Scotland was one of the earliest modern
footballing nations, with
Glasgow club
Queen's Park early pioneers of the game throughout the UK. More clubs formed in Scotland, resulting in the commencement of the first major competition in 1873, the
Scottish Cup, then the founding of the
Scottish Football League in 1890. With the official sanctioning of
professionalism, the
Old Firm of
Celtic and
Rangers became dominant in Scotland, and remain so, although other clubs have enjoyed brief periods of success too.
The
Scottish Football Association (SFA) were prominent in the administration of football since the early days of the game, and in 1882 agreed with the other home-nation associations on a uniform set of rules. They continue to play a role in this, with the SFA currently forming part of the
International Football Association Board along with each of the other home-nation associations and four representatives from
FIFA.
Queens Park's insistence on remaining amateur saw their early prominence in Scottish football fade, and the
Old Firm of
Celtic and
Rangers became the dominant clubs. Celtic won six successive league titles during the first decade of the 20th century, during which time they also became the first club to win the league and Scottish Cup in the same season (the "
double"). They also won four successive titles the following decade.[6] In the
inter-war years, Rangers won 14 of the 20 league titles competed for,[6] and a few years after the end of the Second World War were the first club to win all three major domestic competitions in the same season in Scotland (the "
treble"). Both Old Firm clubs have since won
nine successive league titles; Celtic from 1966 to 1974 and then again from 2012 to 2020, and Rangers from 1989 to 1997. Rangers have won the league championship a total of 55 times, a joint world record.[7][8][9] Other clubs have enjoyed brief periods of success:
Heart of Midlothian and
Hibernian during the late 1940s and 1950s[10][11] and
Aberdeen, and to a lesser extent
Dundee United, in the early 1980s.[12]
Following the first international in 1872 between Scotland and England, over the next 50 years the national side played exclusively against the other three Home Nations – England,
Wales and
Ireland.[13] The
British Home Championship was established in 1883, making these games competitive. Scotland won the first ever championship, and won outright on ten occasions up to the
First World War and shared the title on a further 6 times with at least one other team.[14] Scotland played their first match outside the British Isles in 1929, beating
Norway 7–3 in
Bergen. Scotland then contested regular friendly matches against European opposition and enjoyed wins against
Germany and
France before losing to the
Austrian "
Wunderteam" and
Italy in 1931.[13]
Scotland took part in their first major international tournament when they qualified for the
1954 FIFA World Cup in
Switzerland, and then again in 1958 for the
World Cup in Sweden, failing to progress from the first round in both tournaments. After a barren spell in the 1960s, Scotland qualified for the
1974 FIFA World Cup in
West Germany, where the team was unbeaten but failed to progress due to inferior
goal difference. The national side also qualified for the
1978 FIFA World Cup in
Argentina, amidst unprecedented publicity and optimism.[15] They failed to win either of their first two games, and a win over the
Netherlands wasn't enough to prevent another first round exit.[15] The national side qualified for the next three World Cups in 1982, 1986 and 1990, but also exited at the first round in each. Scotland qualified for the finals of
UEFA European Championship for the first time in
1992, and repeated the feat for the
1996 Euros in England. A further major tournament was reached when they took part in the
1998 FIFA World Cup in
France, but then went over 20 years without qualifying for a major tournament. Scotland finally ended this barren run when they qualified for the
COVID-19 delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) were prominent in the administration of football since the early days of the game. In 1882 they met up with other
home-nation associations and agreed on a uniform set of rules for football. The home-nation associations went on to form the
International Football Association Board (IFAB) to approve any changes to the rules. It was a proposal by the SFA that led to the
offside rule being changed in 1925, where a player would now be onside if a minimum of two (instead of three) opposing players are between him and the goal line. IFAB continues to meet twice a year, once to decide on possible changes to the rules governing football and once to deliberate on its internal affairs. The organisation is now made up of representatives from the SFA, the other three home-nation associations, and the
Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Each home-nation association has one vote and FIFA has four. IFAB deliberations must be approved by three-quarters of the vote, which translates to at least six votes. Thus, FIFA's approval is necessary for any IFAB decision, but FIFA alone cannot change the Laws of the Game – they need to be agreed by at least two of the home-nation members. As of 2016, all members must be present for a binding vote to proceed.[16]
Scotland's oldest club in continuous existence and longest established club
Queen's Park is formed.[19]
Queen's Park compile "
The Rules of the Field", a set of rules based on the common Association rules of the time, but with notable changes to the
offside rule.[2]
1868
Queen's Park play their first match against another club, the newly formed Glasgow-based team
Thistle.[20]
1870s
1870
The first representative match is played between
England and Scotland, although this is not considered to be an official international match.[21][22]
Queen's Park become the first ever Scottish football team to participate in official competition when they play in the
1871–72 FA Cup semi-final against
Wanderers, the match ends goalless. Queen's, however, can not afford to extend their stay long enough for the tie to be replayed and are forced to withdraw.[24]
Rangers are formed in March. In May, Rangers play their first ever match, a friendly against Callander, drawing 0-0, played at Fleshers' Haugh (now known as
Glasgow Green).[25]
Vale of Leven win the Scottish Cup for the first time after beating
Rangers 3–2 in a second replay – thereby becoming the first team other than Queen's Park to win the trophy.[26]
1880s
1881
Dr. John Smith becomes the first player to score a
hat-trick in a Scottish Cup Final, netting all three of
Queen's Park's goals in a 3–1 win over
Dumbarton.[28] The final is a replay after the first match was won 2–1 by Queen's Park but declared void due to a protest from Dumbarton.[29]
The first known women's match to be played under football association rules takes place at
Easter Road. A team representing Scotland beat England 3–0, with Lily St Clare becoming the first ever recorded female goalscorer.[33]
The
British Home Championship (also known as the Home International Championship) becomes an annual competition contested between the UK's four national teams,
Scotland,
England,
Wales and
Ireland.[36] Scotland go on to win the first championship after winning all three of their matches.[37]
Arbroath defeat
Bon Accord36–0 in the first round of the Scottish Cup, a record scoreline in a major competition in British football.
Jock Petrie scores 13 goals in the game, the highest number of goals by a player in a single game in competitive British football.[40]
Rangers win the Scottish Cup for the first time, defeating Celtic 3–1 in the first cup final between the two teams who would become known as the
Old Firm.[26]
Celtic build the first ever
press box at a football stadium in Britain, located high up on the main stand at
Celtic Park.[46][47]
Celtic and Rangers finish the league level on 41 points, and a
play-off at
Hampden Park is arranged to decide the championship. Celtic win 2–1, clinching the first of what transpired to be six successive league titles.[55][56]
1907
Celtic win both the league title and the
Scottish Cup in the same season, becoming the first club to win
the double in Scotland.[43]
1909
The Scottish Cup is withheld by the
SFA after a riot in the final replay between Celtic and Rangers.[57]
Celtic complete a 62 match unbeaten run, a record in British football that stood for over 100 years.[60][61]
1920s
1920
The
SFA, along with the other three
home-nation associations, withdraw from
FIFA, primarily due to issues over playing ex-enemy countries from the First World War.[62][63]
1921
Goal average is brought in by the Scottish League to separate teams tied on the same number of points.[23]
The SFA and the three other
home-nation associations rejoin FIFA.[62]
1925
Following a proposal by the SFA, the
offside rule is changed: a player is now onside if a minimum of two (instead of three) opposing players are between him and the goal line.[65]
The SFA, along with the other three home-nation associations, once again withdraw from FIFA, due to the home nations reluctance to cede ultimate authority on football matters to FIFA.[62]
Jimmy McGrory retires from playing football. He scored 550 goals in competitive matches for Celtic,
Clydebank, Scotland and the
Scottish League XI. He remains the highest goalscorer in British football.[72]
1939
Rangers defeat Celtic 2–1 in front of a crowd of 118,567 at Ibrox, a record attendance for a league match in Britain.[73]
Competitive football is suspended due to the outbreak of the
Second World War in Europe, during the early stages of the
1939–40 season.[23]
1940s
1944
Scotland's 3–2 defeat at
Hampden Park in the wartime international against
England is watched by 133,000 fans, the largest attendance at any match in Britain during wartime.[74][75]
Hampden Park hosts a friendly match between a
UK representative team and a
Rest of the World XI. The game is dubbed "Match of the Century", with the UK winning 6–1 in front of 135,000 spectators. The gate receipts of £35,000 are donated to
FIFA to help assist with the financial losses incurred as a result of the Second World War.[76]
East Fife are the second winners of the League Cup, after defeating
Falkirk 4–1 in the replayed final of the 1947–48 competition.[78]
Rangers win the league title, League Cup and the
Scottish Cup in season 1948–49, thereby becoming the first club to win the
domestic treble in Scotland.[77]
Celtic win the
Coronation Cup, defeating Hibernian 2–0 in the final.[83]
1954
After
qualifying for the
World Cup,
Scotland are knocked-out after a 1–0 defeat by
Austria and a 7–0 defeat by
Uruguay.
Andy Beattie, appointed manager for the World Cup campaign, is Scotland's first manager but resigns after the loss to Austria.[84]
Bill Struth stands down as manager of
Rangers after 34 years in the role, having won 18 league titles. He is succeeded by
Scot Symon.[77]
The
1955 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and
Clyde is the first final in Scotland to be televised live, and ends in a 1–1 draw.[85][86] Clyde win the replay 1–0.[86]
Aberdeen win the league title for the first time.[6]
Hampden Park hosts the
1960 European Cup Final between
Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt. Real win 7–3 in one of the best known European finals, and regarded by many observers as one of the greatest matches of all time. The crowd of 134,000 is a record for a European final.[96][97]
Dundee win the league title for the first time.[6]
A Scottish Cup First Round tie between
Airdrieonians and
Stranraer is postponed a record 33 times (due to poor weather);
Airdrieonians win the tie 4–0 before losing 6–0 to eventual champions,
Rangers.[100]
Kilmarnock win the league title for the first time, defeating
Heart of Midlothian 2–0 on the final day of the season to win the league on goal average ahead of Heart of Midlothian.[6]
The crowd of 122,714 that watches Rangers win over Celtic in the
1973 Scottish Cup Final is the last attendance in excess of 100,000 at any match in Britain.[74]
Dixie Deans and
Joe Harper both score hat-tricks in the
1974 Scottish League Cup Final.[28] Deans became the first (and so far, only) player to score hat-tricks in Scottish Cup and League Cup finals.[28]
Hibernian become the first professional club in Britain to bear
sponsorship on their shirts.[124]
Clydebank bolt wooden bench seating to their ground's terraces (reducing its capacity under 10,000 to avoid having to comply with expensive safety legislation), and thus
Kilbowie Park accommodating 9,950 becomes the first
all-seater stadium in Britain.[125]
Scotland are knocked out of the
1978 FIFA World Cup at the group stage, having taken three points (one win, one draw) from three matches.[126]
Jock Stein leaves Celtic, having won 25 trophies including the European Cup in 1967, for a brief spell as manager of
Leeds United, before returning north to take over from
Ally MacLeod as manager of Scotland.[127][128]
Alex Ferguson becomes manager of
Aberdeen, who he goes on to lead to what several sources describe as "unprecedented success", taking over from
Billy McNeill who moved to Celtic as their manager.[129][130][131]
1979
Dundee United win the League Cup for the first time, defeating Aberdeen 3–0 in the replayed final.[78]
Celtic beat
Rangers in the
Scottish Cup Final. Thousands of fans from both sides take to the field afterwards and engage in a pitched battle with one another. The aftermath sees both clubs fined £20,000 and various legislation implemented, including the prohibition of the sale of alcohol at football matches in Scotland.[57][132]
Hibernian are the first Scottish club to install
undersoil heating, at a cost of £60,000,[133] and which is used later in the season to enable their home game against
Falkirk to be played despite the wintry weather conditions.[133][134]
Graeme Souness is appointed
player/manager of Rangers. This marks the start of a significant change at Rangers, as they spend significant amounts of money in attracting star players to the club from England.[145]
Rangers win the league championship thanks to a decisive win against
Aberdeen on the final day of the season.[157]
1992
Having qualified for the first time, Scotland take part in the finals of the
UEFA European Championship. They are knocked out at the group stage of
UEFA Euro 1992, having taken two points (one win) from three matches.[158]
Rangers become the first British club to compete in the group stages of the revamped
UEFA Champions League, where they went undefeated but eventually finished second in their group behind eventual (controversial) winners
Marseille.[145][159]
Top clubs attempt a 'Super League' breakaway following
a similar event in England; the move fails but prompts some reconstruction of the League setup which takes effect two years later.[160]
Fergus McCann takes over as owner of
Celtic, rescuing the club from financial ruin. He goes on to reconstitute the club as a PLC, which in turn leads to the most successful share-issue in the history of British football.[43]
Celtic manager
Neil Lennon and two high-profile supporters of the club are sent
parcel bombs. The device sent to Lennon is intercepted by the
Royal Mail, whilst the two other devices are delivered but treated as suspicious packages and not opened.[197]
Scottish Premiership clubs resume training on 11 June 2020, with a view to starting the
2020–21 Premiership season on the first weekend of August 2020, albeit still
behind closed doors due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[232]
Scotland qualify for
UEFA Euro 2020, delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, by winning a play-off against
Serbia on
penalties, their first major tournament since 1998.[233]
Rangers prevent Celtic from winning a record 10 league titles in a row by winning the Scottish Premiership and their 55th league title.[239][240]
Brechin City become the first club to be relegated from the SPFL into the
Highland League after defeat to
Kelty Hearts in the League Two play-off, their third relegation in four seasons.
Scotland are knocked out of the COVID-19 delayed UEFA Euro 2020 at the group stage, with 1 point from 3 matches played.[241]
All leagues above amateur level are connected for the first time as part of the
senior pyramid system, after the
SJFA East Region (Midlands League),
SJFA North Region, and
North Caledonian League join as feeders to the Highland League,[242]with the winners of each of these leagues able to participate in the Scottish Cup regardless of licence with
Carnoustie Panmure and
Invergordon being the first teams to qualify from the Midlands League and North Caledonian League, respectively, under this system, with none from the SJFA North as
Banks O' Dee won the league and the Scottish Cup place does not get passed down to the runner up.
The
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is introduced to the Scottish Premiership on matchday 12 in October,[245] having previously been used in Scotland for games at UEFA Euro 2020, as well as Champions League group stage, and Europa League knockout stage matches.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle become the first finalists to have been eliminated in the same tournament, after they lost 2–0 to
Queen's Park, but were reinstated after it was found out Queen's Park fielded an ineligible player. They lost 3–1 to Celtic in the final.
In a match against
St Mirren in the
Scottish Premiership,
Aberdeen set a new record for the longest time spent winning a game before losing, with
Connor Barron's 62nd second opener being cancelled out in stoppage time with a
Mark O'Hara penalty in the 90+6th minute before conceding again in the 90+7th minute to
Toyosi Olusanya, where Aberdeen had been winning for 94 minutes. It is unknown what the previous record was.
FIFA President,
Gianni Infantino, was also in attendance following the
IFAB Summit at
Loch Lomond.
At a summit at
Loch Lomond, the
IFAB discuss the controversial implementation of
Blue Cards, where it is decided that trials of the cards will not be implemented further than grassroots level.
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abcNygård, Jostein; Tossani, Gabriele.
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Scotland was one of the earliest modern
footballing nations, with
Glasgow club
Queen's Park early pioneers of the game throughout the UK. More clubs formed in Scotland, resulting in the commencement of the first major competition in 1873, the
Scottish Cup, then the founding of the
Scottish Football League in 1890. With the official sanctioning of
professionalism, the
Old Firm of
Celtic and
Rangers became dominant in Scotland, and remain so, although other clubs have enjoyed brief periods of success too.
The
Scottish Football Association (SFA) were prominent in the administration of football since the early days of the game, and in 1882 agreed with the other home-nation associations on a uniform set of rules. They continue to play a role in this, with the SFA currently forming part of the
International Football Association Board along with each of the other home-nation associations and four representatives from
FIFA.
Queens Park's insistence on remaining amateur saw their early prominence in Scottish football fade, and the
Old Firm of
Celtic and
Rangers became the dominant clubs. Celtic won six successive league titles during the first decade of the 20th century, during which time they also became the first club to win the league and Scottish Cup in the same season (the "
double"). They also won four successive titles the following decade.[6] In the
inter-war years, Rangers won 14 of the 20 league titles competed for,[6] and a few years after the end of the Second World War were the first club to win all three major domestic competitions in the same season in Scotland (the "
treble"). Both Old Firm clubs have since won
nine successive league titles; Celtic from 1966 to 1974 and then again from 2012 to 2020, and Rangers from 1989 to 1997. Rangers have won the league championship a total of 55 times, a joint world record.[7][8][9] Other clubs have enjoyed brief periods of success:
Heart of Midlothian and
Hibernian during the late 1940s and 1950s[10][11] and
Aberdeen, and to a lesser extent
Dundee United, in the early 1980s.[12]
Following the first international in 1872 between Scotland and England, over the next 50 years the national side played exclusively against the other three Home Nations – England,
Wales and
Ireland.[13] The
British Home Championship was established in 1883, making these games competitive. Scotland won the first ever championship, and won outright on ten occasions up to the
First World War and shared the title on a further 6 times with at least one other team.[14] Scotland played their first match outside the British Isles in 1929, beating
Norway 7–3 in
Bergen. Scotland then contested regular friendly matches against European opposition and enjoyed wins against
Germany and
France before losing to the
Austrian "
Wunderteam" and
Italy in 1931.[13]
Scotland took part in their first major international tournament when they qualified for the
1954 FIFA World Cup in
Switzerland, and then again in 1958 for the
World Cup in Sweden, failing to progress from the first round in both tournaments. After a barren spell in the 1960s, Scotland qualified for the
1974 FIFA World Cup in
West Germany, where the team was unbeaten but failed to progress due to inferior
goal difference. The national side also qualified for the
1978 FIFA World Cup in
Argentina, amidst unprecedented publicity and optimism.[15] They failed to win either of their first two games, and a win over the
Netherlands wasn't enough to prevent another first round exit.[15] The national side qualified for the next three World Cups in 1982, 1986 and 1990, but also exited at the first round in each. Scotland qualified for the finals of
UEFA European Championship for the first time in
1992, and repeated the feat for the
1996 Euros in England. A further major tournament was reached when they took part in the
1998 FIFA World Cup in
France, but then went over 20 years without qualifying for a major tournament. Scotland finally ended this barren run when they qualified for the
COVID-19 delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) were prominent in the administration of football since the early days of the game. In 1882 they met up with other
home-nation associations and agreed on a uniform set of rules for football. The home-nation associations went on to form the
International Football Association Board (IFAB) to approve any changes to the rules. It was a proposal by the SFA that led to the
offside rule being changed in 1925, where a player would now be onside if a minimum of two (instead of three) opposing players are between him and the goal line. IFAB continues to meet twice a year, once to decide on possible changes to the rules governing football and once to deliberate on its internal affairs. The organisation is now made up of representatives from the SFA, the other three home-nation associations, and the
Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Each home-nation association has one vote and FIFA has four. IFAB deliberations must be approved by three-quarters of the vote, which translates to at least six votes. Thus, FIFA's approval is necessary for any IFAB decision, but FIFA alone cannot change the Laws of the Game – they need to be agreed by at least two of the home-nation members. As of 2016, all members must be present for a binding vote to proceed.[16]
Scotland's oldest club in continuous existence and longest established club
Queen's Park is formed.[19]
Queen's Park compile "
The Rules of the Field", a set of rules based on the common Association rules of the time, but with notable changes to the
offside rule.[2]
1868
Queen's Park play their first match against another club, the newly formed Glasgow-based team
Thistle.[20]
1870s
1870
The first representative match is played between
England and Scotland, although this is not considered to be an official international match.[21][22]
Queen's Park become the first ever Scottish football team to participate in official competition when they play in the
1871–72 FA Cup semi-final against
Wanderers, the match ends goalless. Queen's, however, can not afford to extend their stay long enough for the tie to be replayed and are forced to withdraw.[24]
Rangers are formed in March. In May, Rangers play their first ever match, a friendly against Callander, drawing 0-0, played at Fleshers' Haugh (now known as
Glasgow Green).[25]
Vale of Leven win the Scottish Cup for the first time after beating
Rangers 3–2 in a second replay – thereby becoming the first team other than Queen's Park to win the trophy.[26]
1880s
1881
Dr. John Smith becomes the first player to score a
hat-trick in a Scottish Cup Final, netting all three of
Queen's Park's goals in a 3–1 win over
Dumbarton.[28] The final is a replay after the first match was won 2–1 by Queen's Park but declared void due to a protest from Dumbarton.[29]
The first known women's match to be played under football association rules takes place at
Easter Road. A team representing Scotland beat England 3–0, with Lily St Clare becoming the first ever recorded female goalscorer.[33]
The
British Home Championship (also known as the Home International Championship) becomes an annual competition contested between the UK's four national teams,
Scotland,
England,
Wales and
Ireland.[36] Scotland go on to win the first championship after winning all three of their matches.[37]
Arbroath defeat
Bon Accord36–0 in the first round of the Scottish Cup, a record scoreline in a major competition in British football.
Jock Petrie scores 13 goals in the game, the highest number of goals by a player in a single game in competitive British football.[40]
Rangers win the Scottish Cup for the first time, defeating Celtic 3–1 in the first cup final between the two teams who would become known as the
Old Firm.[26]
Celtic build the first ever
press box at a football stadium in Britain, located high up on the main stand at
Celtic Park.[46][47]
Celtic and Rangers finish the league level on 41 points, and a
play-off at
Hampden Park is arranged to decide the championship. Celtic win 2–1, clinching the first of what transpired to be six successive league titles.[55][56]
1907
Celtic win both the league title and the
Scottish Cup in the same season, becoming the first club to win
the double in Scotland.[43]
1909
The Scottish Cup is withheld by the
SFA after a riot in the final replay between Celtic and Rangers.[57]
Celtic complete a 62 match unbeaten run, a record in British football that stood for over 100 years.[60][61]
1920s
1920
The
SFA, along with the other three
home-nation associations, withdraw from
FIFA, primarily due to issues over playing ex-enemy countries from the First World War.[62][63]
1921
Goal average is brought in by the Scottish League to separate teams tied on the same number of points.[23]
The SFA and the three other
home-nation associations rejoin FIFA.[62]
1925
Following a proposal by the SFA, the
offside rule is changed: a player is now onside if a minimum of two (instead of three) opposing players are between him and the goal line.[65]
The SFA, along with the other three home-nation associations, once again withdraw from FIFA, due to the home nations reluctance to cede ultimate authority on football matters to FIFA.[62]
Jimmy McGrory retires from playing football. He scored 550 goals in competitive matches for Celtic,
Clydebank, Scotland and the
Scottish League XI. He remains the highest goalscorer in British football.[72]
1939
Rangers defeat Celtic 2–1 in front of a crowd of 118,567 at Ibrox, a record attendance for a league match in Britain.[73]
Competitive football is suspended due to the outbreak of the
Second World War in Europe, during the early stages of the
1939–40 season.[23]
1940s
1944
Scotland's 3–2 defeat at
Hampden Park in the wartime international against
England is watched by 133,000 fans, the largest attendance at any match in Britain during wartime.[74][75]
Hampden Park hosts a friendly match between a
UK representative team and a
Rest of the World XI. The game is dubbed "Match of the Century", with the UK winning 6–1 in front of 135,000 spectators. The gate receipts of £35,000 are donated to
FIFA to help assist with the financial losses incurred as a result of the Second World War.[76]
East Fife are the second winners of the League Cup, after defeating
Falkirk 4–1 in the replayed final of the 1947–48 competition.[78]
Rangers win the league title, League Cup and the
Scottish Cup in season 1948–49, thereby becoming the first club to win the
domestic treble in Scotland.[77]
Celtic win the
Coronation Cup, defeating Hibernian 2–0 in the final.[83]
1954
After
qualifying for the
World Cup,
Scotland are knocked-out after a 1–0 defeat by
Austria and a 7–0 defeat by
Uruguay.
Andy Beattie, appointed manager for the World Cup campaign, is Scotland's first manager but resigns after the loss to Austria.[84]
Bill Struth stands down as manager of
Rangers after 34 years in the role, having won 18 league titles. He is succeeded by
Scot Symon.[77]
The
1955 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and
Clyde is the first final in Scotland to be televised live, and ends in a 1–1 draw.[85][86] Clyde win the replay 1–0.[86]
Aberdeen win the league title for the first time.[6]
Hampden Park hosts the
1960 European Cup Final between
Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt. Real win 7–3 in one of the best known European finals, and regarded by many observers as one of the greatest matches of all time. The crowd of 134,000 is a record for a European final.[96][97]
Dundee win the league title for the first time.[6]
A Scottish Cup First Round tie between
Airdrieonians and
Stranraer is postponed a record 33 times (due to poor weather);
Airdrieonians win the tie 4–0 before losing 6–0 to eventual champions,
Rangers.[100]
Kilmarnock win the league title for the first time, defeating
Heart of Midlothian 2–0 on the final day of the season to win the league on goal average ahead of Heart of Midlothian.[6]
The crowd of 122,714 that watches Rangers win over Celtic in the
1973 Scottish Cup Final is the last attendance in excess of 100,000 at any match in Britain.[74]
Dixie Deans and
Joe Harper both score hat-tricks in the
1974 Scottish League Cup Final.[28] Deans became the first (and so far, only) player to score hat-tricks in Scottish Cup and League Cup finals.[28]
Hibernian become the first professional club in Britain to bear
sponsorship on their shirts.[124]
Clydebank bolt wooden bench seating to their ground's terraces (reducing its capacity under 10,000 to avoid having to comply with expensive safety legislation), and thus
Kilbowie Park accommodating 9,950 becomes the first
all-seater stadium in Britain.[125]
Scotland are knocked out of the
1978 FIFA World Cup at the group stage, having taken three points (one win, one draw) from three matches.[126]
Jock Stein leaves Celtic, having won 25 trophies including the European Cup in 1967, for a brief spell as manager of
Leeds United, before returning north to take over from
Ally MacLeod as manager of Scotland.[127][128]
Alex Ferguson becomes manager of
Aberdeen, who he goes on to lead to what several sources describe as "unprecedented success", taking over from
Billy McNeill who moved to Celtic as their manager.[129][130][131]
1979
Dundee United win the League Cup for the first time, defeating Aberdeen 3–0 in the replayed final.[78]
Celtic beat
Rangers in the
Scottish Cup Final. Thousands of fans from both sides take to the field afterwards and engage in a pitched battle with one another. The aftermath sees both clubs fined £20,000 and various legislation implemented, including the prohibition of the sale of alcohol at football matches in Scotland.[57][132]
Hibernian are the first Scottish club to install
undersoil heating, at a cost of £60,000,[133] and which is used later in the season to enable their home game against
Falkirk to be played despite the wintry weather conditions.[133][134]
Graeme Souness is appointed
player/manager of Rangers. This marks the start of a significant change at Rangers, as they spend significant amounts of money in attracting star players to the club from England.[145]
Rangers win the league championship thanks to a decisive win against
Aberdeen on the final day of the season.[157]
1992
Having qualified for the first time, Scotland take part in the finals of the
UEFA European Championship. They are knocked out at the group stage of
UEFA Euro 1992, having taken two points (one win) from three matches.[158]
Rangers become the first British club to compete in the group stages of the revamped
UEFA Champions League, where they went undefeated but eventually finished second in their group behind eventual (controversial) winners
Marseille.[145][159]
Top clubs attempt a 'Super League' breakaway following
a similar event in England; the move fails but prompts some reconstruction of the League setup which takes effect two years later.[160]
Fergus McCann takes over as owner of
Celtic, rescuing the club from financial ruin. He goes on to reconstitute the club as a PLC, which in turn leads to the most successful share-issue in the history of British football.[43]
Celtic manager
Neil Lennon and two high-profile supporters of the club are sent
parcel bombs. The device sent to Lennon is intercepted by the
Royal Mail, whilst the two other devices are delivered but treated as suspicious packages and not opened.[197]
Scottish Premiership clubs resume training on 11 June 2020, with a view to starting the
2020–21 Premiership season on the first weekend of August 2020, albeit still
behind closed doors due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[232]
Scotland qualify for
UEFA Euro 2020, delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, by winning a play-off against
Serbia on
penalties, their first major tournament since 1998.[233]
Rangers prevent Celtic from winning a record 10 league titles in a row by winning the Scottish Premiership and their 55th league title.[239][240]
Brechin City become the first club to be relegated from the SPFL into the
Highland League after defeat to
Kelty Hearts in the League Two play-off, their third relegation in four seasons.
Scotland are knocked out of the COVID-19 delayed UEFA Euro 2020 at the group stage, with 1 point from 3 matches played.[241]
All leagues above amateur level are connected for the first time as part of the
senior pyramid system, after the
SJFA East Region (Midlands League),
SJFA North Region, and
North Caledonian League join as feeders to the Highland League,[242]with the winners of each of these leagues able to participate in the Scottish Cup regardless of licence with
Carnoustie Panmure and
Invergordon being the first teams to qualify from the Midlands League and North Caledonian League, respectively, under this system, with none from the SJFA North as
Banks O' Dee won the league and the Scottish Cup place does not get passed down to the runner up.
The
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is introduced to the Scottish Premiership on matchday 12 in October,[245] having previously been used in Scotland for games at UEFA Euro 2020, as well as Champions League group stage, and Europa League knockout stage matches.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle become the first finalists to have been eliminated in the same tournament, after they lost 2–0 to
Queen's Park, but were reinstated after it was found out Queen's Park fielded an ineligible player. They lost 3–1 to Celtic in the final.
In a match against
St Mirren in the
Scottish Premiership,
Aberdeen set a new record for the longest time spent winning a game before losing, with
Connor Barron's 62nd second opener being cancelled out in stoppage time with a
Mark O'Hara penalty in the 90+6th minute before conceding again in the 90+7th minute to
Toyosi Olusanya, where Aberdeen had been winning for 94 minutes. It is unknown what the previous record was.
FIFA President,
Gianni Infantino, was also in attendance following the
IFAB Summit at
Loch Lomond.
At a summit at
Loch Lomond, the
IFAB discuss the controversial implementation of
Blue Cards, where it is decided that trials of the cards will not be implemented further than grassroots level.
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