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This is the 113th season of professional football in Scotland. Reigning champions are Rangers.
This map shows all football clubs in Scotland that drew over 1,000 per game last season (2008-09 domestic leagues). The map ends up including all clubs in the top two tiers, which are the Scottish Premier League (12 clubs); and the Scottish First Division (10 clubs), plus 2 clubs who were relegated…Clyde FC, who are now in the Scottish Second Division (which is the 3rd Level), and Livingston FC, who are now in the lowest rung on the pro ladder, the Scottish Third Division (the 4th Level). [Note: Airdrie United were also initially relegated to the 3rd Level, but were re-installed, because of the vacancy left by Livingston FC, who ended up being relegated two leagues down to the Scottish Third Division for financial reasons.]
Currently in the Scottish Premier League, after 8 matches, the Old Firm is where they usually are, in first and second place, with Rangers one point ahead of Celtic. There is talk again about Celtic and Rangers leaving the Scottish Premier League. In one scenario the two Old Firm clubs would be part of a proposed Atlantic League, featuring clubs from Holland, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden. {see this article, ‘Walter Smith stresses need for Old Firm to join European league’, by Ewan Murray, from 15th October, 2009 Guardian.co.uk}. The question is, would a move by Rangers and Celtic out of the Scottish Premier League be a “natural progression”, as Smith says in the article, or would it be a case of the big shots forsaking their roots, and leaving the Scottish game to wither?
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Rangers are in the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Group G, but do not look like a team capable of advancing. They just made a hash of their home match versus Unirea Urziceni, losing 4-1. Two own goals were part of three goals conceded in 15 minutes to the Romamian minnows {see this (ESPN Soccernet)}. Celtic are in the 2009-10 UEFA Europa League Group Stage, Group C. The club got off to a poor start in this competition, losing away to Hapoel Tel Aviv (of Israel) in September. Celtic will host Hamburg on Thursday, 22nd October.
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In the Scottish First Division, the northern-most club on this map is currently in first place…Ross County FC, who hail from the Scottish Highlands town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. [Note: there is one club in the Scottish Football League that is located futher north than Ross County, that is 4th Level club Elgin City FC, who are located about 15km. further north than Dingwall.]
Dingwall’s population is around 5,000 (2001 census). Ross County drew 2,164 per game last season to their ground, Victoria Park, which is not bad at all, considering the town’s small size. If Ross County does buck the odds and win their first ever promotion to the Scottish top flight, the club has vowed to expand Victoria Park to meet SPL capacity requirements, which calls for 6,000 seated…Victoria Park currently only has capacity for 3,500 seated {see this, from the BBC site (24 September, 2009)}. Last weekend the Staggies returned to the top of the table with a win away v. Airdrie {see this, from the Jailender, a Ross County FC fansite}}.
Ross County were elected to the Scottish Football League for the 1994-95 season, along with local rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC. Inverness were just relegated from the Scottish Premier League after the 2008-09 season, but maybe there will be Scottish Highlands representation in the top flight again next season, if Ross County can keep up their good form. They are playing with a thin squad, though, with only 16 senior and 3 junior players on board.
Scottish groundhopping blog Fitba Daft’s page on Ross County FC’s Victoria Park {click here}.
Ross County FC official site, set at club history page {here}.
Scottish Football League site (ie, 2nd through 4th Levels)… http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/ .
Scottish Premier League site {click here}.
Thanks to the E-F-S site, for the attendance figures {click here}. Thanks to the contributors to the pages at en.wikipedia.org {click here (set at 2008-09 in Scottish football). Thanks to www.demis.nl , for the base map.
Thanks to Scotavia Images {click here}. Thanks to Geograph.org.uk {click here}. Thanks to the Jailender, the unofficial Ross County FC fansite {click here}.
