Ten teams.

One target. The race to the SPL starts here. And for those who kick-off the Irn-Bru First Division tomorrow, the lure of top-flight football will add fuel to their efforts.

Promotion is a dream that will only be realised by one club, though, with the rest content to retain their place in Scotland's second tier, fighting to ensure financial stability through challenging economic times.

In a competitive and combative division, there is unlikely to be much that separates those from top to bottom, but former Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall reckons there are two standout contenders ready to do battle for a place among Scottish football's heavyweights.

While many clubs across the division are placing their faith in youngsters as they consolidate in the short term and build for the long, it is experience that could ultimately pave the way to SPL-branded pots of gold.

"I think Ross County and Hamilton will be the two teams that everybody will need to catch," McCall said.

"Derek Adams has done well with Ross County and it could prove to be a good move bringing him back. They have made some shrewd, experienced signings in Grant Munro and Russell Duncan from Inverness.

"Billy Reid has won the First Division before with Hamilton and he has been able to keep a good core of players who have done well for him in recent years, guys like Alex Neil, Simon Mensing, Dougie Imrie, Mark McLaughlin and Tomas Cerny.

"Because of their squads and experience, I would think those two would be the front-runners."

While many would have expected Dunfermline to have emerged victorious last season, few would have predicted that their nearest challengers would be their Fife neighbours, Raith Rovers.

John McGlynn's side defied the odds to mount a serious bid for title success before eventually falling just short as the Pars sealed their return to the SPL.

And McCall reckons there could be other surprise packages forging their way into the reckoning over the coming months.

"I think the dark horses could be Partick Thistle, Livingston and Morton," he said.

"Thistle will have to be lucky with injuries. They have a lot of promising young players but you need the experienced players to be there week in, week out.

"If Morton can keep their strikers fit, I think they will do well this season. Peter Mac- Donald and Andy Jackson have had bad luck with injuries recently but they are good players and will score goals in the First Division.

"Livingston have that winning mentality, they have won two successive league titles and that mentality is important. I think one of those three could shock a few."

Such a tight race obviously offers up its fair share of uncertainty and drama, but considerable consternation remains over the lack of significant places on the podium.

Only one club will realise the ambition of clinching promotion to the Scottish Premier League, leaving many with nothing but pride to play for as the campaign draws to a close.

The introduction of play-offs in the Second and Third Divisions has revitalised those title races.

However, the teams battling for a place in our upper echelon will fight for a solitary spot once more, following extensive dialogue last season which ultimately did little to shake up the status quo.

McCall said: "I think it is ridiculous that there is only the one promotion spot. With the clubs striving to stay full-time and to challenge for promotion, it is scandalous that only one team gets to go up each season.

"There are changes that need to be made in Scottish football but that has to be the minimum.

"The First Division is extremely competitive, there are no easy games and nobody will run away with it. There are not a lot of teams who come down from the SPL and then go straight back up again.

"St Johnstone spent three or four seasons outside the SPL, as did Dunfermline and there are Thistle and Dundee, too.

"Falkirk came down and found it tough last year. It is not easy to go straight back up.

"There is not a huge difference between the top four or five in the First Division and the bottom three or four in the Premier League."