2007–08 Scottish First Division

The 2007–08 First Division season was the 13th season of the First Division in its current format of ten teams.

Irn-Bru Scottish First Division
Season2007–08
ChampionsHamilton Academical
PromotedHamilton Academical
RelegatedStirling Albion
UEFA CupQueen of the South
Top goalscorerRichard Offiong (19)
Biggest home winLivingston 6–1 Greenock Morton
Biggest away winStirling Albion 1–6 Dundee

The team which finished first were automatically promoted to the Scottish Premier League. The team which finished bottom were automatically relegated to the Second Division and the team which finished second bottom were entered into the First division play-offs with the teams which finished second, third and fourth in the Third Division for a place in the 2008–09 First Division.

Promotion and Relegation from 2006–07

SPL and First Division

Relegated from Premier League to First Division

Promoted from First Division to Premier League

First and Second Divisions

Relegated from First Division to Second Division

Promoted from Second Division to First Division

Events

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Hamilton Academical (C, P) 36 23 7 6 62 27 +35 76 Promotion to the Premier League
2 Dundee 36 20 9 7 58 30 +28 69
3 St Johnstone 36 15 13 8 60 45 +15 58
4 Queen of the South 36 14 10 12 47 43 +4 52 Qualification for the UEFA Cup second qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
5 Dunfermline Athletic 36 13 12 11 36 41 5 51
6 Partick Thistle 36 11 12 13 40 39 +1 45
7 Livingston 36 10 9 17 55 66 11 39
8 Greenock Morton 36 9 10 17 40 58 18 37
9 Clyde 36 9 10 17 40 59 19 37 Qualification for the First Division Play-offs[lower-alpha 2]
10 Stirling Albion (R) 36 4 12 20 41 71 30 24 Relegation to the Second Division
Source: BBC Sport
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. Queen of the South qualified for the UEFA Cup Second Qualifying Round as Scottish Cup runners-up
  2. The 9th placed team were entered into a play-off with the Second Division's 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed teams. The winning team were awarded a place in the 2008–09 First Division, Clyde won the play-off to stay in the division.

Results

Teams play each other four times in this league. In the first half of the season each team plays every other team twice (home and away) and then do the same in the second half of the season.

First half of season

Home \ Away CLY DND DNF GMO HAM LIV PAR QOS STJ STI
Clyde 1–2 2–1 0–1 0–2 2–1 1–2 0–0 1–0 1–3
Dundee 0–1 1–1 2–1 1–0 4–1 3–0 2–1 2–1 3–1
Dunfermline Athletic 1–1 0–1 0–1 0–5 0–4 1–0 2–0 0–0 2–1
Greenock Morton 3–2 0–2 0–1 0–2 2–2 4–2 0–1 2–2 1–1
Hamilton Academical 0–0 2–0 2–1 1–0 1–1 2–0 1–0 1–0 4–0
Livingston 4–2 0–2 1–1 4–0 2–0 0–4 2–2 0–2 4–3
Partick Thistle 4–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–3 3–0 2–0 2–2 1–1
Queen of the South 1–1 2–1 0–1 1–3 2–1 1–0 1–2 3–3 2–2
St Johnstone 1–1 1–1 0–0 2–2 4–1 5–2 2–1 2–0 2–2
Stirling Albion 0–2 2–2 3–0 0–0 2–4 3–3 1–1 1–3 0–0
Source: BBC Sport
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second half of season

Home \ Away CLY DND DNF GMO HAM LIV PAR QOS STJ STI
Clyde 1–1 1–2 1–1 2–3 3–2 1–4 1–4 1–3 1–3
Dundee 2–0 0–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 1–0 2–3 3–2 3–0
Dunfermline Athletic 2–1 0–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–0 0–1 2–1
Greenock Morton 1–2 1–2 3–0 1–3 1–1 0–0 0–3 1–2 2–1
Hamilton Academical 2–0 1–0 3–0 3–0 3–1 0–0 1–0 2–0 0–0
Livingston 0–0 1–1 0–2 6–1 1–3 1–0 1–0 0–2 2–1
Partick Thistle 1–1 1–0 0–1 0–3 3–0 2–1 0–0 0–0 1–0
Queen of the South 3–1 1–0 1–1 0–0 2–2 1–0 2–0 3–1 3–1
St Johnstone 1–2 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–1 5–2 2–0 2–1 2–1
Stirling Albion 1–1 1–6 2–3 1–2 0–1 1–4 1–0 0–0 3–1
Source: BBC Sport
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top scorers

Scorer Goals Team
Richard Offiong 19 Hamilton Academical
Stephen Dobbie 16 Queen of the South
Andy Jackson 11 St Johnstone
Chris Aitken 13 Stirling Albion
Graham Dorrans 11 Livingston
Liam Buchanan Partick Thistle
Mark Burchill Dunfermline Athletic
Kevin McDonald 9 Dundee
Robert Snodgrass Livingston
Paul Sheerin St Johnstone
Mickaël Antoine-Curier Dundee
Peter Weatherson Greenock Morton
Sean O'Connor 8 Queen of the South
Colin McMenamin Dundee
Iain Russell Greenock Morton
Robert Davidson Dundee

Source: The League Insider

Attendances

Team Stadium Capacity Highest Lowest Average
DundeeDens Park11,8566,1923,1464,264
Dunfermline AthleticEast End Park11,9984,9462,4443,754
St JohnstoneMcDiarmid Park10,6736,2791,6862,969
Greenock MortonCappielow5,7413,8182,2282,727
Partick ThistleFirhill Stadium10,8874,9141,1492,591
Hamilton AcademicalNew Douglas Park5,3965,0781,4102,468
Queen of the SouthPalmerston Park6,4123,0051,4841,965
LivingstonAlmondvale Stadium10,0162,8651,1251,726
ClydeBroadwood Stadium8,0061,9799101,298
Stirling AlbionForthbank Stadium3,8082,2154311,166

Source: The League Insider

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment
Clyde Joe Miller Mutual consent 25 May Colin Hendry 11 June
St Johnstone Owen Coyle Mutual consent[7] 22 November Derek McInnes 27 November
Dunfermline Athletic Stephen Kenny Sacked 4 December Jim McIntyre 3 January
Clyde Colin Hendry Resigned 18 January John Brown 26 January
Greenock Morton Jim McInally Resigned 12 February David Irons 19 February
Livingston Mark Proctor Sacked 3 June[8] Roberto Landi 11 June[9]

Monthly awards

Month First Division manager SFL Player SFL Young player
August Billy Reid (Hamilton Academical) Richard Offiong (Hamilton Academical) Kevin McDonald (Dundee)
September Owen Coyle (St Johnstone)Second Division player James McArthur (Hamilton Academical)
October Billy Reid (Hamilton Academical) Bryn Halliwell (Hamilton Academical) James McCarthy (Hamilton Academical)
November Alex Rae (Dundee) Kenny Deuchar (St Johnstone)Third Division player
December Jim McIntyre (Dunfermline Athletic)Second Division player Kevin McDonald (Dundee)
January Gordon Chisholm (Queen of the South)Second Division player Andy Jackson (St Johnstone)
February Gordon Chisholm (Queen of the South) Mickaël Antoine-Curier (Dundee) Graham Dorrans (Livingston)
March Ian McCall (Partick Thistle) Jonathan Tuffey (Partick Thistle) Leigh Griffiths (Livingston)
April Gordon Chisholm (Queen of the South) Mark McLaughlin (Hamilton Academical) Brian Easton (Hamilton Academical)

First Division play-offs

Semi-finals

The ninth placed team in the First Division played the fourth placed team in the Second Division and third placed team in the Second Division played the second placed team in the Second Division. The play-offs were played over two legs, the winning team in each semi-final advanced to the final.

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Alloa Athletic 5–6 Clyde 2–1 3–5
Raith Rovers 2–4 Airdrie United 0–2 2–2

First legs


Alloa Athletic2–1Clyde
Scott  31'
Coakley  83'
Report Masterton  62'
Attendance: 1,026
Referee: D Somers

Raith Rovers0–2Airdrie United
Report Russell  31'  39'
Attendance: 2,841
Referee: D McDonald

Second legs


Clyde5 – 3 (a.e.t.)Alloa Athletic
J. Gibson  30'
Arbuckle  64'
B. Gibson  68'
McSwegan  84'
Clarke  111'
Report B. Ferguson  40'
Forrest  42'
Bestvina  46' (o.g.)
Attendance: 1,548
Referee: M Tumilty

Airdrie United2–2Raith Rovers
Prunty  10'
Donnelly  77'
Report Weir  18'  81' (pen.)
Attendance: 2,077
Referee: C Thomson

Final

The two semi-final winners played each other over two legs, the home team in the 1st Leg was determined by a draw conducted on 1 April 2008. The winning team was awarded a place in the 2008–09 First Division.

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Airdrie United 0–3 Clyde 0–1 0–2

First leg


Airdrie United0–1Clyde
Report Clarke  77'
Attendance: 1,878
Referee: I Brines

Second leg


Clyde2–0Airdrie United
McSwegan  47'
Clarke  65'
Report
Attendance: 2,548
Referee: J Underhill

Clyde remained in First Division.

Transfer deals

See: List of Scottish football transfers 2007–08

References

  1. "St Mirren 2–0 Gretna". BBC Sport. 29 March 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2008.
  2. "Ross County 4–0 Berwick Rangers". BBC Sport. 5 April 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
  3. "Partick Thistle 1–0 Stirling Alb". BBC Sport. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2008.
  4. "Hamilton Accies 2–0 Clyde". BBC Sport. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
  5. "Clyde 2–0 Airdrie United (3–0)". BBC Sport. 10 May 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2008.
  6. "Gretna demoted to Division Three". BBC Sport. 29 May 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
  7. Coyle left St Johnstone to become manager of Burnley.
  8. "Livingston sack manager Proctor". BBC Sport. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2008.
  9. "Landi teams up with Hay at Livi". BBC Sport. 11 June 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
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