Scotland: 2021-22 Premiership – Location-map, with Seasons-in-1st-Division for the current 12 clubs & Scottish titles list
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By Bill Turianski on the 25th of February 2022; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-2021–22 Scottish Premiership (en.wikipedia.org).
-Premiership table, fixtures, results, attendance, teams, etc…Premiership [2021-22] (soccerway.com).
-BBC/Sport, bbc.com/Scottish Football.
-BBC Radio Scotland podcast, Off the Ball. ['The most petty and ill-informed football show on radio!', hosted by Stuart Cosgrove (journalist & St Johnstone supporter) and Tam Cowan (journalist & Motherwell supporter).]
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The map shows the locations of the 12 Scottish football clubs which are currently in the Premiership [2021-22].
The map itself is a topographical map with built-up areas shown (shown in a pale-pink colour). Included on the map are the locations of the two recently-relegated sides (Hamilton Academical & Kilmarnock), and the two recently-promoted sides (Dundee FC & Heart of Midlothian). The 25 largest metro-areas and localities in Scotland are shown on the map, and populations are listed (see Part C, below). There is one current Scottish first-division club that is from a locality that is definitely not on the list of the 25 largest, and that is Ross County FC, of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty, Highlands. Dingwall has a population of around 5,400. I noted that on the map.
The 3 accompanying charts on the map page show…
A). Seasons spent in Scottish 1st Level for the twelve current top-flight clubs. 2021-22 is the 125 season of the Scottish top flight (1890-91 to 1938-39; 1946-47 to 2021-22). With consecutive seasons in the Scottish top-flight noted. {Source: Scotland – All-Time Table (since 1890/91) [and ending at 2012-13] (rsssf.com).}
B). Scottish football titles list (1890-91 to 1938-39; 1946-47 to 2020-21). {Source: List of Scottish football champions/Total titles won (en.wikipedia.org).}
C). Scotland (UK): Population Figures – Largest 25 Metropolitan Areas & Localities (with SPFL Football Clubs in those locations shown). In Scotland, a Locality is defined as a populated area composed of contiguous postcodes with populations of at least 500 {see third link below}. The chart is on the map-page, and also shown below…
Credits above – Chart by billsportsmaps.com; data sources: Scotland; List of metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom (ipfs.io); List of towns and cities in Scotland by population [by Locality] (en.wikipedia.org).
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As of the 25th of Friday, February 2022…{Premiership table.}
This season is shaping up to be the first real Old Firm title race in over a decade (since 2010-11). After 27 matches, Celtic leads reigning champions Rangers by 3 points. Celtic have won 7 straight league matches, and overtook Rangers on the 2nd of February, when they beat them 3-0 at Celtic Park.
Right now, most clubs have 6 matches to go, before the split-season 2nd Phase begins in mid-April, following the 33rd matchday. Other clubs vying for a spot in Europe next season are the recently-promoted Hearts, who are in 3rd place, and a whole bunch of teams competing for the 4th-place spot. Six different teams could reasonably finish in 4th (Hibernian, Dundee United, Motherwell, St Mirren, Aberdeen, Livingston).
If the season were to end right now, the relegated team would be the recently-promoted Dundee FC, while the second-from-last-place team would be St Johnstone. If St Johnstone remains in that position, they would have to play in the promotion/relegation play-off, versus a 2nd tier side. Which is quite a come-down for the club, after their achievements in 2020-21, when St Johnstone became the first team outside of the Old Firm to win a Cup Double since Aberdeen, in 1990.
Currently in first place in the 2nd tier (the Scottish Championship), is Arbroath FC, who are located in Arbroath, just up the coast from Dundee (about 17 miles by road). Arbroath have not been in the Scottish first division in 47 years (not since 1975), and have played 9 top-flight seasons. This post I made two years ago has a feature on Arbroath…{Scotland 2019-20 map & chart, featuring 3 Scottish clubs that have recently started drawing above 1,000-per-game (Arbroath, Alloa Athletic, Airdrieonians).}.
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Credits:
Sources for charts:
-Seasons in Scottish 1st Level, Scotland – All-Time Table (since 1890/91) [and ending at 2012-13] (rsssf.com).
-List of Scottish football champions;
-Population figures:
-Scotland;
-List of metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom;
-List of towns and cities in Scotland by population (en.wikipedia.org).
-Thanks to Demis.nl, for images which allowed me to stitch together the blank topographic map of Scotland, at {via Demis Web Map Server}.
-Thanks to maiz at File:Scotland in the UK and Europe.svg (en.wikipedia.org).
-Thanks to RSSSF.com, rsssf.com/tabless/scotalltime.html.
-Thanks to the contributors at Scottish Premiership (en.wikipedia.org).
