2005–06 Scottish Premier League

The 2005–06 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic, with a 17-point margin over their nearest challengers Hearts in the first season under the management of Gordon Strachan. Rangers, who finished third, failed to finish a Scottish top flight campaign as champions or runners-up for the first time since 1988.

As league champions, Celtic qualified for the UEFA Champions League, with runners-up Hearts also qualifying. This marked the first time since 1995 that a club outside the Old Firm of Celtic and Rangers finished in the top two. Third-placed Rangers qualified for the UEFA Cup, as did Scottish Second Division champions Gretna, who took the Scottish Cup place despite losing the final to Hearts.

Livingston were relegated, and Scottish First Division winners St Mirren were promoted.

Kris Boyd was the top scorer with 32 goals (17 for Rangers after 15 for Kilmarnock).

Teams

Promotion and relegation from 2004–05

Promoted from First Division to Premier League

Relegated from Premier League to First Division

Stadia and locations

Aberdeen Celtic Dundee United Falkirk
Pittodrie Stadium Celtic Park Tannadice Park Falkirk Stadium
Capacity: 20,866[1] Capacity: 60,411[2] Capacity: 14,223[3] Capacity: 7,937[4]
Dunfermline Athletic Heart of Midlothian
East End Park Tynecastle Park
Capacity: 12,509[5] Capacity: 17,420[6]
Hibernian Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Easter Road Caledonian Stadium
Capacity: 16,531[7] Capacity: 7,500[8]
Kilmarnock Livingston Motherwell Rangers
Rugby Park Almondvale Stadium Fir Park Ibrox Stadium
Capacity: 17,889[9] Capacity: 10,016[10] Capacity: 13,677[11] Capacity: 50,817[12]

Personnel

Team Manager
Aberdeen Scotland Jimmy Calderwood
Celtic Scotland Gordon Strachan
Dundee United Scotland Craig Brewster
Dunfermline Athletic Scotland Jim Leishman
Falkirk Scotland John Hughes
Heart of Midlothian Lithuania Valdas Ivanauskas
Hibernian England Tony Mowbray
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Scotland Charlie Christie
Kilmarnock Scotland Jim Jefferies
Livingston Scotland John Robertson
Motherwell England Terry Butcher
Rangers Scotland Alex McLeish

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Date of vacancy Manner of departure Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment
Livingston Scotland Richard Gough 22 May 2005 Resigned Pre-season Scotland Paul Lambert 1 June 2005
Celtic Northern Ireland Martin O'Neill 25 May 2005 Resigned Scotland Gordon Strachan 1 June 2005
Heart of Midlothian Scotland Steven Pressley
Scotland John McGlynn		 29 June 2005 End of caretaker spell Scotland George Burley 30 June 2005
Heart of Midlothian Scotland George Burley 21 October 2005 Mutual consent 1st England Graham Rix 8 November 2005
Dundee United Scotland Gordon Chisholm 10 January 2006 Sacked 9th Scotland Craig Brewster 13 January 2006
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Scotland Craig Brewster 13 January 2006 Signed by Dundee United 7th Scotland Charlie Christie 28 January 2006
Livingston Scotland Paul Lambert 11 February 2006 Resigned 12th Scotland John Robertson 15 February 2005
Heart of Midlothian England Graham Rix 22 March 2006 Sacked 2nd Lithuania Valdas Ivanauskas 22 March 2006

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation[lower-alpha 1]
1 Celtic 38 28 7 3 93 37 +56 91 Qualification for the Champions League group stage
2 Heart of Midlothian 38 22 8 8 71 31 +40 74 Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round
3 Rangers 38 21 10 7 67 37 +30 73 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
4 Hibernian 38 17 5 16 61 56 +5 56 Qualification for the UEFA Intertoto Cup second round[lower-alpha 2]
5 Kilmarnock 38 15 10 13 63 64 −1 55
6 Aberdeen 38 13 15 10 46 40 +6 54
7 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 38 15 13 10 51 38 +13 58
8 Motherwell 38 13 10 15 55 61 −6 49
9 Dundee United 38 7 12 19 41 66 −25 33
10 Falkirk 38 8 9 21 35 64 −29 33
11 Dunfermline Athletic 38 8 9 21 33 68 −35 33
12 Livingston 38 4 6 28 25 79 −54 18 Relegation to the Scottish First Division
Source: Scottish Professional Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
  1. ↑ Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last five matches.
  2. ↑ Hibernian qualified for the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup by being the highest place applicant for the competition.

Results

Matches 1–22

During matches 1–22 each team played every other team twice (home and away).

Home \ Away[1] ABE CEL DUNDNFFALHOMHIBINVKILLIVMOTRAN
Aberdeen 1–3 2–0 0–0 3–0 1–1 0–1 0–0 1–2 0–0 2–2 3–2
Celtic 2–0 2–0 0–1 3–1 1–1 3–2 2–1 4–2 2–1 5–0 3–0
Dundee United 1–1 2–4 2–1 2–1 0–3 1–0 1–1 0–0 2–0 1–1 0–0
Dunfermline Athletic 0–2 0–4 2–1 0–1 1–4 1–2 0–1 0–1 0–1 0–3 3–3
Falkirk 1–2 0–3 1–3 1–2 2–2 0–2 0–2 1–2 1–1 0–1 1–1
Heart of Midlothian 2–0 2–3 3–0 2–0 5–0 4–0 0–0 1–0 2–1 2–1 1–0
Hibernian 1–2 0–1 2–1 1–1 2–3 2–0 1–2 4–2 3–0 2–1 2–1
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–1 0–3 0–1 2–0 2–2 3–0 1–2 0–1
Kilmarnock 4–2 0–1 2–1 3–2 1–1 2–4 2–2 2–2 3–0 4–1 2–3
Livingston 0–0 0–5 1–0 1–1 0–2 1–4 1–2 1–1 0–3 1–2 2–2
Motherwell 3–1 4–4 4–5 1–0 5–0 1–1 1–3 0–2 2–2 1–0 0–1
Rangers 0–0 3–1 3–0 5–1 2–2 1–0 0–3 1–1 3–0 3–0 2–0

Source:
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Matches 23–33

During matches 23–33 each team played every other team once (either at home or away).

Home \ Away[1] ABE CEL DUNDNFFALHOMHIBINVKILLIVMOTRAN
Aberdeen 1–0 1–0 2–2 3–0 2–2 2–0
Celtic 3–0 3–3 2–1 1–0 2–1
Dundee United 1–1 1–1 2–4 2–2 3–1 1–4
Dunfermline Athletic 1–0 1–8 1–1 1–1 2–2 1–1
Falkirk 1–0 1–2 0–0 1–4 1–2
Heart of Midlothian 1–2 4–0 4–1 3–0 1–1
Hibernian 1–2 3–1 3–1 0–2 2–1 7–0
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0–1 0–0 3–3 0–1 2–3
Kilmarnock 1–4 1–0 2–1 1–0 3–1 2–0
Livingston 0–2 0–1 0–1 2–3 2–1
Motherwell 1–3 2–0 3–1 2–2 2–1
Rangers 0–1 1–0 2–0 4–0 4–1 1–0

Source:
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Matches 34–38

During matches 34–38 each team played every other team in their half of the table once.

Top scorers

PlayerClubGoals
Scotland Kris BoydKilmarnock / Rangers32
Wales John HartsonCeltic18
Scotland Craig DargoInverness CT16
Scotland Derek RiordanHibernian16
Czech Republic Rudi SkácelHearts16
Poland Maciej ŻurawskiCeltic16
Scotland Paul HartleyHearts14
Denmark Peter LøvenkrandsRangers14
Scotland Shaun MaloneyCeltic13
Scotland Steven NaismithKilmarnock13
Scotland Mark BurchillDunfermline Athletic12
Republic of Ireland Richie ForanMotherwell11

Source: SPL official website

Attendances

The average attendances for SPL clubs during the 2005/06 season are shown below:

Team Average
Celtic 58,149
Rangers 49,245
Hearts 16,767
Hibernian 13,816
Aberdeen 12,727
Dundee United 8,197
Kilmarnock 7,070
Dunfermline Athletic 6,260
Motherwell 6,250
Falkirk 5,515
Inverness CT 5,061
Livingston 4,938

Source: SPL official website

Monthly awards

Month Manager Player Young Player
August Scotland George Burley (Hearts) Czech Republic Rudolf Skácel (Hearts) Scotland Steven Naismith (Kilmarnock)
September Scotland George Burley (Hearts) Scotland Andy Webster (Hearts) Scotland Kevin Thomson (Hibernian)
October Scotland Gordon Strachan (Celtic) Bulgaria Stilian Petrov (Celtic) Scotland Darryl Duffy (Falkirk)
November England Tony Mowbray (Hibernian) Scotland Kris Boyd (Kilmarnock) Republic of Ireland Aiden McGeady (Celtic)
December Scotland Craig Brewster (Inverness CT) Denmark Peter Løvenkrands (Rangers) Scotland Calum Elliot (Hearts)
January Scotland Alex McLeish (Rangers) Scotland Kris Boyd (Rangers) Scotland Steven Naismith (Kilmarnock)
February Scotland Jimmy Calderwood (Aberdeen) Poland Maciej Żurawski (Celtic) Scotland Charlie Mulgrew (Dundee United)
March England Terry Butcher (Motherwell) Scotland Steven Naismith (Kilmarnock) Scotland Brian McLean (Motherwell)
April Scotland Jimmy Calderwood (Aberdeen) Scotland Paul Hartley (Hearts) Scotland Steven Smith (Rangers)

References

  1. ↑ "Aberdeen Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Celtic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "Dundee United Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Falkirk Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Dunfermline Athletic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Heart of Midlothian Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "Hibernian Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  8. ↑ "Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "Kilmarnock Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  10. ↑ "Livingston Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  11. ↑ "Motherwell Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  12. ↑ "Rangers Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
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