Arbroath

Arbroath won League 1 with some ease as Bobby Linn scored 21 goals in 32 appearances. With Dick Campbell in charge they have one of the most experienced and cunning managers in Scottish football. He made the most of limited resources and built a strong team spirit. Linn is vital to Arbroath’s survival chances and must stay fit. Most of the squad is retained for this season and Campbell will relish testing them against full-time teams. Scott Stewart and Robert Wilson add defensive strength, while Derek Gaston brings a wealth of experience to the goalkeeping position as backup for Darren Jamieson. Experienced campaigners Ryan Wallace, Danny Denholm and Ryan McCord have opted for playing further down the leagues. Arbroath are one of two part-time teams in the Championship and purely because of that they are one of the favourites to go straight back down. Arbroath will try making the most of home advantage. Outside of the good weather at the start and end of the season, the wind whipping off the North Sea makes Gayfield a difficult venue to play at and is a great leveller. Apart from Bobby Linn, Arbroath’s strength is their team spirit and work ethic. They should prove difficult to beat at home. Arbroath have a small squad and injuries to key players could prove disastrous. They will need someone to step up and take the scoring pressure off Bobby Linn.