The 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers were the defending champions and they retained the championship with three games to spare by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter Road on 25 April. The competition began on 15 August 2009 and ended on 9 May 2010.
Clubs Promotion and relegation from 2008–09 Promoted from First Division to Premier League St Johnstone
Relegated from Premier League to First Division Inverness Caledonian Thistle
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 Hamilton Academical Heart of Midlothian New Douglas Park Tynecastle Park Capacity: 5,510 Capacity: 17,420 Hibernian Kilmarnock Easter Road Rugby Park Capacity: 16,531 Capacity: 17,889 Motherwell Rangers St Johnstone St Mirren Fir Park Ibrox Stadium McDiarmid Park St Mirren Park Capacity: 13,677 Capacity: 50,817 Capacity: 10,696 Capacity: 8,023
Personnel and kits Team Manager Kit manufacturer Kit sponsor Aberdeen Mark McGhee Nike Team Recruitment Celtic Neil Lennon Nike Carling Dundee United Peter Houston Nike Carbrini Falkirk Steven Pressley Puma Central Demolition Hamilton Academical Billy Reid Nike Reid Furniture Heart of Midlothian Jim Jefferies Umbro Ukio Bankas Hibernian John Hughes Le Coq Sportif McEwan Fraser Kilmarnock Jimmy Calderwood 1869 Smallworld Motherwell Craig Brown Canterbury of New Zealand JAXX Rangers Walter Smith Umbro Carling St Johnstone Derek McInnes Surridge Taylor Wimpey 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 Aberdeen Jimmy Calderwood 24 May 2009 ResignedPre-season Mark McGhee12 June 2009 Celtic Gordon Strachan 25 May 2009 Resigned Tony Mowbray16 June 2009 Hibernian Mixu Paatelainen29 May 2009Resigned John Hughes8 June 2009 Falkirk John Hughes8 June 2009Joined Hibernian Eddie May23 June 2009 Motherwell Mark McGhee12 June 2009Joined Aberdeen Jim Gannon27 June 2009 Dundee United Craig Levein23 December 2009Joined Scotland4th Peter Houston23 December 2009 (interim)25 May 2010 (permanent) Motherwell Jim Gannon28 December 2009Sacked6th Craig Brown29 December 2009(interim)27 January 2010 (permanent) Kilmarnock Jim Jefferies11 January 2010Mutual consent11th Jimmy Calderwood14 January 2010 Heart of Midlothian Csaba László29 January 2010Sacked5th Jim Jefferies29 January 2010 Falkirk Eddie May11 February 2010Sacked12th Steven Pressley11 February 2010 Celtic Tony Mowbray25 March 2010Sacked2nd Neil Lennon25 March 2010 (interim)9 June 2010 (permanent)
Events
21 April – Inverness Caledonian Thistle won promotion to the Scottish Premier League as First Division champions following a 1–0 defeat for their nearest challengers Dundee against Raith Rovers. 25 April – Rangers clinch the championship by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter Road. 5 May – The 6–6 draw between Motherwell and Hibernian at Fir Park breaks the SPL record for the most goals scored in a single SPL match. 8 May – Falkirk were relegated after goalless draw against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
League table
Results
Matches 1–22 During their first 22 matches, each team played every other team 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 After 33 matches, the table splits into two groups of six. Each team plays every team in their own half once (either at home or away)
Top six
Bottom six
Attendances Source: SPL Team Stadium Capacity Highest Lowest AverageAberdeenPittodrie Stadium 22,199 16,803 6,097 10,461CelticCeltic Park 60,355 58,500 24,000 45,582Dundee UnitedTannadice Park 14,209 11,100 5,598 7,821FalkirkFalkirk Stadium 9,706A new stand was opened at the Falkirk Stadium during the summer of 2009 that increased capacity. 7,049 4,321 5,635Hamilton AcademicalNew Douglas Park 6,096 5,343 2,003 3,005Heart of MidlothianTynecastle Stadium 17,420 17,126 12,325 14,484HibernianEaster Road 17,500The capacity of Easter Road was reduced to 14,326 in March 2010, as Hibernian chose to demolish the old East Stand and replace it with a new facility to be opened during the 2010–11 season. 16,949 9,185 12,164KilmarnockRugby Park 18,128 10,662 4,068 5,919MotherwellFir Park 13,742 9,355 3,544 5,307RangersIbrox Stadium 51,082 50,321 44,291 47,564St JohnstoneMcDiarmid Park 10,673 7,807 2,993 4,717St MirrenSt Mirren Park 8,016 6,164 3,009 4,414
Goals
Top scorers Sources: SPL BBC RankScorerTeamGoals1 Kris BoydRangers23 2 Anthony StokesHibernian213 Kenny MillerRangers184 Jon DalyDundee United13 Derek RiordanHibernian6 Lukas JutkiewiczMotherwell12 Robbie KeaneCeltic8 John SuttonMotherwell119 Marc-Antoine FortunéCeltic10 Scott McDonaldCelticScott McDonald transferred to Football League Championship club Middlesbrough in January 2010. Georgios SamarasCeltic
Hat-tricks
ScorerForAgainstDate Peter MacDonaldSt JohnstoneMotherwell26 December 2009 Kris Boyd 5RangersDundee United30 December 2009 Jon DalyDundee UnitedFalkirk23 January 2010 Colin NishHibernianMotherwell5 May 2010
5 player scored 5 goals
Awards
Monthly awards
MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthYoung Player of the MonthManagerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubAugust Tony MowbrayCeltic Danny CadamarteriDundee United Ross ForbesMotherwellSeptember John HughesHibernian Derek RiordanHibernian Craig ThomsonHeart of MidlothianOctober Jim GannonMotherwell Liam MillerHibernian Lukas JutkiewiczMotherwellNovember Craig LeveinDundee United Andy WebsterDundee United Peter PawlettAberdeenDecember Walter SmithRangers Kris BoydRangers Anthony StokesHibernianJanuary Craig BrownMotherwell Steven DavisRangers Fraser FyvieAberdeenFebruary Craig BrownMotherwell David WeirRangers Chris MaguireKilmarnockMarch Peter HoustonDundee United Robbie KeaneCeltic Ryan FlynnFalkirkApril Billy ReidHamilton Academical Kenny MillerRangers Graham CareySt Mirren
Clydesdale Bank Premier League Awards
AwardRecipientPlayer of the Season David WeirManager of the Season Walter SmithYoung Player of the Season David GoodwillieGoal of the Season Anthony StokesSave of the Season Artur BorucUnder-19 League Player of the Season Dale HilsonBest Club Media RelationsMotherwellSPL Family ChampionsSt MirrenBest Community InitiativeHibernian PFA Scotland Team of the Year Goalkeeper Allan McGregor(Rangers) Defenders Steven Whittaker(Rangers) David Weir(Rangers) Andy Webster(Dundee United) Saša Papac(Rangers) Midfielders Jim O'Brien(Motherwell) Steven Davis(Rangers) Liam Miller(Hibernian) Lee McCulloch(Rangers) Forwards Kenny Miller(Rangers) Kris Boyd(Rangers)
References
External links 2009–10 Scottish Premier League Season at ESPN