# 2020–21 Arbroath F.C. season

The 2020–21 season was Arbroath's second consecutive season in the Scottish Championship, following their promotion from Scottish League One in the 2018–19 season. They also competed in the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.

## Season summary

In June 2020, eight of the ten clubs voted in favour of shortening the season from the usual 36 games to 27 (playing each other three times), with the season tentatively scheduled to start on 17 October 2020. This was done to reduce costs in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
On 2 October, the SPFL announced that the Scottish Challenge Cup would be cancelled ahead of the upcoming season in order to reduce the number of fixtures being played.

## Competitions
### Scottish Championship

| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| 17 October 2020 | Raith Rovers | Away | 0–3 | — | 0 |
| 23 October 2020 | Heart of Midlothian | Home | 0–1 | — | 0 |
| 31 October 2020 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Away | 1–3 | Doolan 24' | 0 |
| 7 November 2020 | Queen of the South | Home | 1–1 | Linn 48' | 0 |
| 21 November 2020 | Greenock Morton | Home | 0–0 | — | 0 |
| 5 December 2020 | Dundee | Away | 0–1 | — | 0 |
| 12 December 2020 | Alloa Athletic | Home | 0–1 | — | 0 |
| 19 December 2020 | Ayr United | Home | 2–1 | Craigen 36', 39' | 0 |
| 26 December 2020 | Dunfermline Athletic | Away | 0–1 | — | 0 |
| 29 December 2020 | Heart of Midlothian | Away | 1–3 | Doolan 48' | 0 |
| 16 January 2021 | Queen of the South | Away | 2–2 | Stewart 63', O'Brien 65' | 0 |
| 22 January 2021 | Dundee | Home | 1–1 | Little 8' pen. | 0 |
| 30 January 2021 | Greenock Morton | Away | 1–0 | Hamilton 77' | 0 |
| 3 February 2021 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Home | 1–1 | Hamilton 45' | 0 |
| 6 February 2021 | Dunfermline Athletic | Home | 2–0 | O'Brien 27', Hilson 36' | 0 |
| 13 February 2021 | Alloa Athletic | Away | 1–1 | Hamilton 24' | 0 |
| 20 February 2021 | Raith Rovers | Home | 1–0 | Doolan 60' | 0 |
| 27 February 2021 | Ayr United | Away | 1–0 | McKenna 63' | 0 |
| 6 March 2021 | Queen of the South | Home | 2–4 | Hamilton 11', McKenna 22' pen. | 0 |
| 13 March 2021 | Dundee | Away | 0–2 | | 0 |
| 20 March 2021 | Heart of Midlothian | Home | 0–0 | | 0 |
| 27 March 2021 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Away | 0–1 | | 0 |
| 3 April 2021 | Alloa Athletic | Home | 2–1 | Hamilton 59', Gold 83' | 0 |
| 10 April 2021 | Raith Rovers | Home | 2–2 | Hamilton 72', Little 84' | 0 |
| 17 April 2021 | Ayr United | Home | 4–0 | Little 11', Williamson 24', Hamilton 27', Hilson 65' | 0 |
| 24 April 2021 | Dunfermline Athletic | Away | 3–4 | Hamilton 33', Low 35' pen., Stewart 82' | 0 |
| 30 April 2021 | Greenock Morton | Home | 0–0 | — | 0 |

### Scottish League Cup
#### Group stage

| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| 6 October 2020 | Stirling Albion | Away | 2–1 | Donnelly 14', O'Brien 32' | 0 |
| 10 October 2020 | Montrose | Home | 3–1 | Swankie 27', Thomson 43', O'Brien 86' | 0 |
| 13 October 2020 | Ross County | Away | 1–2 | Hilson 49' | 0 |
| 14 November 2020 | Elgin City | Home | 3–0 | Gold 30', 39', Stewart 82' | 0 |

#### Knockout phase

| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Ref. |
| Second round | 28 November 2020 | Dunfermline Athletic | Home | 1–3 | Hilson 65' | 0 | |

### Scottish Cup

| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Ref. |
| Second round | 23 March 2021 | Falkirk | Home | 1–2 | O'Brien 8' | 0 | |

## Player statistics
### Appearances and goals

    As of 30 April 2021
| No. | Pos | Player | Championship | Championship | League Cup | League Cup | Scottish Cup | Scottish Cup | Total | Total |
| No. | Pos | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | Derek Gaston | 27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | Jason Thomson | 25 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| 3 | DF | Colin Hamilton | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | Ricky Little | 26 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 3 |
| 5 | DF | Thomas O'Brien | 26 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 4 |
| 6 | MF | Mark Whatley | 2+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | David Gold | 16+7 | 1 | 3+1 | 2 | 0+1 | 0 | 28 | 3 |
| 8 | MF | Michael McKenna | 15+11 | 2 | 4+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 32 | 2 |
| 9 | FW | Dale Hilson | 22+4 | 2 | 3+2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 4 |
| 10 | MF | Gavin Swankie | 4 | 0 | 2+3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 11 | MF | Bobby Linn | 13+6 | 1 | 3+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| 12 | DF | Scott Stewart | 9+13 | 2 | 3+2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 3 |
| 14 | FW | Kris Doolan | 14+6 | 3 | 2+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 3 |
| 15 | FW | Luke Donnelly | 4+11 | 0 | 3+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| 16 | MF | Lewis Moore | 3+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | Jake Davidson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | Ben Williamson | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| 19 | FW | Jack Hamilton | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 8 |
| 21 | GK | Scott Gallacher | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | Carlo Pignatiello | 1+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | James Craigen | 16+4 | 2 | 3+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 2 |
| 32 | MF | Nicky Low | 5+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Players who left the club during the 2020–21 season |||||
| 16 | FW | Michael Ruth | 4+7 | 0 | 2+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | Connor Smith | 1+2 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | Miko Virtanen | 8+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |

## Team statistics
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 5 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 27 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 36 | 31 | +5 | 36 | |
| 6 | Queen of the South | 27 | 9 | 5 | 13 | 38 | 51 | −13 | 32 | |
| 7 | Arbroath | 27 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 28 | 34 | −6 | 30 | |
| 8 | Ayr United | 27 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 31 | 37 | −6 | 29 | |
| 9 | Greenock Morton (O) | 27 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 22 | 33 | −11 | 29 | Qualification for the Championship play-offs |

### League Cup table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ROS | ARB | ELG | STI | MON |
| 1 | Ross County | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 11 | Qualification for the Second round | — | 2–1 | — | 3–0 | — |
| 2 | Arbroath | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 9 | Qualification for the Second round | — | — | 3–0 | — | 3–1 |
| 3 | Elgin City | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 6 | | 1–4 | — | — | 2–0 | — |
| 4 | Stirling Albion | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 3 | | — | 1–2 | — | — | 2–1 |
| 5 | Montrose | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 1 | | 3–3p | — | 0–2 | — | — |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| 1 July 2020 | MF | James Craigen | AFC Fylde | Free transfer |
| 30 July 2020 | GK | Scott Gallacher | Airdrieonians | Free transfer |
| 14 August 2020 | FW | Kris Doolan | Greenock Morton | Free transfer |

### Transfers out

| Date | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| 9 June 2020 | MF | Omar Kader | Retired | Retired |
| 6 July 2020 | GK | Darren Jamieson | Kelty Hearts | Free transfer |
| 9 July 2020 | MF | James Murphy | Rio Grande Valley | Free transfer |

### Loans in

| Date | Position | Name | From | End date |
| 4 September 2020 | MF | Miko Virtanen | Aberdeen | 1 January 2021 |
| 5 September 2020 | FW | Michael Ruth | Aberdeen | 1 February 2021 |
| 29 September 2020 | MF | Connor Smith | Heart of Midlothian | 1 January 2021 |
| 8 January 2021 | DF | Jake Davidson | Dundee United | 30 May 2021 |
| 13 January 2021 | MF | Ben Williamson | Rangers | 30 May 2021 |
| 29 January 2021 | FW | Jack Hamilton | Livingston | 30 May 2021 |
| 1 February 2021 | MF | Lewis Moore | Heart of Midlothian | 30 May 2021 |
| 24 February 2021 | DF | Carlo Pignatiello | Livingston | 30 May 2021 |
| 29 March 2021 | MF | Nicky Low | East Stirlingshire | 30 May 2021 |