Beginnings

The club spent the next 14 years in the 2nd Division, making little impact after the 3rd place finish on two occasions in the early eighties.

Season	Position	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1980/81	9	39	13	12	14	58	54	38
81/82	3	39	20	10	9	62	50	50
82/83	3	39	21	7	11	78	51	49
83/84	5	39	18	6	15	51	46	42
84/85	14	39	9	7	23	35	66	25
85/86	8	39	15	9	15	56	50	39
86/87	11	39	11	7	21	46	66	29
87/88	9	39	10	14	15	54	66	34
88/89	10	39	11	15	13	56	63	37
89/90	12	39	12	10	17	47	61	34
90/91	14	39	8	11	20	41	59	27
91/92	7	39	12	14	13	49	48	38
92/93	6	39	18	8	13	59	50	44
93/94	12	39	12	9	18	42	67	33

Another league reconstruction, with 4 leagues of 10 teams, and three points for a win instead of two. Arbroath were now in the 3rd Division for the first time in their history. It would be a short stay of 4 seasons before the club would achieve promotion for the first time in 26 years.

Season	Position	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1994/95	7	36	13	5	18	51	62	44
95/96	5	36	13	13	10	41	41	52
96/97	10	36	6	13	17	31	52	31
97/98	2	36	20	8	5	67	39	68

A spell of 3 seasons in the 2nd Division before the club again reached the 1st Division.

Season	Position	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1998/99	7	36	12	8	16	37	52	44
99/2000	4	36	11	14	11	52	55	47
2000/01	2	36	15	13	8	54	38	58

The 1st Division was expected to be tough, and so it was, but relishing the task, the lichties rolled up their sleeves and defied the odds to stay up,

Season	Position	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
2001/02	7	36	14	6	16	42	59	48
02/03	10	36	3	6	27	30	77	15

but it was a completely different outcome in the following season, when Arbroath struggled all through the campaign. The only high spot being the defeat of Falkirk, the ultimate champions, in October by 2-0, one of only 3 wins recorded during the whole season.