2000–01 Scottish Premier League

Bank of Scotland Premier League
Season 2000–01
Champions Celtic
Relegated St. Mirren
Champions League Celtic
Rangers
UEFA Cup Hibernian
Kilmarnock
Intertoto Cup Dundee
Goals scored 605
Average goals/game 2.65
Top goalscorer Henrik Larsson (35)
Biggest home win Hearts 7–1 Dunfermline Athletic (24 February)
Rangers 7–1 St. Mirren (4 November)
Celtic 6–0 Aberdeen (16 December)
Celtic 6–0 Kilmarnock (2 January)
Biggest away win Dundee United 0–4 Celtic (26 December)
Dundee United 0–4 Hearts (14 October)
Highest attendance 60,440, Celtic 1–0 St. Mirren (7 April)
Lowest attendance 2,610, Dunfermline Athletic 1–2 Motherwell (12 May)
Average attendance 15,905

The 2000–01 Scottish Premier League was the third season of the Scottish Premier League. It began in on 29 July 2000.

Celtic finished the season as league champions by a 15-point margin over neighbouring Rangers, also winning both of the domestic cups in their first season under the management of Martin O'Neill.

Contents

Overview

2000–01 saw the Scottish Premier League expanded from 10 to 12 clubs, with the league 'split' introduced. After 33 rounds of matches, by which time all clubs had played each other three times, the league split into a 'top six' and 'bottom six' with clubs only competing against teams within their own section for the final five fixtures. The new format received widespread criticism from SPL managers.[1][2][3]

The 2000–01 title was won by Celtic - their first SPL title, won in Martin O'Neill's first season as manager of the club. Rangers finished second, 15 points behind their Old Firm-rivals. St. Mirren were relegated in what was their debut season in the SPL and their first appearance in Scotland's top division since 1991–92. As champions, Celtic qualified for the Champions League, as did second-placed Rangers, with Scotland gaining two Champions League berths for the first time. Third-placed Hibernian and fourth-placed Kilmarnock qualified for the UEFA Cup, while Dundee became the first SPL club - and the first Scottish club since Partick Thistle in 1995 - to qualify for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Promotion and relegation from 1999–00

Promoted from First Division to Premier League

Relegation from Premier League to First Division

Table

P Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Celtic 38 31 4 3 90 29 +61 97 2001–02 UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round
2 Rangers 38 26 4 8 76 36 +40 82 2001–02 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round
3 Hibernian 38 18 12 8 57 35 +22 66 2001–02 UEFA Cup First round
4 Kilmarnock 38 15 9 14 44 53 –9 54 2001–02 UEFA Cup Qualifying round
5 Hearts 38 14 10 14 56 50 +6 52
6 Dundee 38 13 8 17 56 50 +6 47 UEFA Intertoto Cup First round
7 Aberdeen 38 11 12 15 45 57 –7 45
8 Motherwell 38 12 7 19 42 56 –14 43
9 Dunfermline Athletic 38 11 9 18 34 54 –20 42
10 St. Johnstone 38 9 13 16 40 56 –16 40
11 Dundee United 38 9 8 21 38 63 –25 35
12 St. Mirren 38 8 6 24 32 72 –40 30 Relegated to 2001–02 First Division

Source: SPL official website

Results

Matches 1–22

During matches 1–22 each team played every other team twice (home and away).

Home \ Away1 ABE CEL DND DUN DNF HOM HIB KIL MOT RAN STJ STM
Aberdeen 1–1 0–2 4–1 0–0 1–1 0–2 1–2 3–3 1–2 1–1 2–1
Celtic 6–0 1–0 2–1 3–1 6–1 3–0 2–1 1–0 6–2 4–1 2–0
Dundee 2–2 1–2 3–0 3–0 1–1 1–2 0–0 1–2 1–1 1–1 5–0
Dundee United 3–5 1–2 0–2 3–2 0–4 0–1 0–1 1–1 1–1 1–2 0–0
Dunfermline Athletic 0–0 1–2 1–0 1–0 1–0 1–1 1–0 1–2 0–0 1–1 2–0
Heart of Midlothian 3–0 2–4 3–1 3–1 2–0 0–0 0–2 3–0 0–1 0–3 2–0
Hibernian 0–2 0–0 5–1 3–0 3–0 6–2 1–1 2–0 1–0 2–0 2–0
Kilmarnock 1–0 0–1 2–3 1–0 2–1 0–3 0–1 3–2 2–4 0–2 2–1
Motherwell 1–1 3–3 0–2 2–1 0–1 2–0 1–3 1–2 0–1 4–0 2–0
Rangers 3–1 5–1 0–2 3–0 4–1 1–0 1–0 0–3 2–0 2–1 7–1
St. Johnstone 0–0 0–2 0–0 1–0 0–2 2–2 0–3 1–1 2–3 2–1 2–0
St. Mirren 2–0 0–2 2–1 1–1 2–1 1–2 1–1 0–1 0–1 1–3 0–1

Source: Soccerbase
1The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Matches 23–33

During matches 23–33 each team played every other team once (either at home or away). This means that during matches 1-33 each team played every other team 3 times (either 1 home, 2 away or 2 home, 1 away).

Home \ Away1 ABE CEL DND DUN DNF HOM HIB KIL MOT RAN STJ STM
Aberdeen 0–1 0–2 1–0 1–0 3–3 3–0
Celtic 2–1 1–1 6–0 1–0 1–0 1–0
Dundee 2–3 0–1 0–0 2–2 0–1
Dundee United 1–1 0–4 1–1 2–0 1–1 4–0
Dunfermline Athletic 3–2 0–3 3–1 2–1 0–0
Heart of Midlothian 0–3 7–1 1–1 3–0 3–0 1–0
Hibernian 3–0 1–0 1–1 0–0 4–2
Kilmarnock 0–0 0–0 2–1 1–1 1–2 1–2
Motherwell 0–1 0–3 1–1 1–2 1–0
Rangers 1–0 0–2 2–0 2–0 3–0
St. Johnstone 1–2 2–3 2–2 2–0 1–2
St. Mirren 2–1 1–1 1–3 0–1 1–3 1–0

Source: Soccerbase
1The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Matches 34–38

During matches 34–38 each team played every other team in their half of the table once (either at home or away).

Top six

Home \ Away1 CEL DND HOM HIB KIL RAN
Celtic 0–2 1–0
Dundee 0–2 2–1 0–3
Heart of Midlothian 2–0 1–4
Hibernian 2–5 0–0 1–1
Kilmarnock 1–0 1–1
Rangers 0–3 4–0 5–1
Source: Soccerbase
1The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Bottom Six

Home \ Away1 ABE DUN DNF MOT STJ STM
Aberdeen 1–2 1–0
Dundee United 1–0 1–0
Dunfermline Athletic 1–2 0–0 1–2
Motherwell 0–2 0–1 3–3
St. Johnstone 0–3 2–3 2–2
St. Mirren 2–1 2–1
Source: Soccerbase
1The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top scorers

Player Club Goals
Henrik Larsson Celtic 35
Arild Stavrum Aberdeen 17
Juan Sara Dundee 15
Andy Kirk Hearts 13
Stuart Elliott Motherwell 12
Colin Cameron Hearts 12
Tore André Flo Rangers 11
Mixu Paatelainen Hibernian 11
Chris Sutton Celtic 11
David Zitelli Hibernian 10
Ricky Gillies St. Mirren 10
Keigan Parker St. Johnstone 10

Source: SPL official website

Attendances

The average attendances for SPL clubs during the 2000/01 season are shown below:

Team Average
Celtic 59,369
Rangers 47,532
Hearts 12,771
Aberdeen 12,403
Hibernian 10,792
Kilmarnock 8,223
Dundee 8,041
Dundee United 7,829
Dunfermline Athletic 6,413
Motherwell 6,208
St. Mirren 5,838
St. Johnstone 5,438

Source: SPL official website

Monthly awards

Month Manager Player
August Martin O'Neill (Celtic) Andy McLaren (Kilmarnock)
September Bobby Williamson (Kilmarnock) Henrik Larsson (Celtic)
October Alex McLeish (Hibernian) Mixu Paatelainen (Hibernian)
November Billy Davies (Motherwell) Barry Ferguson (Rangers)
December Martin O'Neill (Celtic) Barry Ferguson (Rangers)
January None awarded due to winter break.
February Martin O'Neill (Celtic) Claudio Caniggia (Dundee)
March Alex Smith (Dundee United) Neil Lennon (Celtic)
April Tom Hendrie (St. Mirren) Antti Niemi (Hearts)
May Alex Smith (Dundee United) Jörg Albertz (Rangers)

References

See also