The 1996–97 season was the 100th season of competitive football in Scotland. This season saw a playoff system introduced between the second bottom club in the Premier Division and the second-top club in Division One.
Scottish Premier Division
Champions: Rangers Relegated: Raith Rovers
Premier Division/Division One playoff Hibernian 1–0 Airdrieonians Airdrieonians 2–4 Hibernian (Hibernian win 5–2 on aggregate)
Scottish League Division One
Promoted: St. Johnstone Relegated: Clydebank, East Fife
Scottish League Division Two
Promoted: Ayr United, Hamilton Academical Relegated: Dumbarton, Berwick Rangers
Scottish League Division Three
Promoted: Inverness CT, Forfar Athletic
Other honours
Cup honours
CompetitionWinnerScoreRunner-upReportScottish Cup 1996–97Kilmarnock1 – 0FalkirkWikipedia articleLeague Cup 1996–97Rangers4 – 3Heart of MidlothianWikipedia articleChallenge Cup 1996–97Stranraer1 – 0St JohnstoneWikipedia articleYouth CupCeltic3 – 2RangersJunior CupPollok3 – 1Tayport
Individual honours
SPFA awards AwardWinnerClubPlayers' Player of the Year Paolo di Canio CelticYoung Player of the Year Robbie Winters Dundee United
SFWA awards AwardWinnerClub Footballer of the Year Brian Laudrup Rangers Young Player of the Year Alex Burke Kilmarnock Manager of the Year Walter Smith Rangers
Scottish clubs in Europe
ClubCompetition(s)Final roundCoef.RangersUEFA Champions LeagueGroup stage5.00Heart of MidlothianUEFA Cup Winners' CupQualifying round1.00AberdeenUEFA Europa LeagueSecond round5.00CelticUEFA Europa LeagueFirst round1.50
Average coefficient – 3.125
Scotland national team
DateVenueOpponentsCompetitionScotland scorer(s)31 August 1996Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna (A) Austria0–0WCQG45 October 1996Daugava Stadium, Riga (A) Latvia2–0WCQG4John Collins, Darren Jackson10 November 1996Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (H) Sweden1–0WCQG4John McGinlay11 February 1997Stade Louis II, Monaco (A) Estonia0–0WCQG429 March 1997Rugby Park, Kilmarnock (H) Estonia2–0WCQG4Tom Boyd, own goal2 April 1997Celtic Park, Glasgow (H) Austria2–0WCQG4Kevin Gallacher (2)30 April 1997Ullevi, Gothenburg (A) Sweden1–2WCQG4Kevin Gallacher27 May 1997Rugby Park, Kilmarnock (H) Wales0–1Friendly1 June 1997Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali (A) Malta3–2FriendlyDarren Jackson (2), Christian Dailly8 June 1997Dinamo Stadium, Minsk (A) Belarus1–0WCQG4Gary McAllister (pen.)
Key: (H) = Home match (A) = Away match WCQG4 = World Cup qualifying – Group 4
Notable events Rangers matched Celtic's record of nine successive top division titles. Tommy Burns was sacked as Celtic manager after the end of the season, having won just one trophy in his three years in charge. Mark Hateley briefly returned to Rangers after a year in England to provide cover in attack during the title run-in, before moving back to England as player-manager of Hull City. Kilmarnock won the Scottish Cup to end their 32-year wait for a major trophy. Veteran goalkeeper Jim Leighton transferred from Hibernian to Aberdeen at the end of the season. Former Scotland striker Mo Johnston moved to America at the start of the season to play for Kansas City Wizards in the American Major League. Trevor Steven, the former England winger, retired from playing at the end of the season after winning seven league titles with Rangers since first joining them in 1989. St Johnstone returned to the Premier Division by winning the Division One title by a 20-point margin. Brian Laudrup was voted SFWA Footballer of the Year. Paolo di Canio was voted SPFA Players' Player of the Year after scoring 15 league goals for Celtic after joining them from AC Milan in his native Italy, but during the close season left them to join Sheffield Wednesday for £4.7million.
Notes and references