Scottish Premiership overview.

Scottish Premiership: Introduction

The Scottish Premiership is the top tier of professional football in Scotland, established in 2013 after the merger of the Scottish Premier League (SPL) and the Scottish Football League (SFL). The league is run by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and represents the pinnacle of football competition in Scotland, featuring the best clubs in the country.

The following teams currently play in the Scottish Premiership:

Aberdeen Celtic Dundee Dundee United Hearts Hibernian Kilmarnock Motherwell Rangers Ross County St Johnson St Mirren

Scottish Premiership players banner.

Here are some key details about the Scottish Premiership:

  • Teams: There are 12 teams that compete in the Scottish Premiership each season.
  • Season: The season typically runs from August to May.
  • Matches: Each team plays 38 matches (3 or 4 times against each other), resulting in a total of 228 matches.
    • Split Format: After 33 matches, the league splits into a “top six” and a “bottom six” based on the standings. Each team then plays the other five teams in their section once more. Generally speaking, this split ensures competitive balance near the end of the season.
  • Points System: Teams are awarded 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.

The Premiership’s top teams qualify for European competitions, determined by Scotland’s UEFA coefficient ranking:

  • UEFA Champions League: The team finishing 1st (the champion) usually enters the qualifiers for the UEFA Champions League.
  • UEFA Europa League & UEFA Europa Conference League: Depending on league position, other teams can also qualify for the Europa League or Europa Conference League.
  • Relegation: The team finishing 12th at the end of the season suffers relegation to the Scottish Championship (the second division).
  • Play-Off: The team finishing 11th enters a promotion/relegation play-off with teams from the Championship. If they lose, they drop into the Scottish Championship.
  • The Scottish Championship winner directly wins promotion.

The Scottish Premiership has been dominated by two clubs historically:

  • Celtic: Based in Glasgow, Celtic has won the majority of titles in recent years and is one of Scotland’s most successful and popular clubs. They also have a huge fanbase and regularly participate in European competitions.
  • Rangers: Also based in Glasgow, Rangers are Celtic’s arch-rivals. Their rivalry, known as the Old Firm Derby, is one of the fiercest and most famous in world football. Rangers have a storied history and also frequently compete in Europe.

Other clubs such as Aberdeen, Hearts of Midlothian (Hearts), Hibernian (Hibs), and Motherwell have also played significant roles in Scottish football history, but Celtic and Rangers have won the vast majority of the titles.

  • Old Firm Derby: The match between Celtic and Rangers is one of the oldest and most passionate rivalries in world football. Furthermore, it’s deeply rooted in social, political, and religious history.
  • Other local rivalries include Edinburgh Derby (Hearts vs. Hibs), Dundee Derby (Dundee United vs. Dundee FC), and the rivalry between Aberdeen and the Old Firm clubs.
  • Compared to the English Premier League, the Scottish Premiership has a smaller budget and draws lower international TV rights revenue, but it’s still a key component of Scottish sports culture.
  • Most clubs rely on local fanbases, sponsorship deals, and gate receipts for income.
  • The Old Firm clubs, due to their larger fanbases and regular participation in European competitions, generate the highest revenues in the league.
  • Fan culture in Scotland is highly passionate, with many clubs having long-standing traditions and fierce local support.
  • The largest stadiums are Celtic Park (60,000+ capacity) and Ibrox Stadium (50,000+ capacity), the homes of Celtic and Rangers, respectively. Moreover, these are often full to capacity for domestic matches and European nights.
  • Other notable stadiums include Tynecastle Park (Hearts), Pittodrie Stadium (Aberdeen), and Easter Road (Hibernian).

The Scottish Premiership has produced or hosted several notable players and managers over the years. Some famous players who have featured in the league include:

In the 2020s, Rangers ended Celtic’s streak of consecutive titles by winning the league in 2020-21 under Steven Gerrard. Celtic, however, have remained a dominant force and reclaimed the title in subsequent seasons.

  • Sky Sports has been a key broadcaster of the Scottish Premiership, covering live matches and highlights.
  • BBC Scotland also provides extensive coverage, including highlights, interviews, and radio broadcasts.

In summary, the Scottish Premiership is one of Europe’s most historic football leagues, famous for its passionate fans, fierce rivalries, and the dominance of Celtic and Rangers. Despite being a smaller league in financial terms in comparison to other European leagues, it holds a special place in the hearts of football fans worldwide.

Scottish Premiership results, fixtures and table - also join the massive Football Forum

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Scottish Premiership.

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