The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the highest level of the Scottish football league system between 1998 and 2013. During this period matches were played at 19 football stadiums. The inaugural round of SPL matches took place on the weekend of 1–2 August 1998, with five clubs hosting the opening fixtures.[1] The league ceased after the 2012–13 Scottish Premier League season, when the SPL and Scottish Football League merged to form the Scottish Professional Football League.

Following the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989, the Taylor Report recommended the abolition of standing terraces by the start of the 1994–95 season, to be replaced by all-seater stadiums.[2] In addition to this, the SPL initially demanded that all its stadia should have a minimum capacity of 10,000 seats,[3][4] but later reduced that figure to 6,000.[5] When Falkirk finished in a potential promotion position in 2000 and 2003, the SPL refused admission to membership because their Brockville Park did not have sufficient seating capacity.[3] The SPL subsequently allowed Inverness Caledonian Thistle[5] and Gretna[6] to groundshare with other clubs. Some clubs promoted from the First Division, such as Hamilton Academical and Ross County, undertook ground improvements to meet the SPL criteria before entering the league.[7][8]

The home stadiums of the Old Firm clubs, Celtic and Rangers, were amongst the largest stadiums in the United Kingdom. The other large stadium in Glasgow, Hampden Park, was never used for an SPL match because it is the home ground of amateur club Queen's Park, who have not been in the top flight of Scottish football since 1958. None of the other stadiums used for SPL matches had a capacity greater than 22,199 (Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen). This reflected the gap in attendances between the Old Firm and other Scottish football clubs. In the 2011–12 Scottish Premier League season, Celtic and Rangers both had average attendances of over 45,000, while no other club had an average attendance of greater than 14,000.[9]

Stadiums

Stadium Image Club(s) Location Opened Closed Period(s) used for SPL matches Coordinates Refs
Almondvale Stadium Livingston &
Gretna[6]		 Livingston 1995 — 2001–2006
2008		 55°53′10″N 003°31′22″W / 55.88611°N 3.52278°W / 55.88611; -3.52278 (Almondvale) [10][11]
Caledonian Stadium Inverness Caledonian Thistle Inverness 1996 — 2005–2009
2010–2013		 57°29′41″N 004°13′03″W / 57.49472°N 4.21750°W / 57.49472; -4.21750 (Caledonian) [12]
Celtic Park Celtic Glasgow 1892 — 1998–2013 55°50′59″N 004°12′20″W / 55.84972°N 4.20556°W / 55.84972; -4.20556 (Celtic) [13]
Dens Park Dundee Dundee 1899 — 1998–2005
2012–2013		 56°28′31″N 002°58′23″W / 56.47528°N 2.97306°W / 56.47528; -2.97306 (Dens) [14]
East End Park Dunfermline Athletic Dunfermline 1885 — 1998–1999
2000–2007
2011–2012		 56°04′31″N 003°26′31″W / 56.07528°N 3.44194°W / 56.07528; -3.44194 (East End) [15][16]
Easter Road Hibernian Edinburgh 1893 — 1999–2013 55°57′42″N 003°09′56″W / 55.96167°N 3.16556°W / 55.96167; -3.16556 (Easter Road) [17][18]
Falkirk Stadium Falkirk Falkirk 2004 — 2005–2010 56°00′18″N 003°45′15″W / 56.00500°N 3.75417°W / 56.00500; -3.75417 (Falkirk) [19]
Fir Park Motherwell &
Gretna[6]		 Motherwell 1895 — 1998–2013 55°46′48″N 003°58′48″W / 55.78000°N 3.98000°W / 55.78000; -3.98000 (Fir Park) [20]
Firhill Stadium Partick Thistle Glasgow 1909 — 2002–2004 55°52′54″N 004°16′11″W / 55.88167°N 4.26972°W / 55.88167; -4.26972 (Firhill) [21]
Ibrox Stadium Rangers Glasgow 1899 — 1998–2012 55°51′12″N 004°18′33″W / 55.85333°N 4.30917°W / 55.85333; -4.30917 (Ibrox) [22][23]
Love Street St Mirren Paisley 1894 2009 2000–2001
2006–2009		 55°51′10″N 004°25′43″W / 55.85278°N 4.42861°W / 55.85278; -4.42861 (Love Street) [24]
McDiarmid Park St Johnstone Perth 1989 — 1998–2002
2009–2013		 56°24′35″N 003°28′37″W / 56.40972°N 3.47694°W / 56.40972; -3.47694 (McDiarmid) [25]
New Douglas Park Hamilton Academical Hamilton 2001 — 2008–2011 55°46′56″N 004°03′31″W / 55.78222°N 4.05861°W / 55.78222; -4.05861 (New Douglas) [26][27]
Pittodrie Stadium Aberdeen &
Inverness Caledonian Thistle[5]		 Aberdeen 1899 — 1998–2013 57°09′33″N 002°05′20″W / 57.15917°N 2.08889°W / 57.15917; -2.08889 (Pittodrie) [28]
Rugby Park Kilmarnock Kilmarnock 1899 — 1998–2013 55°36′15″N 004°30′29″W / 55.60417°N 4.50806°W / 55.60417; -4.50806 (Rugby Park) [29]
St Mirren Park St Mirren Paisley 2009 — 2009–2013 55°51′02″N 004°26′38″W / 55.85056°N 4.44389°W / 55.85056; -4.44389 (St Mirren Park) [30]
Tannadice Park Dundee United Dundee 1883 — 1998–2013 56°28′29″N 002°58′08″W / 56.47472°N 2.96889°W / 56.47472; -2.96889 (Tannadice Park) [31]
Tynecastle Stadium Heart of Midlothian Edinburgh 1886 — 1998–2013 55°56′21″N 003°13′56″W / 55.93917°N 3.23222°W / 55.93917; -3.23222 (Tynecastle) [32][33]
Victoria Park Ross County Dingwall 1929 — 2012–2013 57°35′45″N 004°25′08″W / 57.59583°N 4.41889°W / 57.59583; -4.41889 (Victoria Park) [34]

See also

References

  1. ^ "First weekend". www.scotprem.com. Scottish Premier League. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  2. ^ Fox, Norman (18 April 1999). "Football: Fayed's race against time". The Independent. Retrieved 21 October 2012. As recommended by the Taylor Report, standing room at clubs in the top two divisions should have been abolished by the start of the 1994-95 season.
  3. ^ a b "Falkirk lose out as SPL closes ranks and denies them place". The Scotsman. Johnston Publishing. 24 May 2003. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  4. ^ Forsyth, Roddy (17 May 2004). "Inverness promotion prompts SPL stadium rethink". Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "Inverness are homeward bound". BBC Sport. BBC. 7 December 2004. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  6. ^ a b c "Gretna return 'home' to Fir Park". BBC Sport. BBC. 1 April 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  7. ^ McGilvray, Andrew (5 June 2008). "Accies spend £750,000 to prepare for SPL". Hamilton Advertiser. Scottish & Universal Newspapers. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Ross County ground meets SPL standards". BBC Sport. BBC. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Statistics". www.scotprem.com. Scottish Premier League. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  10. ^ "Livingston". www.sport.stv.tv. STV Group. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  11. ^ "Livingston". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 15 April 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ "Inverness Caledonian Thistle". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  13. ^ "Celtic Football Club". www.scotprem.com. Scottish Premier League. Archived from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  14. ^ "Dundee". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "Stadium". www.dafc.co.uk. Dunfermline Athletic FC. Archived from the original on 29 November 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  16. ^ "Dunfermline". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  17. ^ "Hibernian". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  18. ^ Hardie, David (1 November 2010). "Easter Road set for biggest crowd in 17 years as Hibs take on Hearts". Edinburgh Evening News. Johnston Publishing. Retrieved 20 October 2012. The completion of the new East Stand at Hibs' ground has lifted capacity to 20,421
  19. ^ "Falkirk". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.[permanent dead link]
  20. ^ "Motherwell". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  21. ^ "Partick Thistle". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 January 2012. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  22. ^ Wilson, Richard (17 September 2012). "Rangers falter against Annan Athletic". Belfast Telegraph. INM. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  23. ^ "Rangers". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  24. ^ St Mirren. Aesculus Press. 2004. ISBN 9781904328162. Retrieved 21 October 2012. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  25. ^ "St Johnstone". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  26. ^ "Hamilton Academical". www.scottishfootballleague.com. Scottish Football League. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  27. ^ "Hamilton Academical". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.[permanent dead link]
  28. ^ "Aberdeen". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  29. ^ "Kilmarnock". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  30. ^ "St Mirren". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  31. ^ "Dundee United". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 8 October 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  32. ^ "Tynecastle shift is last option". BBC Sport. BBC. 16 August 2005. Retrieved 20 October 2012. The current Tynecastle capacity is 17,420
  33. ^ "Heart of Midlothian". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  34. ^ "Ross County". www.footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.[permanent dead link]
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