| Away | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Teams | P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Form | |
| 1 | Celtic |  |
10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 20 |   |
| 2 | Hibernian | |
11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 18 |  |
| 3 | Aberdeen | |
11 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 18 | |
| 4 | St J’stone | |
11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 18 | |
| 5 | Inverness | |
11 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 15 | |
| 6 | Kilmarnock | |
11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 15 | |
| 7 | Hearts | |
11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 13 | |
| 8 | Motherwell | |
10 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 | -2 | 13 | |
| 9 | Ross Co | |
11 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 12 | |
| 10 | Dundee Utd | |
9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -2 | 12 | |
| 11 | St Mirren | |
11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -5 | 12 | |
| 12 | Dundee | |
11 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | -18 | 4 | |
Clydesdale Bank Premier League Table
After the defeat to Kilmarnock on Saturday the new competitive Scottish Premier League table looks like the one above this morning. Well, it doesn’t so much look like the one above, as it iactually is the one above. Couple of things are noticeable.
Celtic are at the top of the table, two points clear and a game in hand. Eight points separate first and eleventh. Can’t really count dundee, as they weren’t prepared for the SPL, as they were expecting to stay in the first, and budgeted accordingly. Eight points, which is just over half the gap when Celtic were chasing Rangers last year when Anthony Stokes inspired a comeback that has been seen as the seasons turning point. When Rangers were dominating the league, and Celtic were struggling, the press weren’t exactly full of how bad for the game this scenario was-after all, if Rangers had pulled away even further, the league could have been effectively over by Christmas. However, the gap was turned around as Rangers self destructed on the field as well as off it, and suddenly, with their impending absence, a one sided league wasn’t what the doctor ordered at all.
Well, glancing at the new, all singing rangers free league, it seems that teams are no longer going to write off eight games a season, and as a result Scottish football has become interesting. Its a shame that the BBC haven’t grasped this and plugged it on their Sportscene shows. Sky remorselessly plug the english game, and to be fair, whichever Scottish game they are showing, so its time for the BBC to do their bit to stop kids wanting a Man Utd or Chelsea top for Christmas.
The league has a freshness about it, not just because it has lost the stench of corruption, but because new ideas from new managers are being implemented. Young Scottish players are getting a chance, instead of overrated foreigners, and that will have a knock on effect with the national team, who may even win a game or two soon. Oh, wait, getting a wee bit carried away with myself there.
Hearts are the latest team to face a tax bill, and also the latest team to decide to try to raise money from the fans. They hope to sell around 10$ of the club and raise £1.79m. So thats Rangers and Hearts in trouble with the tax man. Wonder if anyone who has worked at both clubs would have have an insight into what went wrong, perhaps a story to tell that might help other clubs avoid the same pitfall.
Campbell Ogilvie will be expecting the press to beat a path to his door anytime soon. His involvment at Ibrox and Tynecastle means that he, combined with his SFA experience should be able to spot the warning signs and help others to stay away from disaster. For the good of the game, his advice and knowledge must be sought out.
Meanwhile, Rangers created a little bit of history yesterday, as the new club with the old name-at least until the fraud trial-won 2-0 at Clyde. Manager McCoist siad it was down to their battling techniques, which followed on from his interview about following the Ajax model of development. The deluded fool reckons that the Ajax victory over Man City means that he can take heart and bring his own kids through the way the Dutch side have done for years. This of course, could prove tricky when Murray Park is sold, but then he can claim he is taking football back to basics, as his youngsters play twenty a side in between parked cars down Edmiston Road.
Yet the new club coming through the ranks, and the spread of money down there is also good for the game, and we must doff our caps towards the reborn side, for providing a new stream of cash flow.
As well as endless hours of classic comedy.
Speaking of comedy, did Killie fans really sing “Barcelona must be shite?” Are football fans rediscovering humour in this brave new world?
Diego in the hoops is determined that Andre Blackman will be the answer to the teaser one day, but yesterdays “mountains and molehill” quote wasn’t answered correctly, so it rolls over….
Yes, there was a diary yesterday. I really need a hobby.
Bobby Lennox ?
Agreed -meant to say that it a disgrace that the SPl highlights are on at 11pm on Sunday night.They show approx 4 minutes each game and even less when it’s a 0-0.
Why should we be subjected to Wigan v Reading or West Brom V Fulham when nobody in Scotland cares less about them.
As you say it just perpetuates the “big teams” shirt sales here – why can’t we have a domestic highlights show on a Saturday night then MOTD with the insidious Gary Lineker et al on about 11.30- after all the weans are away to bed?
Also what about a magazine show on say a Friday night or Saturday morning with various editors of websites of each of the SPL teams appearing if they wish and inetrviews with players etc ? Plain Lazy BBC and what about STV ? – do they even bother anymore ?
We must be only country in Europe that promotes football from another country than our own.
I know the programme (and preseters) aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but “off the ball” could be transferred onto a T.V. format. It is usually decent listening and marginally funny. We definately need to step out of Englands shadow.
there is another country in europe that promotes football from a different country, Ireland,rte an irish state broadcaster endlessly promotes the english premiership with their own version of match of the day, and also rarely mention celtic even though celtic have the most fan clubs throughout Ireland.
Bertie Auld?
Of course – how could I forget Ireland!
Billy Mcniel
*Macneill
Answer
David Hay