# 2021–22 Hamilton Academical F.C. season

The 2021–22 season was Hamilton Academical's first season back in the second tier of Scottish football, following their relegation from the Scottish Premiership at the end of the 2020–21 season. Hamilton also competed in the League Cup, Challenge Cup and the Scottish Cup.

## Summary
### Management

Hamilton began the season under the management of Brian Rice who had been at the club since January 2019. Rice would resign from his position after only the second game of the league season following a 1–0 loss to Greenock Morton.
Former Hamilton player and assistant manager Stuart Taylor returned to the club after being appointed as their new head coach on 20 August.

## Results and fixtures

Win  Draw  Loss  Postponed

### Scottish Cup
## Squad statistics
### Appearances

As of 29 April 2022
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Championship | Championship | League Cup | League Cup | Challenge Cup | Challenge Cup | Scottish Cup | Scottish Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | SCO | Ryan Fulton | 21 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | MF | FIN | Miko Virtanen | 19 | 1 | 8+7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ROU | Mihai Popescu | 32 | 1 | 30+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | SCO | Ben Stirling | 12 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | SCO | Brian Easton | 27 | 0 | 19+3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | SCO | Jamie Hamilton | 33 | 3 | 26+1 | 2 | 3+1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | DF | SCO | Kieran MacDonald | 37 | 2 | 31+1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | SCO | Scott Martin | 15 | 0 | 5+8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | SCO | Andy Ryan | 37 | 11 | 24+8 | 9 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | SCO | Lewis Smith | 36 | 4 | 22+6 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | SCO | Shaun Want | 11 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | SCO | Lewis Spence | 23 | 2 | 18+2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | SCO | Ronan Hughes | 20 | 3 | 10+4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | SCO | Josh Mullin | 34 | 3 | 28+4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | SCO | Kai Kennedy | 7 | 1 | 6+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | SCO | Reegan Mimnaugh | 35 | 0 | 24+3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | SCO | Andy Winter | 15 | 4 | 7+8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | ZIM | David Moyo | 37 | 9 | 26+3 | 8 | 2+2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | SCO | Kyle Munro | 13 | 1 | 3+3 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | ENG | Joe Hilton | 23 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | TOG | Steve Lawson | 11 | 0 | 10+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | FW | SCO | Sean Slaven | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | MF | SCO | Marley Redfern | 28 | 0 | 16+6 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | SCO | Matthew Shiels | 10 | 0 | 5+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | SCO | Jack Garrad | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | GK | SCO | Jamie Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | ENG | Ellis Brown | 10 | 0 | 3+7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | DF | IRL | Daniel O'Reilly | 17 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | MF | SCO | Adam McGowan | 8 | 1 | 0+5 | 0 | 0+2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | MF | SCO | Miles Gafney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | DF | SCO | Chris McGinn | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | DF | SCO | Cian Newbury | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | DF | SCO | Sam Nicolson | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players who left the club during the 2021–22 season ||||||||||
| 2 | DF | ENG | Hakeem Odoffin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | SCO | Scott McMann | 4 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | SCO | David Templeton | 3 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | NZL | George Stanger | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | ENG | Luke Matheson | 9 | 2 | 8+1 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | SCO | Callum Smith | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3+1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | SCO | Daryl Meikle | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Team statistics
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 4 | Partick Thistle | 36 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 46 | 40 | +6 | 52 | Qualification for the Premiership play-off quarter-final |
| 5 | Raith Rovers | 36 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 50 | |
| 6 | Hamilton Academical | 36 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 38 | 53 | −15 | 42 | |
| 7 | Greenock Morton | 36 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 36 | 47 | −11 | 40 | |
| 8 | Ayr United | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 39 | 52 | −13 | 39 | |

### League Cup table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AYR | HAM | ALB | EDI | FAL |
| 1 | Ayr United | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 10 | Qualification for the second round | — | — | — | 3–0 | 3–0 |
| 2 | Hamilton Academical | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 | | 0–1 | — | p2–2 | — | — |
| 3 | Albion Rovers | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 5 | | p0–0 | — | — | p1–1 | — |
| 4 | Edinburgh City | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | | — | 0–1 | — | — | 3–0 |
| 5 | Falkirk | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 3 | | — | 1–2 | 5–1 | — | — |
* ↑ Ayr United were awarded a technical 3−0 win over Falkirk, who were unable to raise a team after a COVID-19 outbreak among players and staff.
* ↑ Edinburgh City were awarded a technical 3−0 win over Falkirk, who were unable to raise a team after a COVID-19 outbreak among players and staff.