Forfar Athletic remain very much in the chase for the League 1 title despite Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Peterhead at Balmoor.
The Station Park men, who slipped from first place to third, will be hoping Stranraer and Morton draw at Stair Park this weekend, as a win over Dunfermline at East End Park would send them top again.
Here are 10 things you may not know about the club:
1 Forfar Athletic were formed in May 1885 and joined the Scottish Football League in 1921 - after four seasons Forfar suffered relegation to a newly-formed Third Division but were promoted back after just one year.
2 The nickname of ‘The Loons’ comes from the word used to describe a young man in the North East of Scotland. A previous nickname of ‘The Sky Blues’ died out during the 1990s.
3 Forfar were Second Division champions in both 1948/49 and 1983/84, and won the Third Division in 1994/95.
4 Forfar have had a variety of kit colours over the years, including green and white and dark blue and black, with sky blue first appearing in 1935.
5 Rangers have twice denied Forfar cup final appearances but the Loons came close to making it through to the showpiece occasions. A League Cup semi-final in 1977/78 was lost 5-2 after extra time and a Scottish Cup semi-final in 1981/82 was lost 3-1 in a replay after a goalless draw.
6 Midfielder Ian McPhee is the club’s all-time record appearance holder, having played 534 games between 1979 and 1998. McPhee ended his career in a playing and managing role and remained as Loons boss until 2000.
7 Forfar boss Dick Campbell is the longest-serving manager in the SPFL - he was appointed in May 2008. When Campbell took over, Forfar had just finished bottom of Division Three, ending a five-year run of East Stirlingshire finishing as the lowest-ranked club in the country.
8 Dick Campbell’s assistant is his brother Ian - not only are they brothers, they are identical twins. The duo also worked together at Dunfermline and Brechin City. Manager Campbell’s sons Iain and Ross have both played at the club.
9 Striker Dale Hilson created history last season when he completed a century of Forfar appearances as a loan player. The 22-year-old had four loan spells at Station Park from Dundee United before becoming a permanent signing last summer.
10 Forfar’s U20 side will become Development League East title winners on Wednesday if they avoid defeat against Raith Rovers in their final match.
Craig Stewart
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