1998–99 Scottish Premier League

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Template:Short description Template:Short descriptionScript error: No such module "Infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The 1998–99 Scottish Premier League season (also known as the 1998–99 Bank of Scotland Scottish Premier League for sponsorship reasons from 11 March[1]) was the inaugural season of Scottish Premier League football, the top division of Scottish football. It began on 1 August 1998 and concluded on 23 May 1999.

The league was made up of the ten clubs that broke away from the Scottish Football League at the end of the 1997–98 season. Celtic went into the season as the defending Scottish champions, having won the 1997–98 Scottish Premier Division.

Rangers won the title with 3 matches still to play on 2 May 1999, after defeating Old Firm rivals Celtic 3–0 in controversial circumstances at Celtic Park.[2] Three players were red-carded during the game and referee Hugh Dallas was struck by a coin thrown by a Celtic supporter and required treatment from paramedics on the field.[2]

Teams

On 8 September 1997, the clubs in the Premier Division decided to split from the Scottish Football League and form a Scottish Premier League (SPL). This followed an earlier example in England, which came into force during the 1992–93 season. This decision was fuelled by a desire by the top clubs in Scotland to retain more of the revenue generated by the game. Originally, league sponsorship money was divided proportionally between clubs in all four divisions. After the SPL was formed, its clubs retained all of its commercial revenues except for an annual payment to the SFL and a parachute payment to relegated clubs.

The new league followed the same format as the previous season's Premier Division, with the ten clubs playing each other four times, twice at home and twice away. Hibernian were relegated to the First Division after finishing bottom of the 1997–98 Scottish Premier Division. They were replaced by Dundee, the champions of the previous season's First Division.

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Stadia and locations

Aberdeen Celtic Dundee
Pittodrie Stadium Celtic Park Dens Park
Capacity: 20,866[3] Capacity: 60,411[4] Capacity: 11,506[5]
File:Pittodrie from Block Y, May 2015.jpg File:CelticPark.JPG File:Dens stand.jpg
Dundee United Dunfermline Athletic Heart of Midlothian
Tannadice Park East End Park Tynecastle Park
Capacity: 14,223[6] Capacity: 11,480[7] Capacity: 18,008[8]
File:East Stand Tannadice.jpg File:East End Park from Norrie McCathie stand.jpg File:Tynecastle Stadium 2007.jpg
Kilmarnock Motherwell
Rugby Park Fir Park
Capacity: 17,889[9] Capacity: 13,677[10]
File:Rugby Park.jpg File:Fir Park, Motherwell. - geograph.org.uk - 219204.jpg
Rangers St Johnstone
Ibrox Stadium McDiarmid Park
Capacity: 50,817[11] Capacity: 10,696[12]
File:Ibrox Inside.jpg File:McDiarmid Park.jpg

Personnel and kits

Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
Aberdeen Template:Flagicon Paul Hegarty (caretaker) Puma[13] Atlantic Telecom
Celtic Template:Flagicon Jozef Vengloš Umbro[14] Umbro
Dundee Template:Flagicon Jocky Scott Avec Sport[15] Scottish Hydro Electric
Dundee United Template:Flagicon Paul Sturrock Olympic Sports[16] Telewest
Dunfermline Athletic Template:Flagicon Dick Campbell Avec Sport[17] Landmark
Heart of Midlothian Template:Flagicon Jim Jefferies Olympic Sports[18] Strongbow
Kilmarnock Template:Flagicon Bobby Williamson Puma[19] Sports Division
Motherwell Template:Flagicon Billy Davies Xara[20] Motorola
Rangers Template:Flagicon Dick Advocaat Nike[21] McEwan's
St Johnstone Template:Flagicon Sandy Clark Xara[22] Scottish Hydro Electric

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Date of vacancy Manner of departure Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment
Celtic Template:Flagicon Wim Jansen 11 May 1998[23] Resigned Pre-season Template:Flagicon Jozef Vengloš 17 July 1998[24]
Rangers Template:Flagicon Walter Smith 31 May 1998[25] Retired Template:Flagicon Dick Advocaat 1 June 1998[26]
Dundee United Template:Flagicon Tommy McLean 5 September 1998 Mutual consent 9th Template:Flagicon Paul Sturrock 5 September 1998
St Johnstone Template:Flagicon Paul Sturrock 5 September 1998 Signed by Dundee United 8th Template:Flagicon Sandy Clark 7 September 1998
Motherwell Template:Flagicon Harri Kampman 4 October 1998 Resigned 8th Template:Flagicon Billy Davies 14 October 1998[27]
Aberdeen Template:Flagicon Alex Miller 8 December 1998[28] Mutual consent 10th Template:Flagicon Paul Hegarty (caretaker) 8 December 1998[29]
Dunfermline Athletic Template:Flagicon Bert Paton 6 January 1999 Resigned 10th Template:Flagicon Dick Campbell 6 January 1999[30]

Overview

The 1998–99 Scottish Premier League season ended in success for Rangers who, managed by Dutchman Dick Advocaat, won the title by six points from nearest rivals Celtic. Dunfermline Athletic were relegated after three seasons in the top division. As champions, Rangers qualified for the Champions League while Celtic were joined by St Johnstone in qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Fourth placed Kilmarnock also gained a UEFA Cup place via the UEFA Fair Play ranking.

File:Kanchelskis Andrei.jpg
The £5.5m transfer of Andrei Kanchelskis to Rangers set a new Scottish transfer record.

The season began on 1 August 1998 with the first SPL goal scored by Aberdeen's Eoin Jess as they defeated newly promoted Dundee 2–0 at Dens Park.[31] Also on the first day of the season, Craig Burley scored the SPL's first hat-trick as defending champions Celtic defeated Dunfermline Athletic 5–0 at Celtic Park.[31]

1998–99 saw the introduction of a three-week break during January, which was well received by both players and managers.[31] In its inaugural year, the SPL was broadcast to over 120 countries worldwide,[31] while attendances increased[31] and more money was invested in youth development than ever before.[31] A new Scottish transfer record was also set as Rangers paid Fiorentina £5.5m for former Manchester United and Everton winger Andrei Kanchelskis.[32]

Rangers clinched the SPL title on 2 May 1999 by beating Old Firm-rivals Celtic 3–0 at Celtic Park.[2] Three players were red-carded during the game and referee Hugh Dallas was struck by a coin thrown by a Celtic supporter and required treatment from paramedics on the field.[2]

Dunfermline Athletic were relegated to the Scottish First Division on 8 May 1999 after a 2–1 defeat to Celtic at East End Park.[33]

League table

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Results

Matches 1–18

During matches 1–18 each team plays every other team twice (home and away).

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Matches 19–36

During matches 19–36 each team plays every other team a further two times (home and away).

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Top scorers

File:Henrik larsson snorsjoabalen 2007 1.jpg
Celtic's Henrik Larsson was the SPL's top scorer in the 1998–99 season.
Player Goals Team
Template:Flagicon Henrik Larsson 29 Celtic
Template:Flagicon Rod Wallace 19 Rangers
Template:Flagicon Billy Dodds 16 Dundee United
Template:Flagicon Eoin Jess 14 Aberdeen
Template:Flagicon Robbie Winters 13 Aberdeen
Template:Flagicon Gary McSwegan 11 Hearts
Template:Flagicon Jörg Albertz Rangers
Template:Flagicon Craig Burley 9 Celtic
Template:Flagicon Eddie Annand Dundee
Template:Flagicon Stéphane Adam Hearts
Template:Flagicon Neil McCann 8 Hearts
Template:Flagicon Mark Burchill Celtic
Template:Flagicon Andy Smith Dunfermline Athletic

Source: SPL official website

Attendances

The average attendances for SPL clubs during the 1998–99 season are shown below:

Team Average
Celtic 59,233
Rangers 49,094
Hearts 14,232
Aberdeen 12,713
Kilmarnock 11,184
Dundee United 9,187
Motherwell 8,533
Dunfermline Athletic 7,375
Dundee 7,178
St Johnstone 7,038

Source: SPL official website

References

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Template:Scottish Premier League Template:Scottish top division football seasons Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:1998–99 in European football (UEFA)

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