1998–99 in Scottish football
Premier League champions
Rangers
First Division champions
Hibernian
Second Division champions
Livingston
Third Division champions
Ross County
Scottish Cup winners
Rangers
League Cup winners
Rangers
Junior Cup winners
Kilwinning Rangers
Teams in Europe
Celtic, Heart of Midlothian, Kilmarnock, Rangers
Scotland national team
Euro 2000 qualification
← 1997–98 1999–2000 →

The 1998–99 season was the 102nd season of Scottish league football.[1]

League competitions

Scottish Premier League

Summary

The 1998–99 SPL season was one that ended in success for Rangers. Dutchman Dick Advocaat was brought in to replace Walter Smith at Rangers and made major changes, bringing in many players.

Rangers were comfortable for most of the season, being top for most of it. Their main low of the season was a 5–1 defeat to Celtic at Parkhead. After beating Aberdeen 3–1 at Ibrox on 25 April, Rangers had a chance to clinch the title at Parkhead on 2 May. Rangers did what they wanted to do with a 3–0 victory. Two goals from Neil McCann and a Jorg Albertz penalty gave Rangers their 100th league victory over Celtic. The match was overshadowed by the controversy during and after the game. Three players were sent off and referee Hugh Dallas was hit by a coin thrown from the Celtic end.[2]

Rangers were presented with the trophy the following week at home to Hearts. The match ended 0–0. Dunfermline Athletic were relegated to the First Division.

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Rangers (C) 36 23 8 5 78 31 +47 77 Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round
2 Celtic 36 21 8 7 84 35 +49 71 Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
3 St Johnstone 36 15 12 9 39 38 +1 57
4 Kilmarnock 36 14 14 8 47 29 +18 56
5 Dundee 36 13 7 16 36 56 −20 46
6 Heart of Midlothian 36 11 9 16 44 50 −6 42
7 Motherwell 36 10 11 15 35 54 −19 41
8 Aberdeen 36 10 7 19 43 71 −28 37
9 Dundee United 36 8 10 18 37 48 −11 34
10 Dunfermline Athletic (R) 36 4 16 16 28 59 −31 28 Relegation to the 1999–2000 Scottish First Division
Updated to match(es) played on end of season. Source: Soccerway and SPL official website
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ↑ Since Rangers, the winners of the 1998–99 Scottish Cup, already qualified for the UEFA Champions League, Celtic, the losing finalist, earned a spot in the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup. As such, the league's UEFA Cup place moved down to third-placed St Johnstone. Scotland were also awarded an additional UEFA Cup place as the association was top of the UEFA Fair Play ranking. Kilmarnock earned this place as winners of the Scottish Fair Play ranking.

Scottish First Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Hibernian 36 28 5 3 84 33 +51 89 Promoted to 1999–2000 Scottish Premier League
2 Falkirk 36 20 6 10 60 38 +22 66
3 Ayr United 36 19 5 12 66 42 +24 62
4 Airdrieonians 36 18 5 13 42 43 −1 59
5 St Mirren 36 14 10 12 42 43 −1 52
6 Morton 36 14 7 15 45 41 +4 49
7 Clydebank 36 11 13 12 36 38 −2 46
8 Raith Rovers 36 8 11 17 37 57 −20 35
9 Hamilton Academical 36 6 10 20 30 62 −32 28 Relegated to Second Division 1999-2000
10 Stranraer 36 5 2 29 29 74 −45 17
Source: "1998-1999 First Division - SPFL Archive". SPFL. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

Scottish Second Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Livingston 36 22 11 3 64 35 +29 77 Promoted to First Division 1999–2000
2 Inverness CT 36 21 9 6 80 48 +32 72
3 Clyde 36 15 8 13 46 42 +4 53
4 Queen of the South 36 13 9 14 50 45 +5 48
5 Alloa Athletic 36 13 7 16 65 56 +9 46
6 Stirling Albion 36 12 8 16 50 63 −13 44
7 Arbroath 36 12 8 16 37 52 −15 44
8 Partick Thistle 36 12 7 17 36 45 −9 43
9 East Fife 36 12 6 18 42 64 −22 42 Relegated to Third Division 1999–2000
10 Forfar Athletic 36 8 7 21 48 68 −20 31
Source: "1998-1999 Second Division - SPFL Archive". SPFL. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

Scottish Third Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Ross County 36 24 5 7 87 42 +45 77 Promoted to Second Division 1999–00
2 Stenhousemuir 36 19 7 10 62 42 +20 64
3 Brechin City 36 17 7 12 47 44 +3 58
4 Dumbarton 36 16 9 11 53 40 +13 57
5 Berwick Rangers 36 12 14 10 53 49 +4 50
6 Queen's Park 36 11 11 14 41 46 −5 44
7 Albion Rovers 36 12 8 16 43 63 −20 44
8 East Stirlingshire 36 9 13 14 50 48 +2 40
9 Cowdenbeath 36 9 6 21 35 65 −30 33
10 Montrose 36 8 6 22 42 74 −32 30
Source: "1998-1999 Third Division - SPFL Archive". SPFL. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

Other honours

Cup honours

The Scottish League Cup (CIS Insurance Cup) began in August and ended in November. Eventual winners Rangers defeated Alloa Athletic, Ayr United and Airdrieonians en route to the final which was held at Celtic Park. Rangers defeated SPL side St Johnstone 2–1 to give Dick Advocaat his first trophy as Rangers manager.

The (Tennents) Scottish Cup began in January and ended in May. Eventual winners Rangers defeated Stenhousemuir, Hamilton Academical, Falkirk and St Johnstone en route the final. At the new Hampden Park, Rangers met Old Firm rivals Celtic. A Rod Wallace goal clinched a domestic treble for Rangers in Dick Advocaat's first season as manager.

Competition Winner Score Runner-up
Scottish Cup 1998–99 Rangers 1–0 Celtic
League Cup 1998–99 Rangers 2–1 St Johnstone
Youth Cup Celtic 4–0 Dundee
Junior Cup Kilwinning Rangers 1–0 Kelty Hearts
Challenge Cup No competition

Individual honours

SPFA awards

Award Winner Club
Players' Player of the YearSweden Henrik LarssonCeltic
Young Player of the YearScotland Barry FergusonRangers

SFWA awards

Award Winner Club
Footballer of the YearSweden Henrik LarssonCeltic
Young Player of the YearScotland Barry FergusonRangers
Manager of the YearNetherlands Dick AdvocaatRangers

Scottish clubs in Europe

Club Competition(s) Final round Coef.
Celtic UEFA Champions League
UEFA Cup		 Second qualifying round
Second round		 7.50
Heart of Midlothian UEFA Cup Winners' Cup First round 3.00
Rangers UEFA Cup Third round 10.50
Kilmarnock UEFA Cup Second qualifying round 1.50

Average coefficient – 5.625

Scotland national team

Date Venue Opponents Score[3] Competition Scotland scorer(s)
5 September Zalgirio Stadionas, Vilnius (A) Lithuania Lithuania 0–0 ECQG9
10 October Tyencastle Park, Edinburgh (A) Estonia Estonia 3–2 ECQG9 Billy Dodds (2), Sergei Hohlov-Simson (o.g.)
14 October Pittodrie, Aberdeen (H) Faroe Islands Faroe Islands 2–1 ECQG9 Billy Dodds, Craig Burley
31 March Celtic Park, Glasgow (H) Czech Republic Czech Republic 1–2 ECQG9 Eoin Jess
28 April Weserstadion, Bremen (A) Germany Germany 1–0 Friendly Don Hutchison
5 June Svangaskarð, Toftir (A) Faroe Islands Faroe Islands 1–1 ECQG9 Allan Johnston
9 June Sparta Stadion, Prague (A) Czech Republic Czech Republic 2–3 ECQG9 Paul Ritchie, Allan Johnston

Key:

  • (A) = Away match
  • (H) = Home match
  • WCQG6 = World Cup Qualifying – Group 6

Notable events

  • The Scottish Premier League was formed as a breakaway league from the Scottish Premier Division, in a similar fashion to how the leading Football League clubs in England broke away to form the FA Premier League in 1992.
  • Rangers won the Scottish domestic treble in their first season under the management of Dick Advocaat.
  • Following the resignation of manager Wim Jansen, Celtic appointed 62-year-old former Aston Villa and Czechoslovakia manager Jozef Venglos as his successor. However, the appointment was not a success as Celtic finished the season without a major trophy and Venglos departed to be succeeded by the new management team of director of football Kenny Dalglish and head coach John Barnes.
  • Paul Sturrock departed St Johnstone at the start of the season to take over at Dundee United.
  • New St Johnstone manager Sandy Clark guided St Johnstone to the club's best ever finish of third in the SPL, earning UEFA Cup qualification for only the second time. The Saints also reached the final of the League Cup and the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.
  • Four years after leaving Broomfield Park and ground-sharing with Clyde at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld, Airdrieonians returned to their hometown to the new 10,000-seat Excelsior Stadium.
  • Hibernian returned to the top flight at the first time of asking as Division One champions.
  • 28-year-old Rangers defender Alan McLaren, who was capped 24 times for Scotland between 1992 and 1995, retired at the end of the season after two years out of action due to injury.
  • Rod Wallace, who was part of the Leeds United team that won the English league title in 1992, joined Rangers at the start of the season and added the Scottish title and both domestic cups to his list of honours.
  • After 11 years in England with Manchester United, veteran striker Brian McClair rejoined his old club Motherwell but played just 11 games for them before moving back south of the border in December to become assistant manager to former Manchester United coach Brian Kidd at Blackburn Rovers. Ironically, McClair was initially reported to be leaving Scotland for the Manchester United assistant manager's job left vacant by Kidd's move to Blackburn.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "1998/99 - the Scottish Football League". Archived from the original on 9 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "Rangers make history out of chaos". BBC Sport. 3 May 1999. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
  3. ↑ Scotland's score is shown first.
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