The latest idea of 14 splitting to six and eight playing each other twice in the first half and twice post split would lead to 36 games for the top half of the league and 40 for the bottom half. This would even out home and away fixtures and save any complaints like this year. One team would be relegated and the second bottom team involved in a play off. What do the SFL do with 28 teams?

 

There is a second proposal being discussed that the split involves the top eight (still 36 games) and the bottom four from a 12 team league joining with the top four from the first division to have two leagues of eight. This does appear to overcomplicate matters but nonetheless is under discussion.

Whatever way it goes an 11-1 vote is required. Lennon has said he is not averse to change and Pressley for differing reasons is pleading for change.

This season in both cups Ross County have beaten Hamilton, Hibs and of course a semi-final victory. Dundee and Raith Rovers both beat Aberdeen. Perhaps there is not that much between the teams.

Those under 50 probably have no memory whatsoever of the old format and I have taken this opportunity to revisit the last league set-up.

1974-75 saw the two leagues of 38 teams split 18 and 20. Too many meaningless games led to change before change again with 40 and then 42 teams making up the leagues. This was also the time of two points for a win

Not a great time to be a Celtic supporter. We couldn’t even finish second in the league, third behind Hibs. A first round European Cup exit to the might that was Olympiacos Pireus of Greece, lost both old firm games 1-2 and 0-3 although did win both the League cup 6-3 against Hibs and Scottish cup 3-1 against Airdrie.  The League Cup was sectional with Ayr, Dundee United and Motherwell.

1975-76 started with a pre-season tour of Ireland, no need in those days to be a poor impersonation of the Harlem Globetrotters. We didn’t fair much better than the previous season failing to win any of the four old firm games in the first premier league season, losing the league cup final to them and being knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Motherwell in the first game. We finished the season with a 1-0 loss at Hearts, here’s hoping no repeat next week.

Arbroath were in the top league although in a play off to the bottom league today. Montrose were challenging for the premier league in 75-76, today they are rock bottom.

Do we really care? Another game today when the fans voted with their feet and stayed away. The product is poor and the thought of renewing is hardly exciting. But football is our drug and we’ll be back in hope that things can change round. How many players will we see for the last time on Tuesday and did we find a young player with a chance in the game in James Forrest? Are we really bothered if Inverness or St Mirren turn up or Dundee or Hamilton? For one I’m not. More dig in the middle of the park, movement and pace at that the back as well as in breaking would be a start. I don’t ask for much!

1974-75 Scottish League Division One

P

Team

Pld

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pts

1

Rangers

34

25

6

3

86

33

53

56

2

Hibernian

34

20

9

5

69

37

32

49

3

Celtic

34

20

5

9

81

41

40

45

4

Dundee United

34

19

7

8

72

43

29

45

5

Aberdeen

34

16

9

9

66

43

23

41

6

Dundee

34

16

6

12

48

42

6

38

7

Ayr United

34

14

8

12

50

61

?11

36

8

Hearts

34

11

13

10

47

52

?5

35

9

St Johnstone

34

11

12

11

41

44

?3

34

10

Motherwell

34

14

5

15

52

57

?5

33

11

Airdrieonians

34

11

9

14

43

55

?12

31

12

Kilmarnock

34

8

15

11

52

68

?16

31

13

Partick Thistle

34

10

10

14

48

62

?14

30

14

Dumbarton

34

7

10

17

44

55

?11

24

15

Dunfermline Athletic

34

7

9

18

46

66

?20

23

16

Clyde

34

6

10

18

40

63

?23

22

17

Morton

34

6

10

18

31

62

?31

22

18

Arbroath

34

5

7

22

34

66

?32

17

 

Scottish League Division two

P

Team

Pld

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pts

1

Falkirk

38

26

2

10

76

29

47

54

2

Queen of the South

38

23

7

8

77

33

44

53

3

Montrose

38

23

7

8

70

37

33

53

4

Hamilton Academical

38

21

7

10

69

30

39

49

5

East Fife

38

20

7

11

57

42

15

47

6

St Mirren

38

19

8

11

74

52

22

46

7

Clydebank

38

18

8

12

50

40

10

44

8

Stirling Albion

38

17

9

12

67

55

12

43

9

Berwick Rangers

38

17

6

15

53

49

4

40

10

East Stirlingshire

38

16

8

14

56

52

4

40

11

Stenhousemuir

38

14

11

13

52

42

10

39

12

Albion Rovers

38

16

7

15

72

64

8

39

13

Raith Rovers

38

14

9

15

48

44

4

37

14

Stranraer

38

12

11

15

47

65

?18

35

15

Alloa

38

11

11

16

49

56

?7

33

16

Queens Park

38

10

10

18

41

54

?13

30

17

Brechin

38

9

7

22

44

85

?41

25

18

Meadowbank

38

9

5

24

26

87

?61

23

19

Cowdenbeath

38

5

11

22

39

76

?37

21

20

Forfar

38

1

7

30

27

102

?75

9

 

1975-76 Scottish Premier Division

Pos

Team

Pld

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

PTS

1

Rangers

36

23

8

5

60

24

36

54

2

Celtic

36

21

6

9

71

42

29

48

3

Hibernian

36

18

7

11

55

43

12

43

4

Motherwell

36

16

8

12

53

49

4

40

5

Hearts

36

13

9

14

39

45

-6

35

6

Ayr United

36

14

5

17

46

59

-13

33

7

Aberdeen

36

11

10

15

49

50

-1

32

8

Dundee United

36

12

8

16

46

48

-2

32

9

Dundee

36

11

10

15

49

62

-13

32

10

St Johnstone

36

3

5

28

29

79

-50

11

 

Scottish League Division One

Pos

Team

Pld

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

PTS

1

Partick Thistle

26

17

7

2

47

19

28

41

2

Kilmarnock

26

16

3

7

44

29

15

35

3

Montrose

26

12

6

8

53

43

10

30

4

Dumbarton

26

12

4

10

53

46

7

28

5

Arbroath

26

11

4

11

41

39

2

26

6

St Mirren

26

9

8

9

37

37

0

26

7

Falkirk

26

10

5

11

38

35

3

25

8

Airdrieonians

26

7

11

8

44

41

3

25

9

Hamilton Academical

26

7

10

9

37

37

0

24

10

Queen of the South

26

9

6

11

41

47

-6

24

11

Morton

26

7

9

10

31

40

-9

23

12

East Fife

26

8

7

11

39

53

-14

23

13

Dunfermline Athletic

26

5

10

11

30

51

-21

20

14

Clyde

26

5

4

17

34

52

-18

14

 

Scottish League Division two

Pos

Team

Pld

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

PTS

1

Clydebank

26

17

6

3

46

15

31

40

2

Raith Rovers

26

15

10

1

45

22

23

40

3

Alloa Athletic

26

14

7

5

48

32

16

35

4

Queen’s Park

26

10

9

7

41

33

8

29

5

Cowdenbeath

26

11

7

8

44

43

1

29

6

Stirling Albion

26

9

7

10

39

32

7

25

7

Stranraer

26

11

3

12

49

43

6

25

8

East Stirlingshire

26

8

8

10

33

33

0

24

9

Albion Rovers

26

7

10

9

35

38

-3

24

10

Stenhousemuir

26

9

5

12

39

44

-5

23

11

Berwick Rangers

26

7

5

14

32

44

-12

19

12

Forfar Athletic

26

4

10

12

28

48

-20

18

13

Brechin City

26

6

5

15

30

53

-23

17

14

Meadowbank Thistle

26

5

6

15

24

53

-29

16