||||
| Clydebank (1914) | — | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Vale of Leven | — | 2 | — | ||||
| Ayr | — | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Arthurlie | — | 1 | — | ||||
| Cowlairs | — | 1 | — | ||||
| Meadowbank Thistle | — | 1 | — | ||||
| Montrose | — | — | 2 | ||||
| Renton | — | — | 2 | ||||
| Stenhousemuir | — | — | 2 | ||||
| Armadale | — | — | 1 | ||||
| Bathgate | — | — | 1 | ||||
| King's Park | — | — | 1 | ||||
Specific
General