The 2005–06 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic, with a 17-point margin over their nearest challengers Hearts in the first season under the management of Gordon Strachan. Rangers, who finished third, failed to finish a Scottish top flight campaign as champions or runners-up for the first time since 1988.
As league champions, Celtic qualified for the UEFA Champions League, with runners-up Hearts also qualifying. This marked the first time since 1995 that a club outside the Old Firm of Celtic and Rangers finished in the top two. Third-placed Rangers qualified for the UEFA Cup, as did Scottish Second Division champions Gretna, who took the Scottish Cup place despite losing the final to Hearts.
Livingston were relegated, and Scottish First Division winners St Mirren were promoted.
Kris Boyd was the top scorer with 32 goals (17 for Rangers after 15 for Kilmarnock).
Teams Promotion and relegation from 2004–05 Promoted from First Division to Premier League Falkirk
Relegated from Premier League to First Division Dundee
Stadia and locations
Aberdeen Celtic Dundee United Falkirk Pittodrie Stadium Celtic Park Tannadice Park Falkirk Stadium Capacity: 20,866 Capacity: 60,411 Capacity: 14,223 Capacity: 7,937 Dunfermline Athletic Heart of Midlothian East End Park Tynecastle Park Capacity: 12,509 Capacity: 17,420 Hibernian Inverness Caledonian Thistle Easter Road Caledonian Stadium Capacity: 16,531 Capacity: 7,500 Kilmarnock Livingston Motherwell Rangers Rugby Park Almondvale Stadium Fir Park Ibrox Stadium Capacity: 17,889 Capacity: 10,016 Capacity: 13,677 Capacity: 50,817
Personnel
Team Manager Aberdeen Jimmy Calderwood Celtic Gordon Strachan Dundee United Craig Brewster Dunfermline Athletic Jim Leishman Falkirk John Hughes Heart of Midlothian Valdas Ivanauskas Hibernian Tony Mowbray Inverness Caledonian Thistle Charlie Christie Kilmarnock Jim Jefferies Livingston John Robertson Motherwell Terry Butcher Rangers Alex McLeish
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Date of vacancy Manner of departure Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment Livingston Richard Gough22 May 2005ResignedPre-season Paul Lambert1 June 2005 Celtic Martin O'Neill 25 May 2005Resigned Gordon Strachan1 June 2005 Heart of Midlothian Steven Pressley John McGlynn29 June 2005End of caretaker spell George Burley30 June 2005 Heart of Midlothian George Burley21 October 2005Mutual consent1st Graham Rix8 November 2005 Dundee United Gordon Chisholm10 January 2006Sacked9th Craig Brewster13 January 2006 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Craig Brewster13 January 2006Signed by Dundee United7th Charlie Christie28 January 2006 Livingston Paul Lambert11 February 2006Resigned12th John Robertson15 February 2005 Heart of Midlothian Graham Rix22 March 2006Sacked2nd Valdas Ivanauskas22 March 2006
League table
Results Matches 1–22 During matches 1–22 each team played every other team twice (home and away).
Matches 23–33 During matches 23–33 each team played every other team once (either at home or away).
Matches 34–38 During matches 34–38 each team played every other team in their half of the table once.
Top six
Bottom six
Top scorers
Player Club Goals Kris Boyd Kilmarnock / Rangers 32 John Hartson Celtic 18 Craig Dargo Inverness CT 16 Derek Riordan Hibernian 16 Rudi Skácel Hearts 16 Maciej Żurawski Celtic 16 Paul Hartley Hearts 14 Peter Løvenkrands Rangers 14 Shaun Maloney Celtic 13 Steven Naismith Kilmarnock 13 Mark Burchill Dunfermline Athletic 12 Richie Foran Motherwell 11
Source: SPL official website
Attendances The average attendances for SPL clubs during the 2005/06 season are shown below:
TeamAverageCeltic58,149Rangers49,245Hearts16,767Hibernian13,816Aberdeen12,727Dundee United8,197Kilmarnock7,070Dunfermline Athletic6,260Motherwell6,250Falkirk5,515Inverness CT5,061Livingston4,938
Source: SPL official website
Awards
Monthly awards
MonthManagerPlayerYoung PlayerAugust George Burley (Hearts) Rudolf Skácel (Hearts) Steven Naismith (Kilmarnock)September George Burley (Hearts) Andy Webster (Hearts) Kevin Thomson (Hibernian)October Gordon Strachan (Celtic) Stilian Petrov (Celtic) Darryl Duffy (Falkirk)November Tony Mowbray (Hibernian) Kris Boyd (Kilmarnock) Aiden McGeady (Celtic)December Craig Brewster (Inverness CT) Peter Løvenkrands (Rangers) Calum Elliot (Hearts)January Alex McLeish (Rangers) Kris Boyd (Rangers) Steven Naismith (Kilmarnock)February Jimmy Calderwood (Aberdeen) Maciej Żurawski (Celtic) Charlie Mulgrew (Dundee United)March Terry Butcher (Motherwell) Steven Naismith (Kilmarnock) Brian McLean (Motherwell)April Jimmy Calderwood (Aberdeen) Paul Hartley (Hearts) Steven Smith (Rangers)
Annual awards
Player awards
AwardWinnerClubPFA Players' Player of the Year CelticPFA Young Player of the Year CelticSFWA Footballer of the Year Heart of MidlothianSFWA Young Player of the Year Kilmarnock
Manager awards
AwardWinnerClubSFWA Manager of the Year Celtic
References