Scottish League Two is the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), created in July 2013 when the Scottish Premier League (SPL) and Scottish Football League (SFL) merged. The division does not have its own independent crest. Instead, it uses the parent SPFL identity, differentiated by the division name and, since sponsorship agreements, by sponsor branding in the league’s composite logo.
Design and History
The SPFL brand, which covers Scottish League Two, was launched at Hampden Park on 23 July 2013 by SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster alongside former Scotland internationals Graeme Souness and John Collins. The launch also introduced the new division names, with the former SFL Second and Third Divisions rebranded as Scottish League One and Scottish League Two respectively.[1][2]
The identity was designed by Glasgow agency Material (also referred to as Material Marketing or Material_Works). The mark merges the football icon from the former SPL logo with the lion from the former SFL logo, creating a single icon that represents the two merged bodies.[1][3][4]
Natalie Ward, account manager at Material_Works, explained the design approach: “By using the ball from the SPL and the lion taken from the SFL logos, we have created a clear and contemporary representation of the merged bodies within the new logo, which portrays their shared vision for the future.”[4]
Since 2021, the league has carried title sponsor branding. When cinch became the SPFL title sponsor in June 2021, the leagues were renamed cinch League 1 and cinch League 2, with the sponsor’s logo incorporated into the league’s composite logo appearing on player sleeves.[5] The current SPFL website refers to the division as William Hill League Two, reflecting a later title sponsorship agreement.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
Graeme Souness, speaking at the brand launch, described the lion as a symbol of strength: “A lion shows that you are strong and fear no one, and the colours are a true representation of Scotland.”[4] The lion element was carried over from the former SFL identity, while the football element came from the SPL mark, visually documenting the merger of the two organisations.[3]
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