2019–20 in Scottish football

123rd season of competitive football in Scotland

The 2019–20 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in Scotland. The domestic season began on 12 July 2019, with the first round of matches in the 2019–20 Scottish League Cup. The 2019–20 Scottish Professional Football League season started on 2 August 2019.^[2]

All competitive matches affiliated with the Scottish Football Association were postponed indefinitely on 13 March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[3]

Transfer deals

Celtic transfer defender Kieran Tierney to Arsenal for £25 million, a record fee for both a player sold by a Scottish club and for a deal involving a Scottish player.^[4]

League competitions

On 15 April 2020, all divisions in the SPFL below the Scottish Premiership were concluded, and all play-off matches were cancelled, as clubs chose to curtail the season due to the pandemic.^[1] On 18 May, the Premiership was curtailed and Celtic declared champions. Final league standings across the four SPFL leagues were determined by the average number of points per game.^[1]

Other leagues in Scotland were decided on a points per games basis, or declared null and void.

Scottish Premiership

Source: BBC SPFL
Rules for classification: 1) Points per game; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-Head goal difference; 6) Play-off (only if deciding champion, UEFA competitions qualification, second stage group allocation or relegation).^[6]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. All play-off matches were cancelled, as clubs voted to curtail the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5]
2. Since the 2019–20 Scottish Cup was postponed and could not be completed by the UEFA registration deadline of 3 August 2020, the spot awarded to the Scottish Cup winners (Europa League second qualifying round) was passed to the second-placed team, while the fourth-placed team also qualified for European competition.

Scottish Championship

Source: SPFL
Rules for classification: 1) Points per game.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. All play-off matches were cancelled, as clubs voted to curtail the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.^[7]

Scottish League One

Source: SPFL
Rules for classification: 1) Points per game.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. All play-off matches were cancelled, as clubs voted to curtail the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[8]

Scottish League Two

Source: SPFL
Rules for classification: 1) Points per game.
(C) Champions
Notes:

1. All play-off matches were cancelled, as clubs voted to curtail the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[9]

Non-league football

Level 5

Level 6

Honours

Cup honours

Non-league honours

Senior

Junior

West Region

1. Season suspended in March 2020. Champions were calculated using 'points per game' algorithm with a 'margin for error', announced on 21 April which would recognise the club which 'would have likely gone on to win their respective league titles'.^[17][18]

East Region

North Region

Individual honours

PFA Scotland awards

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, PFA Scotland cancelled their awards for the 2019–20 season.^[21]

SFWA awards

Scottish clubs in Europe

Summary

Celtic

UEFA Champions League

Sarajevo v Celtic

Celtic v Sarajevo

Celtic v Nõmme Kalju

Nõmme Kalju v Celtic

CFR Cluj v Celtic

Celtic v CFR Cluj

UEFA Europa League

Having lost in Champions League qualifying to CFR Cluj, Celtic dropped into the Europa League playoff round.^[26]

Celtic v AIK

AIK v Celtic

Group Stage

Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

Rennes v Celtic

Celtic v CFR Cluj

Celtic v Lazio

Lazio v Celtic

Celtic v Rennes

CFR Cluj v Celtic

Knockout Stage

Copenhagen v Celtic

Celtic v Copenhagen

Rangers

UEFA Europa League

St Joseph's v Rangers

Rangers v St Joseph's

Rangers v Progrès Niederkorn

Progrès Niederkorn v Rangers

FC Midtjylland v Rangers

Rangers v FC Midtjylland

Legia Warsaw v Rangers

Rangers v Legia Warsaw

Group Stage

Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

Rangers v Feyenoord

Young Boys v Rangers

Porto v Rangers

Rangers v Porto

Feyenoord v Rangers

Rangers v Young Boys

Knockout Stage

Rangers v Braga

Braga v Rangers

Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen v Rangers

Kilmarnock

UEFA Europa League

Connah's Quay Nomads v Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock v Connah's Quay Nomads

Aberdeen

UEFA Europa League

Aberdeen v RoPS

RoPS v Aberdeen

Chikhura Sachkhere v Aberdeen

Aberdeen v Chikhura Sachkhere

Rijeka v Aberdeen

Aberdeen v Rijeka

Scotland national team

Scotland  v  Russia

Scotland  v  Belgium

Russia  v  Scotland

Scotland  v  San Marino

Cyprus  v  Scotland

Scotland  v  Kazakhstan

Women's football

Glasgow City won their 13th consecutive Scottish national title in the 2019 season, which was completed on 24 November with the Scottish Women's Cup final.

2019 was officially the last season of the SWFL First Division and SWFL Second Division, after 20 years (replaced by the SWF Championship and SWFL regional divisions).

League and Cup honours

Individual honours

SWPL awards

Scottish Women's Premier League

SWPL 1

Updated to match(es) played on 18 November 2019. Source: ^[34]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated

SWPL 2

Updated to match(es) played on 18 November 2019. Source: ^[35]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions

UEFA Women's Champions League

Glasgow City

Glasgow City entered the Champions League in the round of 32,^[36] and were seeded at that stage.^[37] City eliminated Russian side Chertanovo to progress to the last 16, where they defeated Danish club Brøndby after a penalty shootout.^[38] This meant that City progressed to the quarter-finals, which were originally scheduled for March 2020 but were rescheduled and reformatted due to the coronavirus pandemic.^[39]

Chertanovo v Glasgow City

Glasgow City v Chertanovo

Brøndby v Glasgow City

Glasgow City v Brøndby

Glasgow City v Wolfsburg

Hibernian

Hibernian entered the Champions League in the qualifying group phase.^[36] They progressed to the last 32, where they were unseeded, by winning their group.^[37]

Hibernian v Tbilisi Nike

Hibernian v Cardiff Met.

Pomurje v Hibernian

Hibernian v Slavia Prague

Slavia Prague v Hibernian

Scotland women's national team

Scotland  v  Cyprus

Albania  v  Scotland

Ukraine  v  Scotland

Scotland  v  Iceland

Northern Ireland  v  Scotland

Deaths

• August: Jimmy Fleming, 90, Stirling Albion and Berwick Rangers full back.^[41]
• 22 August: Junior Agogo, 40, Hibernian forward.^[42]
• 4 September: Kenny Mitchell, 62, Greenock Morton defender.^[43]
• 16 September: Bobby Prentice, 65, Heart of Midlothian winger.^[44]
• 18 September: Fernando Ricksen, 43, Rangers defender.^[45]
• 23 October: John Fleming, 62, referee and SFA official.^[46]
• 11 November: Bill Barr, Ayr United chairman.^[47]
• 25 November: Martin Harvey, 78, Raith Rovers assistant manager.^[48]
• 11 December: Ian Young, 76, Celtic and St Mirren defender.^[49]
• 18 December: Tom White, 80, Raith Rovers, St Mirren, Hearts and Aberdeen forward.^[50]
• 20 December: Billy Hughes, 70, Scotland forward.^[51]
• 22 December: Duncan MacKay, 82, Celtic, Third Lanark and Scotland defender.^[52]
• 6 January: Danny Masterton, 65, Ayr United, Clyde and Queen of the South forward.^[53]
• 15 January: Bobby Brown, 96, Queen's Park, Rangers, Falkirk and Scotland goalkeeper; St Johnstone and Scotland manager.^[54]
• March: Dave Souter, 79, Dundee United, Arbroath, Berwick Rangers, East Fife, Clyde and Dundee winger and defender.^[55]
• 30 March: Alex Forsyth, 91, Albion Rovers and East Stirlingshire outside right.^[56]
• 11 April: Peter Bonetti, 78, Dundee United goalkeeper.^[57]
• 23 April: John Murphy, 77, Ayr United defender.^[58]
• April: John Freebairn, Partick Thistle and Montrose goalkeeper.^[59]
• 2 May: John Ogilvie, 91, Hibernian defender.^[60]
• 26 May: Christian Mbulu, 23, Motherwell defender.^[61]

Notes and references

1. "Dundee Utd, Raith & Cove win titles & reconstruction talks start after Dundee vote". BBC Sport. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
2. "SPFL announce key dates for 2019/20 and confirm retention of winter break". Sky Sports. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
3. "Coronavirus: Scottish football postponed until further notice". BBC Sport. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
4. "Kieran Tierney: Celtic defender completes £25m Arsenal move". BBC Sport. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
5. "Dundee Utd, Raith & Cove win titles and reconstruction talks start after Dundee vote". BBC Sport. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
6. "The Rules of the Scottish Professional Football League" (PDF). SPFL. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
7. "Dundee Utd, Raith & Cove win titles and reconstruction talks start after Dundee vote". BBC Sport. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
8. "Dundee Utd, Raith & Cove win titles and reconstruction talks start after Dundee vote". BBC Sport. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
9. "Dundee Utd, Raith & Cove win titles and reconstruction talks start after Dundee vote". BBC Sport. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
10. Atkinson, Mark (13 April 2020). "Lowland League ends season and crowns Kelty Hearts champions - with Bonnyrigg Rose left high and dry". Edinburgh Evening News. JPIMedia. Retrieved 15 April 2020. Kelty, therefore, finish top with a score of 2.72 points, Bonnyrigg second with 2.58 points and BSC Glasgow third with 2.31 points.
11. "East of Scotland League votes to finish season". Fife Today. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
12. "Inverness Caledonian Thistle And Raith Rovers Announced As Joint Winners of Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Cup". ICTFC. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
13. "Best of the West: COVID-19 blow to Scottish Junior Cup". Glasgow Times. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
14. Smith, Tyrone (21 March 2020). "Highland League brought to an early end with Brora Rangers awarded title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
15. "Kelty Hearts named champions as Lowland League called early". BBC Sport. 13 April 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
16. Goldthorp, Craig (24 April 2020). "Bo'ness, Tynecastle and Lothian Thistle HV named champions as East of Scotland clubs vote to end season". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
17. "Auchinleck Talbot awarded Scottish junior title despite being 12 points off top". BBC Sport. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
18. Junior football chiefs explain reasoning behind controversial league winners decision, Daily Record, 21 April 2020
19. Phil McGuire bewildered by null and void decision that has cost Carnoustie Juniors title despite leading table since day one, Daily Record, 18 April 2020
20. Clark, Will (2 May 2020). "North junior football season is declared null and void as season over for Nairn St Ninian". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
21. McKay, Gabriel (19 May 2020). "Celtic and Rangers stars in line for end of season gongs as SFWA awards go ahead as planned". Daily Record. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
22. "King Eddy is our top man". SFWA. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
23. "Lewis is young player of the year". www.scottishfwa.com. SFWA. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
24. "Neil Lennon is manager of the year". SFWA. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
25. "International bright young thing". SFWA. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
26. "Celtic to face AIK in Europa League play-off round". BBC Sport. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
27. "Uefa: All competitions including Champions League and Europa League postponed". BBC Sport. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
28. "Glasgow City wrap up 13th SWPL title in a row". BBC Sport. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
29. Southwick, Andrew (17 November 2019). "SWPL: Hearts promoted in front of record home crowd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
30. "#SWFL: Titles won by Aberdeen Women, Bishopton and Dundee City". She Kicks. 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020.
31. "Summary - Women's Championship [SWFL1] South 2019 - Scotland". Soccerway.
32. "Morton Women complete double-winning season". She Kicks. 1 October 2019.
33. "#SWFL2: Edinburgh Caledonia champions". She Kicks. 24 September 2019. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021.
34. "Summary - SWPL1". Soccerway. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
35. "Summary - SWPL2". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
36. Southwick, Andrew (21 June 2019). "Hibernian: Women's Champions League draw offers tough start". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
37. "Women's Champions League: Hibernian join Glasgow City in last 32". BBC Sport. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
38. "Women's Champions League: Glasgow drawn against Brondby in last 16". BBC Sport. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
39. "Women's Champions League: Glasgow City and Arsenal Women to resume quarter-finals". BBC Sport. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
40. Southwick, Andrew (30 August 2019). "Scotland women 8–0 Cyprus women: Shelley Kerr's side begin Euro 2021 qualifying with win". www.bbc.co.uk/sport. BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
41. Jimmy Fleming
42. "Junior Agogo is dead". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
43. Kenny Mitchell (1957–2019)
44. Sked, Joel (17 September 2019). "Bobby Prentice, Hearts legend who played over 200 games, dies at 65". Edinburgh Evening News. Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
45. "Fernando Ricksen". Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
46. "Scottish FA head of refereeing operations John Fleming dies at 62". BBC Sport. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
47. "Bill Barr: Ayr United pay tribute as former chairman dies". BBC Sport. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
48. "Martin Harvey: Former NI and Sunderland player dies aged 78". BBC Sport. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
49. "Ian Young, former Celtic defender, dies aged 76". Sky Sports. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
50. McPartlin, Patrick (18 December 2019). "Tommy White, former Hearts forward, dies at age of 80". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
51. "Billy Hughes: Sunderland FA Cup winner dies at age of 70". BBC Sport. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
52. "Former Celtic captain Duncan Mackay dies, aged 82". Sky Sports. 26 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
53. Danny Masterton
54. "Bobby Brown: Former Scotland goalkeeper and manager dies aged 96". BBC Sport. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
55. "Dave Souter". dundeefc.co.uk. Dundee FC. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
56. "Obituary – Alex Forsyth". East Stirlingshire FC. 30 March 2020. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
57. "Peter Bonetti: Former Chelsea and England goalkeeper dies aged 78". BBC Sport. 12 April 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
58. "Ayr United mourn the death of club's greatest servant John 'Spud' Murphy". Ayr Advertiser. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
59. John Freebairn
60. Owen, Dave (4 May 2020). "Popular Leicester City veteran defender dies after contracting coronavirus". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
61. "Christian Mbulu: Morecambe and ex-Motherwell defender dies, aged 23". BBC Sport. BBC. 26 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.