The 1997–98 season was the 101st season of competitive football in Scotland. Celtic won the Premier Division championship, preventing rivals Rangers from winning a record 10th successive championship.[1]
| 1997–98 in Scottish football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Premier League champions | |
| Celtic | |
| Division One champions | |
| Dundee | |
| Division Two champions | |
| Stranraer | |
| Division Three champions | |
| Alloa Athletic | |
| Scottish Cup winners | |
| Heart of Midlothian | |
| League Cup winners | |
| Celtic | |
| Challenge Cup winners | |
| Falkirk | |
| Junior Cup winners | |
| Arthurlie | |
| Teams in Europe | |
| Celtic, Dundee United, Kilmarnock, Rangers | |
| Scotland national team | |
| 1998 World Cup qualification, 1998 World Cup | |
| ← 1996–97 1998–99 → |
Scottish Premier Division
| 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 |
Source: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Top scorers
| 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 |
 Jörg 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
Scottish League Division One
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dundee (C, P) | 36 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 52 | 24 | +28 | 70 | Promotion to the Premier League |
| 2 | Falkirk | 36 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 56 | 41 | +15 | 65 | |
| 3 | Raith Rovers | 36 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 51 | 33 | +18 | 60 | |
| 4 | Airdrieonians | 36 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 42 | 35 | +7 | 60 | |
| 5 | Greenock Morton | 36 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 40 | 47 | −7 | 46 | |
| 6 | St Mirren | 36 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 41 | 53 | −12 | 41 | |
| 7 | Ayr United | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 40 | 56 | −16 | 40 | |
| 8 | Hamilton Academical | 36 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 43 | 56 | −13 | 38 | |
| 9 | Partick Thistle (R) | 36 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 45 | 55 | −10 | 36 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 10 | Stirling Albion (R) | 36 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 40 | 56 | −16 | 34 |
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Top scorers
| P | Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Grady (Dundee) | 15 |
| 2 | Alex Bone (Stirling Albion) | 13 |
| 3 | Eddie Annand (Dundee) | 12 |
| = | Brian McPhee (Airdrieonians) | 12 |
| = |  David Moss (Falkirk) | 12 |
| 6 | Stephen Cooper (Airdrieonians) | 11 |
| 7 |  Laurent D'Jaffo (Ayr United) | 10 |
| = | Paul Hartley (Raith Rovers) | 10 |
| = | Warren Hawke (Morton) | 10 |
| = | Marino Keith (Falkirk) | 10 |
Scottish League Division Two
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stranraer (C, P) | 36 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 62 | 44 | +18 | 61 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Clydebank (P) | 36 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 48 | 31 | +17 | 60 | |
| 3 | Livingston | 36 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 56 | 40 | +16 | 59 | |
| 4 | Queen of the South | 36 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 57 | 51 | +6 | 54 | |
| 5 | Inverness CT | 36 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 65 | 51 | +14 | 49 | |
| 6 | East Fife | 36 | 14 | 6 | 16 | 51 | 59 | −8 | 48 | |
| 7 | Forfar Athletic | 36 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 51 | 61 | −10 | 46 | |
| 8 | Clyde | 36 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 40 | 53 | −13 | 42 | |
| 9 | Stenhousemuir (R) | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 44 | 53 | −9 | 40 | Relegation to the Third Division |
| 10 | Brechin City (R) | 36 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 42 | 73 | −31 | 32 |
Source: "1997-1998 Second Division - SPFL Archive". SPFL (in Malay). Retrieved 29 April 2021.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Top scorers
| P | Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iain Stewart (Inverness CT) | 16 |
| 2 | Graham Harvey (Livingston) | 15 |
| = | Ian Little (Stenhousemuir) | 15 |
| 4 | Martin McLauchan (Forfar Athletic) | 14 |
| 5 | Colin McDonald (Clydebank) | 13 |
| = | B Thomson (Inverness CT) | 13 |
| 7 |  Ben Honeyman (Forfar Athletic) | 12 |
| 8 | Tommy Bryce (Queen of the South) | 11 |
| = | Matthew Dyer (East Fife) | 11 |
| = | Gordon Young (Stranraer) | 11 |
Scottish League Division Three
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alloa Athletic (C, P) | 36 | 24 | 4 | 8 | 78 | 39 | +39 | 76 | Promotion to the Second Division |
| 2 | Arbroath (P) | 36 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 67 | 39 | +28 | 68 | |
| 3 | Ross County | 36 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 71 | 36 | +35 | 67 | |
| 4 | East Stirlingshire | 36 | 17 | 6 | 13 | 50 | 48 | +2 | 57 | |
| 5 | Albion Rovers | 36 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 60 | 73 | −13 | 44 | |
| 6 | Berwick Rangers | 36 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 47 | 55 | −8 | 42 | |
| 7 | Queen's Park | 36 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 42 | 55 | −13 | 41 | |
| 8 | Cowdenbeath | 36 | 12 | 2 | 22 | 33 | 57 | −24 | 38 | |
| 9 | Montrose | 36 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 53 | 80 | −27 | 38 | |
| 10 | Dumbarton | 36 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 42 | 61 | −19 | 31 |
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Top scorers
| Pos | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colin McGlashan | Montrose | 20 |
| 2 | Willie Irvine | Alloa Athletic | 18 |
| 3 | Billy Spence | Arbroath | 16 |
| 4 | Derek Adams | Ross County | 15 |
| 5 | Willie Watters | Albion Rovers | 13 |
| Davie Watt | East Stirlingshire | ||
| 7 | Paul Forrester | Berwick Rangers | 10 |
| Lee Gardner | Albion Rovers | ||
| Brian Grant | Arbroath | ||
| Colin McKinnon | Dumbarton |
Other honours
Cup honours
| Competition | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Cup 1997–98 | Heart of Midlothian | 2 – 1 | Rangers | Wikipedia article |
| League Cup 1997–98 | Celtic | 3 – 0 | Dundee United | Wikipedia article |
| Challenge Cup 1997–98 | Falkirk | 1 – 0 | Queen of the South | Wikipedia article |
| Youth Cup | Heart of Midlothian | 2 – 0 | Dundee United | |
| Junior Cup | Arthurlie | 4 – 0 | Pollok |
Individual honours
SPFA awards
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Players' Player of the Year | Jackie McNamara | Celtic |
| Young Player of the Year | Gary Naysmith | Heart of Midlothian |
SFWA awards
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Footballer of the Year | Craig Burley | Celtic |
| Young Player of the Year | Henrik Larsson | Celtic |
| Manager of the Year |  Wim Jansen | Celtic |
Scottish clubs in Europe
Average coefficient – 3.125
Scotland national team
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score[2] | Competition | Scotland scorer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September | Pittodrie, Aberdeen (H) |  Belarus | 4–1 | WCQG4 | Kevin Gallacher (2), David Hopkin (2) |
| 11 October | Celtic Park, Glasgow (H) |  Latvia | 2–0 | WCQG4 | Kevin Gallacher, Gordon Durie |
| 12 November | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, St Etienne (A) |  France | 1–2 | Friendly | Gordon Durie |
| 25 March | Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (H) |  Denmark | 0–1 | Friendly | |
| 22 April | Easter Road, Edinburgh (H) |  Finland | 1–1 | Friendly | Darren Jackson |
| 23 May | Giants Stadium, East Rutherford NJ (A) |  Colombia | 2–2 | Friendly | John Collins, Craig Burley |
| 30 May | RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington DC (A) |  USA | 0–0 | Friendly | |
| 10 June | Stade de France, Saint-Denis (N) |  Brazil | 1–2 | WCGA | John Collins (pen.) |
| 16 June | Stade Lescure, Bordeaux (N) |  Norway | 1–1 | WCGA | Craig Burley |
| 23 June | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, St Etienne (N) |  Morocco | 0–3 | WCGA |
Key:
- (H) = Home match
- (A) = Away match
- WCQG4 = World Cup qualifying – Group 4
- WCGA = World Cup – Group A
Notable events
- After the end of the season, the 10 Premier Division clubs formed a breakaway Scottish Premier League similar to the one formed in England six years earlier.
- Celtic won the Premier Division title after nine successive title wins by Rangers.
- Walter Smith resigned as manager of Rangers after seven years to be succeeded by Dutchman Dick Advocaat.
- Rangers lost the Scottish Cup final 2–1 to Hearts, leaving them without a major trophy for the first time since 1986.
- Paul Gascoigne left Rangers in March to return to England in a £3.4million move to Middlesbrough.
- Ally McCoist left Rangers after 15 years and more than 300 goals to sign for Kilmarnock on a free transfer.
- Goalkeeper Andy Goram left Rangers after seven years, having just walked out of the Scotland squad for the World Cup in France.
- Also leaving Rangers after seven years was Stuart McCall, who moved to England and signed for Bradford City.
- After signing from Perugia in a £3.5million deal at the start of the season, Italian striker Marco Negri had a dream start to his career at Rangers – scoring 23 goals in his first 10 league games. However, after playing 27 league games and scoring 32 goals, his season was ended by a serious eye injury off the field in March.
- Brian Laudrup ended his four-year spell with Rangers and signed for Chelsea at the end of the season.
Notes and references
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