Season | 1997β98 |
---|---|
Dates | 1 August 1997 β 9 May 1998 |
Champions |
Celtic 7th Premier Division title 36th Scottish title |
Promoted | St Johnstone |
Relegated | Hibernian |
Champions League | Celtic |
Cup Winners' Cup | Heart of Midlothian |
UEFA Cup |
Rangers Kilmarnock |
Goals scored | 497 ( 7) |
Average goals/game | 2.8 |
Top goalscorer | Marco Negri (32) |
Biggest home win | Rangers 7β0 Dunfermline (18 Oct) |
Biggest away win | Kilmarnock 0β3 Rangers (24 Sep) Kilmarnock 0β3 Heart of Midlothian (27 Sep) Motherwell 1β4 Heart of Midlothian (4 Oct) Aberdeen 1β4 Heart of Midlothian (1 Nov) Heart of Midlothian 2β5 Rangers (20 Dec) Heart of Midlothian 0β3 Rangers (25 Apr) |
Highest attendance | 50,500, Celtic v St Johnstone (9 May) |
Lowest attendance | 4,385, St Johnstone v Kilmarnock (13 Dec) |
Average attendance | 18,036 ( 842) |
β
1996β97
1998β99 β |
The 1997β98 Scottish Premier Division season was the last season of Scottish Football League Premier Division football before the change to the Scottish Premier League. It began on 1 August 1997.
The 1997β98 Scottish Premier Division season ended in success for Celtic who won by two points from nearest rivals Rangers, beating St Johnstone on the last day to clinch the title. Claiming the trophy would have given Rangers a record-breaking 10 Scottish League Championships in a row (having matched Celtic's record the previous season). Heart of Midlothian ran Celtic and Rangers very close to winning the title, and led for large spells of the season before falling away towards the end of the season. Hibernian were relegated to the First Division after finishing bottom. As champions, Celtic qualified for the Champions League while Rangers were joined by Kilmarnock in qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Third-placed Heart of Midlothian qualified for the last Cup Winners' Cup as Scottish Cup winners. [1]
Rangers were involved in some of the season's big transfers with Lorenzo Amoruso and Marco Negri arriving in multimillion-pound deals. Paul Gascoigne also left the club, heading for Middlesbrough in a Β£3.5m deal. Negri went on to become only the second player to score five goals in a Scottish Premier Division match, equalling Paul Sturrock's record by netting all five goals in a 5β1 win over Dundee United.
The season began on 2 August with the first goal of the season scored by Dundee United's Kjell Olofsson as they drew 1β1 at newly promoted St Johnstone. The season ended on 9 May with Hibernian's Stevie Crawford netting a last-minute equaliser away to Kilmarnock to score the final goal of the season.
Promoted from First Division to Premier League
Relegated from Premier Division to First Division
Team | Outgoing manager | Date of vacancy | Manner of departure | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Celtic | Billy Stark | 11 May 1997 | Caretaker spell ended | Wim Jansen | 4 July 1997 |
Aberdeen | Roy Aitken | 10 November 1997 [2] | Sacked | Alex Miller | 21 November 1997 [3] |
Hibernian | Jim Duffy | 2 February 1998 [4] | Sacked | Alex McLeish | 11 February 1998 |
Motherwell | Alex McLeish | 11 February 1998 | Signed by Hibernian | Harri Kampman | 25 February 1998 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Celtic (C) | 36 | 22 | 8 | 6 | 64 | 24 | +40 | 74 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
2 | Rangers | 36 | 21 | 9 | 6 | 76 | 38 | +38 | 72 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round |
3 | Heart of Midlothian | 36 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 70 | 46 | +24 | 67 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round |
4 | Kilmarnock | 36 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 50 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round |
5 | St Johnstone | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 38 | 42 | −4 | 48 | |
6 | Aberdeen | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 39 | 53 | −14 | 39 | |
7 | Dundee United | 36 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 43 | 51 | −8 | 37 | |
8 | Dunfermline Athletic | 36 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 43 | 68 | −25 | 37 | |
9 | Motherwell | 36 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 46 | 64 | −18 | 34 | |
10 | Hibernian (R) | 36 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 38 | 59 | −21 | 30 | Relegation to the First Division |
During matches 1β18 each team plays every other team twice (home and away).
During matches 19β36 each team plays every other team a further two times (home and away).
Player | Goals | Team |
---|---|---|
Marco Negri | 32 | Rangers |
Kjell Olofsson | 18 | Dundee United |
Henrik Larsson | 16 | Celtic |
Andy Smith | Dunfermline Athletic | |
Tommy Coyne | 14 | Motherwell |
Jim Hamilton | Heart of Midlothian | |
Owen Coyle | 11 | Motherwell |
JΓΆrg Albertz | 10 | Rangers |
Craig Burley | Celtic | |
Billy Dodds | Aberdeen | |
Simon Donnelly | Celtic | |
Neil McCann | Heart of Midlothian | |
George O'Boyle | St Johnstone | |
Paul Wright | Kilmarnock |
Source: Soccerbot
Season | 1997β98 |
---|---|
Dates | 1 August 1997 β 9 May 1998 |
Champions |
Celtic 7th Premier Division title 36th Scottish title |
Promoted | St Johnstone |
Relegated | Hibernian |
Champions League | Celtic |
Cup Winners' Cup | Heart of Midlothian |
UEFA Cup |
Rangers Kilmarnock |
Goals scored | 497 ( 7) |
Average goals/game | 2.8 |
Top goalscorer | Marco Negri (32) |
Biggest home win | Rangers 7β0 Dunfermline (18 Oct) |
Biggest away win | Kilmarnock 0β3 Rangers (24 Sep) Kilmarnock 0β3 Heart of Midlothian (27 Sep) Motherwell 1β4 Heart of Midlothian (4 Oct) Aberdeen 1β4 Heart of Midlothian (1 Nov) Heart of Midlothian 2β5 Rangers (20 Dec) Heart of Midlothian 0β3 Rangers (25 Apr) |
Highest attendance | 50,500, Celtic v St Johnstone (9 May) |
Lowest attendance | 4,385, St Johnstone v Kilmarnock (13 Dec) |
Average attendance | 18,036 ( 842) |
β
1996β97
1998β99 β |
The 1997β98 Scottish Premier Division season was the last season of Scottish Football League Premier Division football before the change to the Scottish Premier League. It began on 1 August 1997.
The 1997β98 Scottish Premier Division season ended in success for Celtic who won by two points from nearest rivals Rangers, beating St Johnstone on the last day to clinch the title. Claiming the trophy would have given Rangers a record-breaking 10 Scottish League Championships in a row (having matched Celtic's record the previous season). Heart of Midlothian ran Celtic and Rangers very close to winning the title, and led for large spells of the season before falling away towards the end of the season. Hibernian were relegated to the First Division after finishing bottom. As champions, Celtic qualified for the Champions League while Rangers were joined by Kilmarnock in qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Third-placed Heart of Midlothian qualified for the last Cup Winners' Cup as Scottish Cup winners. [1]
Rangers were involved in some of the season's big transfers with Lorenzo Amoruso and Marco Negri arriving in multimillion-pound deals. Paul Gascoigne also left the club, heading for Middlesbrough in a Β£3.5m deal. Negri went on to become only the second player to score five goals in a Scottish Premier Division match, equalling Paul Sturrock's record by netting all five goals in a 5β1 win over Dundee United.
The season began on 2 August with the first goal of the season scored by Dundee United's Kjell Olofsson as they drew 1β1 at newly promoted St Johnstone. The season ended on 9 May with Hibernian's Stevie Crawford netting a last-minute equaliser away to Kilmarnock to score the final goal of the season.
Promoted from First Division to Premier League
Relegated from Premier Division to First Division
Team | Outgoing manager | Date of vacancy | Manner of departure | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Celtic | Billy Stark | 11 May 1997 | Caretaker spell ended | Wim Jansen | 4 July 1997 |
Aberdeen | Roy Aitken | 10 November 1997 [2] | Sacked | Alex Miller | 21 November 1997 [3] |
Hibernian | Jim Duffy | 2 February 1998 [4] | Sacked | Alex McLeish | 11 February 1998 |
Motherwell | Alex McLeish | 11 February 1998 | Signed by Hibernian | Harri Kampman | 25 February 1998 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Celtic (C) | 36 | 22 | 8 | 6 | 64 | 24 | +40 | 74 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
2 | Rangers | 36 | 21 | 9 | 6 | 76 | 38 | +38 | 72 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round |
3 | Heart of Midlothian | 36 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 70 | 46 | +24 | 67 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round |
4 | Kilmarnock | 36 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 50 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round |
5 | St Johnstone | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 38 | 42 | −4 | 48 | |
6 | Aberdeen | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 39 | 53 | −14 | 39 | |
7 | Dundee United | 36 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 43 | 51 | −8 | 37 | |
8 | Dunfermline Athletic | 36 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 43 | 68 | −25 | 37 | |
9 | Motherwell | 36 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 46 | 64 | −18 | 34 | |
10 | Hibernian (R) | 36 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 38 | 59 | −21 | 30 | Relegation to the First Division |
During matches 1β18 each team plays every other team twice (home and away).
During matches 19β36 each team plays every other team a further two times (home and away).
Player | Goals | Team |
---|---|---|
Marco Negri | 32 | Rangers |
Kjell Olofsson | 18 | Dundee United |
Henrik Larsson | 16 | Celtic |
Andy Smith | Dunfermline Athletic | |
Tommy Coyne | 14 | Motherwell |
Jim Hamilton | Heart of Midlothian | |
Owen Coyle | 11 | Motherwell |
JΓΆrg Albertz | 10 | Rangers |
Craig Burley | Celtic | |
Billy Dodds | Aberdeen | |
Simon Donnelly | Celtic | |
Neil McCann | Heart of Midlothian | |
George O'Boyle | St Johnstone | |
Paul Wright | Kilmarnock |
Source: Soccerbot