 | |
| Founded | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2013 |
| Country |  Scotland |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of clubs | 12 (2000–2013) 10 (1998–2000) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Most championships | Celtic (8)[note 1] |
TheScottish Premier League (SPL) was thetop-level league competition for professionalfootball clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from theScottish Football League (SFL). It was abolished in 2013, when the SPL and SFL merged to form the newScottish Professional Football League,[1] with its top division being known as theScottish Premiership. A total of19 clubs competed in the SPL, but only theOld Firm clubs of Glasgow—Celtic andRangers— won the league championship.
For most of its history, theScottish Football League had a two divisional structure (Divisions One and Two) between which clubs werepromoted and relegated at the end of each season. However, by the mid-1970s, this organisation was perceived to be stagnant, and it was decided to split into a three divisional structure:Premier Division (formerly Division One),First Division (formerly Division Two) and a newly addedSecond Division. This system came into force for the1975–76 season. This setup continued until the1994–95 season, when – in response to an attempt by the biggest clubs to form a breakaway 'Super League' in 1992[2] – a four divisional structure was introduced. This involved the creation of aThird Division, with all four divisions consisting of ten clubs.
On 8 September 1997, the clubs in the Premier Division decided to split from the Scottish Football League and form a Scottish Premier League. This followedan earlier example in England, which came into force during the1992–93 season.[2] This decision was fuelled by a desire by the top clubs in Scotland to retain more of the revenue generated by the game. Originally, league sponsorship money was divided proportionally between clubs in all four divisions. After the SPL was formed, its clubs retained all of its commercial revenues except for an annual payment to the SFL and a parachute payment to recently relegated clubs.
Teams receivedthree points for a win and one point for a draw. No points were awarded for a loss. Teams were ranked by total points, thengoal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points was crownedleague champion. If points were equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner.
Originally the SPL contained 10 clubs, but it subsequently enlarged to 12 for the2000–01 season and retained this structure until 2013. The increase from 10 clubs to 12 was part of the deal offered to obtain approval from SFL member clubs. After the expansion to 12 clubs, the SPL operated a "split" format. This was done to prevent the need for a 44-match schedule, based on playing each other four times. That format had been used in the Scottish Premier Division but was considered to be too high a number of matches in a league season.
A season, which runs from August (except in2011–12, when that season began in July) until May, was divided into two phases. During the first phase, each club played three matches against every other team, either once at home and twice away, orvice versa. After this first phase of matches, by which time all clubs had played 33 matches, the league split into a "top six" and a "bottom six". Each club then played a further five matches against the other five teams in their own section. Points achieved during the first phase of 33 matches were carried forward to the second phase, but the teams competed only within their own sections during the second phase. After the first phase was completed, clubs could not move out of their own section in the league, even if they achieved more or fewer points than a higher or lower ranked team, respectively.
At the beginning of each season, the SPL "predicted" the likely positions of each club in order to produce a fixture schedule that ensured the best possible chance of all clubs playing each other twice at home and twice away. This was known as the league seeding and was based on clubs' performance in previous years.[3] If a club did not finish in the half where it was predicted to finish, it faced the possibility of playing an unequal number of home and away matches. For example, one club would sometimes play another three times at home and once away.[3]
There was criticism of the split season format. However, the SPL defended the split format, dismissing the possibility of expanding the league due to a lack of strong enough clubs within theScottish Football League.[3] In March 2008, Kilmarnock managerJim Jefferies was the latest to call for a league revamp, claiming the potential for four matches per season against the same opponent was too many.[4]
The bottom placed SPL club at the end of the season was relegated, and swapped places with the winner of theScottish First Division, provided that the winner satisfied the SPL entry criteria. These promotion criteria sometimes caused controversy. In 2003, the chairmen of the member clubs voted againstFalkirk's proposed ground share withAirdrie United and stopped the club from having the 10,000 capacity stadium it required, therefore savingMotherwell from relegation.[5]
The same situation nearly materialised in 2004. After several votes and discussion, including threats of court cases fromPartick Thistle, the team threatened with relegation,Inverness Caledonian Thistle were promoted on the basis that they would ground share withAberdeen atPittodrie.[6] In 2005, the stadium size criterion for entry to the SPL was reduced to 6,000,[7] thereby allowing Inverness Caledonian Thistle to return to their home stadium during the2005–06 season.[7]
One of the main criticisms of the SPL was the dominance of the twoOld Firm clubs, Celtic and Rangers. No team outside the Old Firm has won theScottish league championship since 1985. Until Rangers were ejected from the SPL due totheir liquidation, there was only one SPL season (2005–06) where both clubs failed to occupy first and second positions, withHearts finishing second behind Celtic.[8] While other European leagues were dominated by a few clubs in the 2000s, the Old Firm dominance in Scotland dated back to the beginning of Scottish league football, with a few exceptional periods. The average home attendances of both clubs is significantly higher than the other Scottish clubs, which resulted in the Old Firm having far greater revenues and therefore more money to spend on players. Both clubs also received significant revenues from participation in theUEFA Champions League and theUEFA Europa League.
Despite having more resources than other Scottish clubs, the Old Firm experienced difficulty in competing with big clubs from other leagues in terms of transfer fees and player wages due to the SPL's relatively low television revenue. A recurring theme during the existence of the SPL was the prospect of the two clubs leaving the Scottish football set-up to join theEnglish football league system, anAtlantic League with clubs from countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal, or forming a newEuropean Super League.[9][10] While some observers believed the departure of the Old Firm from the Scottish football setup would be detrimental to Scottish football as a whole,[11][12] others, such asCraig Levein, believed it would benefit Scottish football due to increased competition among the remaining clubs for the SPL title.[13] World football's governing bodyFIFA ruled out the prospect of any Old Firm move to the English set-up.[14] The duopoly was effectively broken when Rangers enteredadministration in 2012 and was liquidated after it failed to reach an agreement with creditors. Rangers was relaunched by a new company and were voted into theScottish Football League Third Division.[15]
In March 2013, Rangers chief executiveCharles Green suggested that Rangers could join theFootball Conference and thatEU competition law banningrestraints of trade could be used to overcome any legal barriers to such a plan.[16] Green also suggested that Rangers and Celtic would not be playing in the Scottish league system in ten years time.[16] Scotland managerGordon Strachan said he believed the Old Firm clubs would join a future new 38-club two-division European Super League.[10]
The SPL instituted a "winter break" during the January of each season, beginning with the 1998–99 season. However, this practice was removed beginning in the2000–01 season, forcing clubs to play throughout January and sometimes resulting in postponement of matches and significant damage to clubs' pitches. ManagersMartin O'Neill,[17]Jim Duffy[17] andWalter Smith were among those who called for the winter break to be reinstated.[18]Alex McLeish accused the SPL of taking Scottish football "back to the Dark Ages" after its decision to scrap the mid-season hiatus.[17]
In the seasons after the SPL's inception, Scotland's UEFA coefficient improved significantly, having been ranked 26th in 1998–99,[19] they reached a high of 10th at the end of the 2007–08 season. The SPL ranking thereafter declined, the league falling back to the 24th position at the end of 2012–13.[20]
In 2003, Celtic became the first Scottish club sinceDundee United in 1987 to reach a European final, eventually losing 3–2 toPorto afterextra time in theUEFA Cup final.[21] In 2003–04, two Scottish clubs, Celtic and Rangers, qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. In 2005–06, Rangers became the first Scottish club to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League,[22] a feat repeated by Celtic the following two seasons.[23][24] In the 2007–08 season, three Scottish clubs were competing in Europe after Christmas for the first time since 1970,[25] while in the same season, Rangers reached the2008 UEFA Cup final, but lost 2–0 to Russian clubZenit Saint Petersburg.[26] During the season, Scotland's European representatives collected the most coefficient points since the1982–83 season.[19]
Scottish Premier League clubs had almost complete freedom to sign whatever number and category of players they wish. There was no team or individual salary cap, no squad size limit, no age restrictions other than those applied by general employment law, no restrictions on the overall number of foreign players and few restrictions on individual foreign players. All players with EU nationality, including those able to claim an EU passport through a parent or grandparent, were eligible to play, and top players from outside the EU were able to obtain UK work permits.
The only restriction on selection was the "Under-21 rule". This rule stated that each club must include at least three players under the age of 21 in its matchday squad. Opinions on this rule were divided among SPL managers.Walter Smith,Gus MacPherson andJim Jefferies expressed their disapproval of the policy.[27]John Collins approved of the ruling, claiming it is healthy for Scottish football and encouraged the development of young players.[27]
A decline in television revenue resulted in relatively little spending among SPL clubs, with major transfer spending mostly limited to the Old Firm clubs. As a result, most clubs became reliant on developing their own young players and selling them on for profit. This also resulted in a large proportion of SPL clubs' squads being made up of Scottish players (73% in the2004–05 season).[28]
Due to its relatively low income from television and commercial partners, Scottish clubs were highly dependent on revenues from fans attending matches. More people in Scotland per head of population watched their domestic top-level league than any other European nation.[29] All ten of the clubs that played in the1998–99 Scottish Premier League also participated in the2011–12 Scottish Premier League.[8] Nine of those ten clubs recorded lower average attendance.[8] Celtic had a 14% decline in attendance since a peak season of2000–01, when the club won the domestic treble.[8]Dunfermline, who were newly promoted to the SPL in 2011–12, only saw an increase of 939 in average attendance from the2010–11 Scottish First Division season.[8] They also attracted a bigger crowd for aFife derby game in the First Division againstRaith Rovers than any game in the SPL.[8]
TheBank of Scotland, which had sponsored the league since March 1999 (the League was unsponsored for most of theinaugural season), did not renew its sponsorship at the end of the2006–07 season. Talks began withClydesdale Bank,[30] and a four-year contract worth £8 million came into effect from July 2007;[31] in 2010, the contract was extended until 2013.[32]
During the SPL era, six of its member clubs enteredadministration. Serious financial difficulties first arose in 2002 when broadcasterSky Sports withdrew its interest in the League's television rights when the SPL rejected its offer of £45 million, hoping a better deal would arise from another broadcaster.[33] However, a superior deal failed to arise, adding to the clubs' already delicate financial position.[33] Total debt among SPL clubs was estimated during 2001–02 to be around £132m, having been barely into double figures two years previously.[33]Motherwell became the first SPL club to enter administration in April 2002, with debts of £11 million and a wage bill totalling 97% of the club's annual turnover.[33]Dundee were next to follow, when in November 2003 it sacked 25 staff after debts of £20 million.[33]
The severity of the SPL's financial problems were revealed in September 2003 when combined losses for SPL clubs during 2001–02 was estimated to have been £60 million.[34] A report byPricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) in 2003 described five SPL clubs – Dundee, Dunfermline Athletic, Hearts, Hibernian and Livingston – as "technically insolvent".Livingston became the third SPL club to enter administration in February 2004 with debts of £3.5 million.[35]Dunfermline Athletic's financial position also looked bleak, with several players asked to take wage-cuts,[36] while Rangers chairmanDavid Murray announced in September 2004 a plan to raise £57 million via arights issue in an attempt to eliminate a large proportion of the club's debts.[37]
After widespread cost-cutting measures, the finances of SPL clubs began to show signs of improvement. Both Motherwell and Dundee came out of administration in April[38] and August 2004[39] respectively, while Livingston ended its 15-month spell in administration in May 2005.[40] The 2006 report on SPL finances by PWC revealed operating profits of £2.8 million among SPL clubs, the first collective operating profit made by Scotland's top-flight clubs in over a decade.[41] Seven of the SPL's 12 clubs had a wage turnover ratio of less than 60%.[41]
The 2007 report by PWC revealed a collective loss of £9 million for 2005–06, although six clubs – Falkirk, Hibernian, Inverness CT, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Rangers – made a profit.[42] The report highlighted the increasingly precarious financial position of Hearts, describing its current finances as "unsustainable" with debt rising by £7 million to £28 million and a wage bill which represents 97% of its turnover.[42] The figures for2006–07 showed a collective profit of £3 million, with eight clubs making a profit.[43]
In March 2008,Gretna became the fourth SPL club to enter administration.[44] The club's main benefactor,Brooks Mileson, was forced to withdraw his financial support due to failing health.[44] The club was liquidated after it had been relegated to the Scottish Football League at the end of the2007–08 Scottish Premier League.[45] Gretna fans formed a new club,Gretna 2008, which entered theEast of Scotland Football League.[45]
SPL clubs were badly affected by theGreat Recession in Europe.[46][47] The 21st PWC annual review found that SPL clubs made a collective loss of £22 million during the 2008–09 season, although this loss was almost entirely due to problems at two clubs.[48] Rangers incurred a £14 million loss after losing most of their European revenues due to an early defeat byFBK Kaunas, while Hearts lost £8 million.[48] In 2010, Hearts was described byThe Scotsman as the only true financial "basket case" in the SPL, with the club having a wages-to-turnover ratio of 126% and debt of over three times turnover.[48] Rangers stabilised financially in the next two seasons, thanks to income generated from Champions League participation.[48] Rangers entered administration on 14 February 2012,[49] owing an approximate £9 million in unpaid taxes and with an ongoing tribunal with HMRC.[50] HMRC blocked a proposedCompany Voluntary Arrangement in June 2012, forcing preferred bidder Charles Green to use a new company to buy out the business and assets of Rangers.[51] Weeks before the SPL merged into theScottish Professional Football League, Hearts became the sixth SPL club to enter administration.
Between1998–99 and2001–02, exclusive television rights for live Scottish Premier League matches were held by Sky Sports. In January 2002, the SPL rejected a £45 million offer from Sky Sports and began considering setting up its own pay-per-view channel, dubbed "SPL TV".[52] However, these plans broke down in April 2002 when the Old Firm clubs – Rangers and Celtic – utilised the 11–1 voting system to veto the proposals.[53] This caused discontent among the remaining ten SPL clubs, which subsequently announced their intention to resign from the league.[54]
Despite a two-year television deal being agreed withBBC Scotland in July 2002 for a significant amount less than previously offered by Sky Sports,[55] the ten non-Old Firm clubs confirmed their resignation from the SPL in August 2002, citing discontent with the voting system.[56] The ten clubs withdrew their resignations in January 2003 after an agreement was reached to change some of the voting procedures and to change the distribution of TV revenue.[57]
The SPL agreed a television rights deal with Irish broadcasterSetanta Sports in February 2004 in a four-year deal worth £35 million.[58] This deal was revised in 2006, with a two-year extension to the original deal agreed, the new four-year deal now being worth £54.5 million and running to 2010. In June 2008, it was announced that a further four-year deal would commence for the 2010–11 season, worth £125 million.[59] Setanta lost the rights to show live SPL matches in the United Kingdom as it was unable to pay the £3 million it owed to the SPL.[60] The SPL then agreed a deal withESPN and Sky Sports worth £13 million per season to the clubs.[60] This was comparable to the deal which was in place with Setanta,[60] but it was around half the amount Setanta was due to pay from 2010.[61] The Old Firm criticised the decision of nine of the other SPL clubs to accept that offer from Setanta, instead of taking an alternative package from Sky that would have been worth significantly more than the deal signed after Setanta went into administration.[61]
In 2009, Sky and ESPN agreed a five-year deal with the SPL where they would pay a total of £65 million for the rights to show 30 matches each per season. In November 2011, it was announced that a five-year extension to the contract would commence from the2012–13 season.[62] This deal was amended after Rangers entered insolvency and was not allowed to transfer its SPL membership to a new company.[63] The rights held by ESPN were acquired byBT Sport in February 2013.[64]
BBC Scotland'sSportscene held the rights to broadcast highlights of each match first on terrestrial TV. The BBC also held the rights to show online Internet highlights to UK users for one week after each match.BBC Alba, launched in September 2008, showed one full SPL match per week in delayed coverage.[65] BBC Alba also showed some live matches in the 2012–13 season.[65] The SPL was broadcast in Australia bySetanta Sports Australia, in Canada bySportsnet World and in the United States byFox Soccer Channel andFox Soccer Plus.
Radio broadcasting rights were held byBBC Radio Scotland.[66] BBC Radio Scotland also provided internet webcasts to all Scottish Premier League matches, having become the first broadcaster to introduce such a service in June 2000.[67] Old Firm matches were also broadcast onBBC Radio 5 Live and102.5 Clyde 1.
The clubs listed below competed in the Scottish Premier League. Teams initalics were founder members, who played in the1998–99 competition.
The following stadia were used by clubs in the Scottish Premier League.
| Stadium | Club(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Almondvale Stadium | Livingston andGretna | Gretna played one home game at Almondvale during the 2007–08 season due to the bad condition of the Fir Park pitch. |
| Caledonian Stadium | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | |
| Celtic Park | Celtic | The biggest club stadium in Scotland by seating capacity.[68] |
| Dens Park | Dundee | |
| East End Park | Dunfermline Athletic | |
| Easter Road | Hibernian | |
| Falkirk Stadium | Falkirk | |
| Fir Park | Motherwell andGretna | Gretna used Fir Park for most of the 2007–08 season because their normal home ground,Raydale Park, did not meet SPL requirements. |
| Firhill Stadium | Partick Thistle | |
| Ibrox Stadium | Rangers | |
| Love Street | St Mirren | Love Street was closed in January 2009. |
| McDiarmid Park | St Johnstone | First purpose-built all-seater stadium in Scotland.[69] |
| New Douglas Park | Hamilton Academical | |
| Pittodrie Stadium | Aberdeen andInverness C.T. | Inverness C.T. moved to Aberdeen's Pittodrie Stadium for part of the 2004–05 season while the Caledonian Stadium was upgraded to meet capacity regulations. |
| Rugby Park | Kilmarnock | |
| St Mirren Park | St Mirren | Opened in January 2009. |
| Tannadice Park | Dundee United | |
| Tynecastle Stadium | Heart of Midlothian | |
| Victoria Park | Ross County |
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Relegated | Top scorer | Players' Player of the Year | Writers' Player of the Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Rangers(1) | Celtic (1) | Dunfermline Athletic | Henrik Larsson29 (Celtic) | Henrik Larsson (Celtic) | Henrik Larsson (Celtic) |
| 1999–2000 | Rangers (2) | Celtic (2) | No relegation[note 2] | Mark Viduka25 (Celtic) | Mark Viduka (Celtic) | Barry Ferguson (Rangers) |
| 2000–01 | Celtic (1) | Rangers (1) | St Mirren | Henrik Larsson35 (Celtic) | Henrik Larsson (Celtic) | Henrik Larsson (Celtic) |
| 2001–02 | Celtic (2) | Rangers (2) | St Johnstone | Henrik Larsson29 (Celtic) | Lorenzo Amoruso (Rangers) | Paul Lambert (Celtic) |
| 2002–03 | Rangers (3) | Celtic (3) | No relegation[note 3] | Henrik Larsson28 (Celtic) | Barry Ferguson (Rangers) | Barry Ferguson (Rangers) |
| 2003–04 | Celtic (3) | Rangers (3) | Partick Thistle | Henrik Larsson30 (Celtic) | Chris Sutton (Celtic) | Jackie McNamara (Celtic) |
| 2004–05 | Rangers (4) | Celtic (4) | Dundee | John Hartson25 (Celtic) | John Hartson (Celtic) Fernando Ricksen (Rangers) | John Hartson (Celtic) |
| 2005–06 | Celtic (4) | Heart of Midlothian (1) | Livingston | Kris Boyd32 (15 – Kilmarnock,17 – Rangers) | Shaun Maloney (Celtic) | Craig Gordon (Hearts) |
| 2006–07 | Celtic (5) | Rangers (4) | Dunfermline Athletic | Kris Boyd20 (Rangers) | Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic) | Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic) |
| 2007–08 | Celtic (6) | Rangers (5) | Gretna | Scott McDonald25 (Celtic) | Aiden McGeady (Celtic) | Carlos Cuéllar (Rangers) |
| 2008–09 | Rangers (5) | Celtic (5) | Inverness CT | Kris Boyd27 (Rangers) | Scott Brown (Celtic) | Gary Caldwell (Celtic) |
| 2009–10 | Rangers (6) | Celtic (6) | Falkirk | Kris Boyd23 (Rangers) | Steven Davis (Rangers) | David Weir (Rangers) |
| 2010–11 | Rangers (7) | Celtic (7) | Hamilton Academical | Kenny Miller21 (Rangers) | Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic) | Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic) |
| 2011–12 | Celtic (7) | Rangers (6) | Dunfermline Athletic | Gary Hooper24 (Celtic) | Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic) | Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic) |
| 2012–13 | Celtic (8) | Motherwell (1) | Dundee | Michael Higdon26 (Motherwell) | Michael Higdon (Motherwell) | Leigh Griffiths (Hibernian) |
This table is a cumulative record of all SPL matches played. The table is accurate from the 1998–99 season to the end of the 2012–13 season, inclusive.[70]
| P | Club | Ssn | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | PPG | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtic | 15 | 566 | 412 | 82 | 72 | 1304 | 453 | +851 | 1318 | 2.329 | 8 | 7 | ||
| 2 | Rangers[note 4] | 14 | 528 | 364 | 93 | 71 | 1150 | 418 | +732 | 1175 | 2.225 | 7 | 6 | 1 | |
| 3 | Heart of Midlothian | 15 | 566 | 229 | 139 | 198 | 733 | 670 | +63 | 826 | 1.459 | 1 | 5 | 1 | |
| 4 | Motherwell | 15 | 566 | 195 | 132 | 239 | 708 | 839 | −131 | 717 | 1.267 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 5 | Kilmarnock | 15 | 566 | 189 | 145 | 232 | 685 | 811 | −126 | 712 | 1.258 | 3 | |||
| 6 | Aberdeen | 15 | 566 | 188 | 143 | 235 | 651 | 785 | −134 | 707 | 1.249 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 7 | Hibernian | 14 | 530 | 183 | 134 | 213 | 712 | 761 | −49 | 683 | 1.289 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 8 | Dundee United | 15 | 566 | 173 | 162 | 231 | 674 | 845 | −171 | 681 | 1.203 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 9 | Inverness CT | 8 | 304 | 97 | 83 | 124 | 380 | 417 | −37 | 374 | 1.23 | 1 | |||
| 10 | St Johnstone | 8 | 300 | 90 | 87 | 123 | 307 | 398 | −91 | 357 | 1.19 | 2 | |||
| 11 | Dunfermline Athletic | 9 | 340 | 83 | 89 | 168 | 335 | 565 | −230 | 338 | 0.994 | 1 | |||
| 12 | Dundee | 8 | 300 | 87 | 70 | 143 | 336 | 478 | −142 | 331 | 1.103 | ||||
| 13 | St Mirren | 8 | 304 | 68 | 91 | 145 | 277 | 446 | −169 | 295 | 0.97 | ||||
| 14 | Falkirk | 5 | 190 | 51 | 48 | 91 | 197 | 277 | −80 | 201 | 1.058 | ||||
| 15 | Livingston | 5 | 190 | 48 | 45 | 97 | 205 | 306 | −101 | 189 | 0.995 | 1 | |||
| 16 | Hamilton Academical | 3 | 114 | 30 | 26 | 58 | 93 | 158 | −65 | 116 | 1.018 | ||||
| 17 | Partick Thistle | 2 | 76 | 14 | 19 | 43 | 76 | 125 | −49 | 61 | 0.803 | ||||
| 18 | Ross County | 1 | 38 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 47 | 48 | −1 | 53 | 1.395 | ||||
| 19 | Gretna[note 5] | 1 | 38 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 32 | 83 | −51 | 13 | 0.342 |
P = Position; Ssn = Number of seasons; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points; Ppg = Points per game
Kilmarnock andRangers playerKris Boyd scored the most goals in the SPL, with 167 goals.[71] He broke the previous record of 158, set byHenrik Larsson, by scoring five goals for Rangers in a 7–1 win againstDundee United on 30 December 2009. Boyd and Larsson were the only players who scored more than 100 goals in the SPL era. There are players who scored far more goals in the predecessorScottish Football League competition, withJimmy McGrory holding the overall record with 408 goals in the top flight of Scottish football.[72]
| Rank | Player | Club(s)[note 6] | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kris Boyd | Kilmarnock (2001–2006) Rangers (2006–2010) Kilmarnock (2013) | 167 |
| 2 | Henrik Larsson[note 7] | Celtic (1998–2004) | 158 |
| 3 | Derek Riordan[note 7] | Hibernian (2001–2006) Celtic (2006–2008) Hibernian (2008–2011) St Johnstone (2012) | 95 |
| 4 | Scott McDonald | Motherwell (2004–2007) Celtic (2007–2010) | 93 |
| 5 | John Hartson | Celtic (2001–2006) | 88 |
| 6 | Kenny Miller[note 7] | Hibernian (1999–2000) Rangers (2000–2001) Celtic (2006–2007) Rangers (2008–2011) | 75 |
| 7 | Michael Higdon | Falkirk (2007–2009) St Mirren (2009–2011) Motherwell (2011–2013) | 73 |
| Nacho Novo[note 7] | Dundee (2002–2004) Rangers (2004–2010) | ||
| 9 | Anthony Stokes | Falkirk (2006–2007) Hibernian (2009–2010) Celtic (2010–2013) | 67 |
| 10 | Colin Nish[note 7] | Dunfermline Athletic (1999–2003) Kilmarnock (2003–2008) Hibernian (2008–2011) Dundee (2012–2013) | 64 |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
