The ‘Loons’ & The Play-Offs

Following their excellent unbeaten run in the closing stages of the William Hill League2 campaign, Forfar Athletic deservedly clinched fourth place in the table with their emphatic 4-0 win over Edinburgh City on Saturday past.

This brings with it the reward of a place in the League1 end of season play-offs with a semi final clash against the second bottom side in this season’s third tier of the SPFL, the first leg at home on Tuesday evening of next week. It will be the seventh time that the Athies will have competed in the end of season shoot-out for the reward of a promotion spot, since the clubs in the old Scottish Football League in 2005 had the vision to follow the lead of their English counterparts some years before and introduce this innovation.

Over the piece we have had a mixed record with two wonderful success stories, one tragic final defeat, as well as falling at the semi-final hurdle on three occasions.

Our first forte in the 2009/10 season is probably still the most memorable to ‘Loons’ fans of a certain age group. A second leg 2-0 win over near neighbours Arbroath despite playing the vast majority of the game with ten men following the sending off of Steven Tulloch in front of a crowd of just under 3,000 on a blistering hot Sunday afternoon in May month, the roof almost being lifted off the stand when Bryan Deasley netted the second goal which sealed the win. Dick Campbell’s touchline celebration of that goal equally memorable!

Our other success story still remains fresh in the memory if only for an astonishing away day up at Peterhead in the late spring of 2017. Leading the ‘Blue Toon’ outfit by a single goal after the home leg, Gary Bollan’s side turned in a remarkable display against Jim McInally’s outfit finding the net on five occasions, with Martyn Fotheringham the scorer of the first goal against Arbroath seven years earlier the chief tormenter of the home eleven on the day.

We also of course suffered agonising defeat as we attempted to reach Championship level in 2015 with defensive lapses proving costly as we squandered a two goal first leg advantage at Alloa in a Sunday evening clash which saw over 900 Forfar supporters make the trip to the ‘Wee County’.

Led by Jim Weir in his first spell in charge we also fell short two years later in another attempt to reach the second tier of the SPFL this time at the semi final stage, losing a first leg in torrential rain at Kirkcaldy 2-1 to Raith Rovers, this despite totally dominating the game for the full ninety minutes. The home side also had their goal scoring opportunities in the second leg sadly to no avail.

Our other two forays saw Dick Campbell’s side of the time lose the plot in a 6-1 second leg defeat at Dunfermline in the semi final of 2013, ending the game with only eight players on the park and the manager in the stand, our most recent semi final joust with Annan Athletic four years back not one that survived long in the memory bank.

Onwards to next week, the first leg on Tuesday at home, the second leg on the Saturday on foreign soil with on current form the ‘Loons’ side of 2026 with the continued backing of their supporters having every chance of progressing hopefully to the club’s fourth play-off final appearance.

A full appraisal of out play-off results to date is listed below.

2009/10 – SFL Tier 2 Play-Off

Semi Final
1st Leg – East Stirlingshire – away - 1-0
2nd Leg – East Stirlingshire – home - 2-2

Final
1st Leg – Arbroath – away - 0-0
2nd Leg – Arbroath – home - 2-0

2012/13 – SFL Tier 1 Play-Offs

Semi final
1st Leg – Dunfermline Athletic – home - 3-1
2nd Leg – Dunfermline Athletic – away - 1-6

2014/15 – SPFL Championship Play-Offs

Semi Final
1st Leg – Stranraer – home - 3-0
2nd Leg – Stranraer – away - 1-1

Final
1st Leg - Alloa Athletic – home - 3-0
2nd Leg – Alloa Athletic – away - 1-3

2016/17 – SPFL League1 Play-Offs

Semi Final
1st Leg – Annan Athletic – away - 2-2
2nd Leg – Annan Athletic – home - 4-2

Final
1st Leg – Peterhead – home - 2-1
2nd Leg - Peterhead – away - 5-1

2018/19 – SPFL Championship Play-Offs

Semi Final
1st Leg – Raith Rovers – away - 1-2
2nd Leg – Raith Rovers – home - 1-1

2021/22 – SPFL League1 Play-Offs

Semi final
1st Leg – Annan Athletic – away - 0-1
2nd Leg – Annan Athletic – home - 1-1