John Rankin’s Hamilton Academical Win Promotion to the Championship
- Rankin's side beat Inverness 5-3 on aggregate to win promotion
- It marks an immediate return to the Championship for Hamilton after finishing second in League One
Football Careers client John Rankin has led Scottish side Hamilton to promotion, after defeating Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the play-off final. Rankin has overseen the club since the summer of 2022, after serving as Assistant Coach from December 2021.
The club finished second in League One this season after an excellent campaign, with only the undefeated Falkirk finishing above them, placing 18 points above Alloa Athletic in third. They then went on to defeat Alloa in the first round of play-off games, coming out 5-4 winners on aggregate after two thrilling ties.
This left them with a two-legged affair against Inverness – who had finished 11th in the Scottish Championship. The first leg – at Hamilton’s SuperSeal Stadium – finished 2-1 to the home side with goals from Mark Ridgers and Fergus Owens.
They went into the second leg away from home and with a slender lead, but an excellent display from Rankin’s side – which saw them go into halftime with a three-goal aggregate lead – meant they immediately returned to the Championship after suffering relegation last season.
The future is looking bright for Rankin (who signed a new deal before the play-offs began) and his side. Football Careers wishes them all the best on their return to the Championship.