The 2007–08 Scottish Premier League season was the tenth season of the Scottish Premier League. It began on 4 August 2007 and was originally due to end on 18 May 2008. Due to the death of Phil O'Donnell and extremely poor weather causing the postponement of fixtures during the winter, as well as a backlog of Rangers fixtures and their progression to the UEFA Cup Final, the SPL decided to move the final round of fixtures back four days to 22 May 2008. It was the first season under the sponsorship of the Clydesdale Bank.
Gretna had been promoted from the First Division and played in the SPL for the first time, replacing Dunfermline Athletic. Gretna did not play at their home stadium Raydale Park as it did not meet the SPL stadia criteria of 6,000 and instead used Motherwell's Fir Park for all but one of their games; that match was at Livingston's Almondvale Stadium.
The championship was determined on the final day of the season with Celtic and Rangers even on 86 points. Celtic travelled to Tannadice to play Dundee United knowing that a win would likely secure the title due to their superior goal difference (+57 to +53). Meanwhile, Rangers needed to better Celtic's result in their match against Aberdeen at Pittodrie (or in the event of both winning, overhaul the goal difference). As it turned out, Celtic won 1–0 following Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's second-half header, while Aberdeen beat Rangers 2–0 thanks to goals from Lee Miller and Steve Lovell.
Celtic qualified directly for the Champions League, while second-placed Rangers qualified for the Second qualifying round. Third-placed Motherwell qualified for the UEFA Cup and Hibernian qualified for the Intertoto Cup. First Division side Queen of the South also qualified for the UEFA Cup after reaching the Scottish Cup Final, losing to Rangers. Gretna were relegated after just one season in the SPL and were replaced by First Division champions Hamilton Academical for the following season.
Clubs Promotion and Relegation from 2006–07 Promoted from First Division to Premier League Gretna
Relegated from Premier League to First Division Dunfermline Athletic
Stadia and locations Aberdeen Celtic Dundee United Falkirk Pittodrie Stadium Celtic Park Tannadice Park Falkirk Stadium Capacity: 20,866 Capacity: 60,411 Capacity: 14,223 Capacity: 7,937 Gretna Heart of Midlothian Fir Park, MotherwellGretna played their home matches at Motherwell's Fir Park as their home ground, Raydale Park, did not meet the league's minimum standards. They also played one match against Celtic at Livingston's Almondvale Stadium as the pitch at Fir Park was considered unplayable. Tynecastle Park Capacity: 13,677 Capacity: 17,420 Hibernian Inverness Caledonian Thistle Easter Road Caledonian Stadium Capacity: 17,500 Capacity: 7,500 Kilmarnock Motherwell Rangers St Mirren Rugby Park Fir Park Ibrox Stadium Love Street Capacity: 17,889 Capacity: 13,677 Capacity: 50,817 Capacity: 10,800
Personnel and kits Team Manager Kit manufacturer Kit sponsor Aberdeen Jimmy Calderwood Nike Apex Tubulars Celtic Gordon Strachan Nike Carling Dundee United Craig Levein hummel Anglian Windows Falkirk John Hughes Lotto Central Demolition Gretna Mick Wadsworth (caretaker) Crest Teamwear Subway Heart of Midlothian Stephen Frail (caretaker) Umbro Ukio Bankas Hibernian Mixu Paatelainen Le Coq Sportif Whyte and Mackay Inverness Caledonian Thistle Craig Brewster Erreà Flybe Kilmarnock Jim Jefferies Lotto www.smallworldmedia.com Motherwell Mark McGhee Bukta Anglian Home Improvements Rangers Walter Smith Umbro Carling St Mirren Gus MacPherson hummel Braehead Shopping Centre
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Date of vacancy Manner of departure Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment Motherwell Maurice Malpas1 June 2007SackedPre-season Mark McGhee18 June 2007Gretna Rowan Alexander14 June 2007 Davie Irons18 July 2007 Inverness Charlie Christie20 August 2007Resigned12th Craig Brewster27 August 2007 Hibernian John Collins20 December 20075th Mixu Paatelainen10 January 2008 Hearts Anatoliy Korobochka1 January 2008Sacked10th Stephen Frail (caretaker)1 January 2008Gretna Davie Irons19 February 2008Signed by Greenock Morton12th Mick Wadsworth (caretaker)19 February 2008
Notable events
29 December: Thirty-five-year-old Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell collapsed on the pitch at Fir Park during a match against Dundee United, and died later that evening.Motherwell captain O'Donnell dies BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 December 2007 29 March: Gretna were relegated after losing 2–0 to St Mirren at Love Street. 19 April: Hamilton Academical won promotion to the Scottish Premier League as First Division champions following a 2–0 over Clyde. 22 May: Celtic won their third successive SPL title after defeating Dundee United 1–0. 29 May: Gretna were demoted to the Third Division after administrator David Elliot could not guarantee the Football League that the club would fulfil its fixtures next season. 2 June: Gretna resigned from the Scottish Football League because the administrator concluded that the club could not continue to run as a business.
League table
Results
Matches 1–22 During matches 1–22 each team played every other team twice (home and away).
Matches 23–33 During matches 23–33 each team played every other team once (either at home or away).
Matches 34–38 During matches 34–38 each team played every other team in their half of the table once.
Top six
Bottom six
Goals
Top scorers
Player Goals Club 25 Celtic 15 Celtic 14 Rangers Motherwell 13 Hibernian Dundee United Dundee United/Celtic 12 Motherwell Rangers Aberdeen 11 Kilmarnock/Hibernian 10 Rangers Rangers 9 Inverness CT 8 Falkirk
Hat-tricks
ScorerForAgainstDate Scott McDonaldCelticDundee United29 September 2007 Clayton DonaldsonHibernianKilmarnock29 September 2007 Scott McDonaldCelticMotherwell27 October 2007 Aiden McGeadyCelticFalkirk11 December 2007 Barry RobsonDundee UnitedHeart of Midlothian2 January 2008 Steven FletcherHibernianGretna13 February 2008
Kits and shirt sponsors Team Kitmaker Shirt sponsor Notes Aberdeen Nike Apex Tubulars New home and third kits Celtic Nike Carling New home kit and new away kit to celebrate 40 years since being the first British team to win the European Cup. Dundee United hummel Anglian Windows New home and away kit Falkirk Lotto Central Demolition Lotto take over from previous manufacturer, TFG. Home kit is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club's Scottish Cup victory in 1957. Gretna Crest Teamwear Subway Subway take over as new sponsor Heart of Midlothian Umbro Ukio Bankas Umbro take over from previous manufacturer, Hummel Hibernian Le Coq Sportif Whyte and Mackay New away kit and new home kit Inverness CT Erreà Flybe Flybe take over as new sponsor Kilmarnock Lotto www.smallworldmedia.com Lotto take over from previous manufacturer, TFG. Motherwell Bukta Anglian Home Improvements Bukta take over from previous manufacturer, Xara Rangers Umbro Carling New home, away and third kits St Mirren hummel Braehead Shopping Centre Hummel take over from previous manufacturer, Xara
For the first time in the SPL, certain teams also carried secondary sponsors on the back of their jerseys, above the players' names.
Attendances TeamStadium Capacity Lowest Highest AverageCeltic Celtic Park 60,832 45,000 60,000 56,676Rangers Ibrox Stadium 51,082 47,419 50,440 48,090Heart of Midlothian Tynecastle Stadium 17,420 10,512 17,131 15,930Hibernian Easter Road 17,500 7,650 17,015 13,840Aberdeen Pittodrie 22,199 8,240 17,798 11,993Dundee United Tannadice Park 14,209 5,845 13,613 8,530Kilmarnock Rugby Park 18,128 4,456 11,544 6,181Motherwell1 Fir Park 13,742 4,086 10,445 6,598Falkirk Falkirk Stadium 6,935 4,490 6,803 5,657Inverness CT Caledonian Stadium 7,500 3,420 7,753 4,752St Mirren Love Street 10,800 3,163 7,840 4,547Gretna1 Fir Park 13,742 431 6,137 2,283 As of 22 May 2008
1 Gretna were sharing Motherwell's stadium whilst Raydale Park was being upgraded. However, in March the Fir Park pitch was considered unplayable so the game between Gretna and Celtic was played instead at Almondvale, the home of First Division club Livingston.
Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Motherwell Maurice Malpas Sacked 18 June 2007 Mark McGhee 1 June 2007 Gretna Andy Smith Health 4 August 2007 Davie Irons 18 July 2007 Heart of Midlothian Valdas Ivanauskas Mutual consent Stephen Frail & Anatoly Korobochka 30 July 2007 Inverness CT Charlie Christie Resigned August 2007 Craig Brewster 27 August 2007 Hibernian John Collins Resigned 20 December 2007 Mixu Paatelainen 10 January 2008 Gretna Davie Irons Resigned 19 February 2008 Mick Wadsworth 19 February Heart of Midlothian Stephen Frail Mutual Consent 27 May 2008 Csaba László 11 July
Awards
Clydesdale Bank Premier League Monthly awards
MonthManagerPlayerYoung playerRising starAugust Walter Smith (Rangers) Carlos Cuéllar (Rangers) Steven Fletcher (Hibernian) Mark Staunton (Falkirk)September John Collins (Hibernian) Scott McDonald (Celtic) Andrew Driver (Heart of Midlothian) Scott Anson (Kilmarnock)October Craig Levein (Dundee United) Lee Wilkie (Dundee United) Ross McCormack (Motherwell) Jack Wilson (Hibernian)November Mark McGhee (Motherwell) Aiden McGeady (Celtic) Ross McCormack (Motherwell) Liam Cusack (Gretna)December Craig Brewster (Inverness CT) Marius Niculae (Inverness CT) Scott Arfield (Falkirk)—January Walter Smith (Rangers) Barry Robson (Dundee United) Danny Grainger (Dundee United) —February Mixu Paatelainen (Hibernian) Aiden McGeady (Celtic) Steven Fletcher (Hibernian) Ryan Strachan (Aberdeen)March Walter Smith (Rangers) Darren Barr (Falkirk) Garry Kenneth (Dundee United) Ryan Crighton (St Mirren)April Gordon Strachan (Celtic) Barry Robson (Celtic) Gary Glen (Heart of Midlothian) —
Clydesdale Bank Premier League Awards AwardRecipientPlayer of the Season Carlos Cuéllar (Rangers)Manager of the Season Walter Smith (Rangers)Young Player of the Season Aiden McGeady (Celtic)Goal of the Season Willo Flood (Dundee United v St Mirren)Under-19 League Player of the Season Scott Anson (Kilmarnock)Best Club Media RelationsKilmarnockBest Fan InitiativeHeart of MidlothianBest Matchday Hospitality PackageRangersBest Community InitiativeFalkirkBest Away GroundTynecastle (Heart of Midlothian)
PFA Scotland Team of the Year Goalkeeper Artur Boruc(Celtic) Defenders Steven Whittaker(Rangers) Carlos Cuéllar(Rangers) Gary Caldwell(Celtic) Saša Papac(Rangers) Midfielders Barry Ferguson(Rangers) Barry Robson(Dundee United/Celtic) Aiden McGeady(Celtic) Shunsuke Nakamura(Celtic) Forwards Scott McDonald(Celtic) Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink(Celtic)
Broadcasting rights Setanta Sports provided domestic TV live coverage and highlights as in previous seasons, with STV and BBC Scotland also broadcasting free-to-air highlights. BBC Radio Scotland continued to provide domestic radio coverage, with many games also available internationally, and all domestically, through their website. The BBC held rights to show highlights online and do so through the BBC Sport website. Internationally, the Premier League's overseas television broadcasting partner was TWI, with coverage of the SPL available in over 100 territories worldwide.Overseas Broadcasting | Scottish Premier League | Broadcasting | Overseas
Transfer deals
External links Scottish Premier League 2007–08 on BBC Sport: News - Recent results - Upcoming fixtures - Live Scores - Current standings Official Premier League site Scottish Premier League Kits
References