2004–05 Scottish Premier League
Season | 2004–05 |
---|---|
Dates | 6 August 2004 – 21 May 2005 |
Champions | Rangers 4th Premier League title 51st Scottish title |
Champions League | Rangers Celtic |
UEFA Cup | Hibernian Dundee United |
Intertoto Cup | None |
Matches played | 228 |
Goals scored | 595 (2.61 per match) |
Top goalscorer | John Hartson (25) |
Biggest home win | Celtic 6–0 Dunfermline (12 March) |
Biggest away win | Livingston 0–4 Celtic (13 April) |
← 2003–04 2005–06 → |
The 2004–05 Scottish Premier League was won by Rangers, who claimed the title on the final day of the season by a single point from Celtic, who had gone into the final fixtures leading and were still ahead in the closing minutes of their last game against Motherwell until they conceded two goals (both scored by striker Scott McDonald),[1] costing them the title with Rangers winning their match against Hibernian in Edinburgh.[2] The dramatic events became known in popular culture as 'Helicopter Sunday' due to the aircraft ceremonially delivering the championship trophy changing direction in mid-flight as the identity of its winners altered suddenly.[3]
As league champions, Rangers qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage, with runners-up Celtic also qualifying to the third qualifying round. Third-placed Hibernian qualified for the UEFA Cup, as did Dundee United, who took the Scottish Cup place despite losing the final to Celtic.
Dundee were relegated, and Scottish First Division winners Falkirk were promoted.
John Hartson was the top scorer with 25 goals for Celtic, whose manager Martin O'Neill stepped down at the end of the season after five years and a host of major trophies.
Teams
[edit]Promotion and relegation from 2003–04
[edit]Promoted from First Division to Premier League
Relegated from Premier League to First Division
Stadia and locations
[edit]Aberdeen | Celtic | Dundee | Dundee United |
---|---|---|---|
Pittodrie Stadium | Celtic Park | Dens Park | Tannadice Park |
Capacity: 20,866[4] | Capacity: 60,411[5] | Capacity: 11,506[6] | Capacity: 14,223[7] |
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Dunfermline Athletic |
|
Heart of Midlothian | |
East End Park | Tynecastle Park | ||
Capacity: 12,509[8] | Capacity: 17,420[9] | ||
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Hibernian | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | ||
Easter Road | Caledonian Stadium[10] | ||
Capacity: 16,531[11] | Capacity: 7,500[12] | ||
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Kilmarnock | Livingston | Motherwell | Rangers |
Rugby Park | Almondvale Stadium | Fir Park | Ibrox Stadium |
Capacity: 17,889[13] | Capacity: 10,016[14] | Capacity: 13,677[15] | Capacity: 50,817[16] |
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Personnel
[edit]Managerial changes
[edit]Team | Outgoing manager | Date of vacancy | Manner of departure | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aberdeen | ![]() |
24 May 2004 | Sacked | Pre-season | ![]() |
28 May 2004 |
Dunfermline Athletic | ![]() |
28 May 2004 | Signed by Aberdeen | ![]() |
17 June 2004 | |
Livingston | ![]() |
1 June 2004 | Contract Expired | ![]() |
4 June 2004 | |
Heart of Midlothian | ![]() |
29 October 2004 | Signed by Leicester City | 6th | ![]() |
3 November 2004 |
Inverness Caledonian Thistle | ![]() |
3 November 2004 | Signed by Heart of Midlothian | 9th | ![]() |
25 November 2004 |
Livingston | ![]() |
25 November 2004 | Sacked | 12th | ![]() |
30 November 2004 |
Dundee United | ![]() |
14 March 2005 | Sacked | 12th | ![]() |
14 March 2005 (interim) 14 May 2005 (permanent) |
Dunfermline Athletic | ![]() |
3 May 2005 | Sacked | 12th | ![]() |
3 May 2005 |
Heart of Midlothian | ![]() |
9 May 2005 | Sacked | 5th | ![]() ![]() |
11 May 2005 |
League table
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation[a] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rangers (C) | 38 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 78 | 22 | +56 | 93 | Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round |
2 | Celtic | 38 | 30 | 2 | 6 | 85 | 35 | +50 | 92 | Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round |
3 | Hibernian | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 64 | 57 | +7 | 61 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
4 | Aberdeen | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 44 | 39 | +5 | 61 | |
5 | Heart of Midlothian | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 43 | 41 | +2 | 50 | |
6 | Motherwell | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 46 | 49 | −3 | 48 | |
7 | Kilmarnock | 38 | 15 | 4 | 19 | 49 | 55 | −6 | 49 | |
8 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 41 | 47 | −6 | 44 | |
9 | Dundee United | 38 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 41 | 59 | −18 | 36 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup second qualifying round[b] |
10 | Livingston | 38 | 9 | 8 | 21 | 34 | 61 | −27 | 35 | |
11 | Dunfermline Athletic | 38 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 34 | 60 | −26 | 34 | |
12 | Dundee (R) | 38 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 37 | 71 | −34 | 33 | Relegation to the Scottish First Division |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ 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.
- ^ As Celtic, the 2004–05 Scottish Cup winners, qualified for the UEFA Champions League via their league position, the place in the UEFA Cup was passed onto Dundee United, the cup runners-up.
Results
[edit]Matches 1–22
[edit]During matches 1–22 each team played every other team twice (home and away).
Matches 23–33
[edit]During matches 23–33 each team played every other team once (either at home or away).
Matches 34–38
[edit]During matches 34–38 each team played every other team in their half of the table once.
Top scorers
[edit]Scorer | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|
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Celtic | 25 |
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Hibernian | 20 |
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Rangers | 19 |
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Rangers | 18 |
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Kilmarnock | 17 |
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Motherwell | 15 |
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Hibernian | 14 |
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Dundee | 12 |
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Celtic | 12 |
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Aberdeen | 12 |
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Celtic | 11 |
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Hearts | 11 |
Source: SPL official website
Attendances
[edit]The average attendances for SPL clubs during the 2004–05 season are shown below:
Team | Average |
---|---|
Celtic | 57,906 |
Rangers | 48,676 |
Aberdeen | 13,576 |
Hibernian | 12,541 |
Hearts | 12,219 |
Dundee United | 8,210 |
Motherwell | 6,960 |
Dundee | 6,879 |
Dunfermline Athletic | 6,192 |
Kilmarnock | 5,930 |
Livingston | 5,157 |
Inverness CT | 4,067 |
Source: SPL official website
Monthly awards
[edit]Month | Manager | Player | Young Player |
---|---|---|---|
August | ![]() |
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September | ![]() |
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October | ![]() |
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November | ![]() |
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December | ![]() |
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January | ![]() |
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February | ![]() |
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March | ![]() |
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April | ![]() |
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May | ![]() |
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References
[edit]- ^ Motherwell 2-1 Celtic, BBC Sport, 22 May 2005
- ^ Hibernian 0-1 Rangers, BBC Sport, 21 May 2005
- ^ Helicopter Sunday: Rangers' last-gasp triumph, 15 years on, BBC Sport, 21 May 2020
- ^ "Aberdeen Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Celtic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Dundee Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Dundee United Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Dunfermline Athletic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Heart of Midlothian Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Archived from the original on 2013-10-22. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ Inverness played their first eleven home fixtures at Pittodrie Stadium, while the Caledonian Stadium was expanded.
- ^ "Hibernian Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Kilmarnock Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Livingston Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Motherwell Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Rangers Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
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