Football

History of the Scottish Premier League

The Scottish Premier League, which is followed by millions of Scots worldwide, had its first season in 1998. Formerly, the Scottish Football League (SFL) had two divisions. In 1995, the SFL was restructured to include a third division. The former First Division was called the Premier Division, the Second Division became the First Division and a new Second Division was set up. This structure was introduced during the 1975-76 football season and was remodeled during the 1995-96 season to accommodate a third division. Based on a revenue sharing decision, the Premier Division split from the SFL and formed the Scottish Premier League. The Scottish Premier League now has 12 member teams.

A typical season of the Premier League begins in August and lasts through May. During this time, the teams face each other at least three times, with the total games played by each team amounting to 33 games. Teams get 3 points for a win and one if they draw and naturally the team with the most points is crowned the champion. In case of a tie, the goal difference determines the winner. The Scottish Premier League champions automatically qualify to the group stage in the UEFA Champions League. The Europa League also allows the third and fourth-placed teams to qualify for their event.

Previous Scottish Premier League season(s)

A total of 18 clubs have played in the SPL, but the Scottish soccer teams, Celtic and Rangers, have dominated the Premier League with the maximum number of wins since its inception. During 2004-05, Celtic upset Rangers against all odds to lift the runners up title. The 2008-2009 season winded up with Rangers walking off with the championship and Celtic holding on to the runners up title. Henrik Larsson, Kris Boyd, and John Hartson are some of the top goal scorers in the SPL. There have been constant demands to revamp the format, the latest being raised by Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies in 2008, but no feasible alternative option has some up so far.”