The 2011–12 Scottish Premier League was the fourteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football, since its inception in 1998. The season started on 23 July 2011 and ended on 13 May 2012.
A total of twelve teams contested the league: eleven sides that competed in the 2010–11 SPL and one club promoted from the First Division. The new entry was First Division champions Dunfermline Athletic, who replaced relegated Hamilton Academical.
Since Scotland climbed from sixteenth to fifteenth place in the UEFA association coefficient rankings at the end of the 2010–11 season, the league re-gained an additional third qualifying round berth for the UEFA Champions League. However, it lost that berth again the following season. Despite finishing in the second qualifying position for the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League, the eventual liquidation of the company which owned Rangers allowed Motherwell to take their place in the competition for the first time in the club's history.
On 7 April, Celtic won the title after a 6–0 away win against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. It was their first title in four years.
Teams
The team ending the 2010–11 season at the bottom of the table, Hamilton Academical, were relegated to the 2011–12 Scottish First Division. Hamilton were replaced by Dunfermline Athletic, champions of the First Division.
Stadia and locations Team Stadium CapacityAberdeenPittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen 22,199CelticCeltic Park, Glasgow 60,355Dundee UnitedTannadice Park, Dundee 14,209Dunfermline AthleticEast End Park, Dunfermline 12,509Heart of MidlothianTynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh 17,420HibernianEaster Road, Edinburgh 20,421Inverness Caledonian ThistleCaledonian Stadium, Inverness 7,918KilmarnockRugby Park, Kilmarnock 18,128MotherwellFir Park, Motherwell 13,742RangersIbrox Stadium, Glasgow 51,082St JohnstoneMcDiarmid Park, Perth 10,673St MirrenSt Mirren Park, Paisley 8,016
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorAberdeenadidasTeam RecruitmentCelticNikeTennentsDundee UnitedNikeCalorDunfermlinePumaThe Purvis GroupHeartsUmbroWonga.comHibernianPumaCrabbie'sInverness CTErreàOrion GroupKilmarnockKillie 1869verve.netMotherwellPumaCash ConvertersRangersUmbroTennentsSt JohnstoneJomaGS Brown ConstructionSt Mirrendiadoradiadora
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Rangers End of contract 15 May 2011 Pre-season 1 June 2011 Heart of Midlothian Contract terminated 2 August 2011 9th 3 August 2011 St Johnstone Signed by Bristol City 19 October 2011 4th 3 November 2011 Hibernian Contract terminated 6 November 2011 9th 25 November 2011 Dunfermline Contract terminated 16 March 2012 12th 20 March 2012
League table
Results Matches 1–22 Teams play each other twice, once at home, once away
Matches 23–33 Teams play every other team once (either at home or away)
Matches 34–38 After 33 matches, the league splits into two sections of six teams each, with teams playing every other team in their section once (either at home or away). The exact matches are determined upon the league table at the time of the split.
Top six
Bottom six
Season statistics Top scorers
RankScorerTeamGoals1 Gary HooperCeltic242 Jon DalyDundee United193 Michael HigdonMotherwell14 Nikica JelavićRangers14 Francisco SandazaSt Johnstone146 Steven ThompsonSt Mirren137 Garry O'ConnorHibernian12 Dean ShielsKilmarnock12 Rudolf SkácelHearts12 Anthony StokesCeltic12 Sone AlukoRangers12
Clean sheets
RankPlayerTeamClean sheets1 Fraser ForsterCeltic212 Allan McGregorRangers173 Darren RandolphMotherwell154 Dušan PernišDundee United13 Craig SamsonSt Mirren136 Peter EnckelmanSt Johnstone107 Cameron BellKilmarnock98 Marián KelloHearts89 Jason BrownAberdeen6 Ryan EssonInverness CT6
Awards
Monthly awards
Month Manager Player Young PlayerJuly/August Stuart McCall (Motherwell) Paul Gallacher (Dunfermline Athletic) Johnny Russell (Dundee United)September Ally McCoist (Rangers) Steven Davis (Rangers) James Forrest (Celtic)October Stuart McCall (Motherwell) Keith Lasley (Motherwell) Kenny McLeanhttp://www.cbfootball.co.uk/monthly.aspx?MonthID=10 , (St Mirren)November Neil Lennon (Celtic) Gary Hooper (Celtic) James Forrest (Celtic)December Neil Lennon (Celtic) Paul McGowan (St Mirren) Victor Wanyama (Celtic)January Craig Brown (Aberdeen) Scott Brown (Celtic) Henrik Ojamaa (Motherwell)February Neil Lennon (Celtic) Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic) Gary Mackay-Steven (Dundee United)March Peter Houston (Dundee United) Jon Daly (Dundee United) Gary Mackay-Steven (Dundee United)April Neil Lennon (Celtic) Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic) Shaun Hutchinson (Motherwell) Annual awards Award Winner Club Player of the Season Charlie Mulgrew Celtic Young Player of the Season James Forrest Celtic Manager of the Season Neil Lennon Celtic Goal of the Season James Dayton Kilmarnock Save of the Season Allan McGregor Rangers Under-19 League Player of the Season Paul George Celtic PFA Scotland Team of the Year Goalkeeper Darren Randolph (Motherwell) Defence Adam Matthews (Celtic) Gavin Gunning (Dundee United) Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic) Paul Dixon (Dundee United) Midfield James Forrest (Celtic) Steven Davis (Rangers) Gary Mackay-Steven (Dundee United) Forwards Johnny Russell (Dundee United) Jon Daly (Dundee United) Gary Hooper (Celtic)
Attendances Source:
# Football club Average attendance 1 Celtic 50,904 2 Rangers 46,362 3 Heart of Midlothian 13,381 4 Hibernian 9,909 5 Aberdeen 9,297 6 Dundee United 7,482 7 Motherwell 5,951 8 Kilmarnock 5,537 9 Dunfermline Athletic 4,799 10 St. Mirren 4,493 11 St. Johnstone 4,170 12 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4,023
See also 2011–12 in Scottish football Nine in a row
References
External links Official website