Scottish
Football League & Scottish Premier League
Play-offs
and Test Matches 1891-date
|
See also |
There have been a
number of occasions that the Scottish League has used play-offs, or test
matches as they were sometimes termed in the 1890s. Most of the games came
about because before 1921, the Scottish league didn’t use goal average to
separate teams on the same number of points, these clubs being declared
equal. But when it came to splitting sides that finished in the important
placings, ie first to third, or in the re-election spots, the test matches
were organized. The first time it
happened came in the League’s first season when Dumbarton and Rangers
finished level at the top of the Championship. A play-off was hurriedly
arranged but when this couldn’t separate the teams, they were declared joint
champions, one of only two times this has happened. The other came in 1910
when Leith and Raith Rovers tied at the top of the Second Division. Championship
games were also arranged in 1906, a three way Second Division play-off in
1915, and one in 1940 for the Emergency League Championship. In 1995, play-offs
were arranged to determine promotion places for the Premier Division, this
series lasting until 1997. The Scottish League re-introduced them in 2006. |
‘First Division’ championship play-off
|
1890-91 |
At Cathkin Park, Glasgow att 10000 |
|
|
21 May 1891 |
Dumbarton v Rangers |
2-2 |
Second Division third place play-off
|
1895-96 |
At Cathkin Park, Glasgow |
|
|
May 1897 |
Renton v Kilmarnock |
2-1 |
First Division seventh place play-off to
decides who applies for re-election
|
1897-98 |
At Meadowside Park, Partick |
|
|
24 Mar 1898 |
Dundee v Partick Thistle |
2-0 |
First Division eighth place play-off to
decides who applies for re-election
|
1899-00 |
At Dens Park, Dundee |
|
|
7 Apr 1900 |
St Mirren v St Bernards |
2-1 |
First Division championship play-off
|
1904-05 |
At Hampden Park, Glasgow att 30000 |
|
|
6 May 1905 |
Celtic v Rangers |
2-1 |
First Division fourteenth place play-off to
decides who applies for re-election
|
1905-06 |
At Cathkin Park, Glasgow |
|
|
15 May 1906 |
Port Glasgow Athletic v Kilmarnock |
6-0 |
Second Division tenth place play-off to
decides who applies for re-election
|
1906-07 |
At Logie Green, Edinburgh |
|
|
11 May 1907 |
Raith Rovers v East Stirlingshire |
3-2 |
Second Division championship play-off.
The proposed match wasn’t played and both
clubs were declared joint champions
|
1909-10 |
|
|
|
|
Leith v Raith Rovers |
|
Second Division championship play-off.
The first game was played before St Bernards
had finished their programme, and so two more games were organized. Cowdenbeath
were declares champions after winning both their fixtures.
|
1914-15 |
|
|
|
10 Apr 1915 17 Apr 1915 24 Apr 1915 |
At East End Park, Dunfermline Cowdenbeath v Leith At Easter Road, Edinburgh Leith v St Bernards At Easter Road, Edinburgh Cowdenbeath v St Bernards |
2-1 2-1 3-1 |
Championship play-off
|
1939-40 |
At Ibrox Park, Glasgow att 15000 |
|
|
1 Jun 1940 |
Rangers v Falkirk |
2-1 |
Promotion and relegation play-off between
the second top and second bottom Premier and First Division clubs.
|
1994-95 |
|
|
|
21 May 1995 25 May 1995 |
Aberdeen v Dunfermline Athletic Dunfermline Athletic v Aberdeen |
3-1 1-3 |
Promotion and relegation play-off between
the second top and second bottom Premier and First Division clubs.
|
1995-96 |
|
|
|
12 May 1996 16 May 1996 |
Partick Thistle v Dundee United Dundee United v Partick Thistle |
1-1 2-1aet |
Promotion and relegation play-off between
the second top and second bottom Premier and First Division clubs.
|
1996-97 |
|
|
|
17 May 1997 22 May 1997 |
Hibernian v Airdrieonians Airdrieonians v Hibernian |
1-0 2-4 |
Promotion and relegation play-offs between
the second and third top and second bottom First and Second Division clubs.
|
2005-06 |
|
|
|
3 May 2006 3 May 2006 6 May 2006 6 May 2006 10 May 2006 14 May 2006 |
Morton v Peterhead Stranraer v Partick Thistle Partick Thistle v Stranraer Peterhead v Morton Partick Thistle v Peterhead Peterhead v Partick Thistle Partick Thistle won on penalties |
0-0 1-3 1-2 1-0 1-2 1-2 aet |
Promotion and
relegation plays-off between the second and third top and second bottom Second
and Third Division clubs.
|
2005-06 |
|
|
|
3 May 2006 3 May 2006 6 May 2006 6 May 2006 10 May 2006 14 May 2006 |
Arbroath v Alloa Athletic Stenhousemuir v Berwick Rangers Alloa Athletic v Arbroath Berwick Rangers v Stenhousemuir Alloa Athletic v Berwick Rangers Berwick Rangers v Alloa Athletic |
1-1 0-1 1-0 0-0 4-0 2-1 |
Promotion and relegation play-offs between the
second and third top and second bottom First and Second Division clubs.
|
2006-07 |
|
|
|
2 May 2007 2 May 2007 5 May 2007 5 May 2007 9 May 2007 12 May 2007 |
Brechin City v Airdrie United Raith Rovers v Stirling Albion Airdrie United v Brechin City Stirling Albion v Raith Rovers Stirling Albion v Airdrie United Airdrie United v Stirling Albion |
1-3 0-0 3-0 3-1 2-2 2-3 |
Promotion and relegation plays-off between the
second and third top and second bottom Second and Third Division clubs.
|
2006-07 |
|
|
|
1 May 2007 2 May 2007 5 May 2007 5 May 2007 9 May 2007 12 May 2007 |
Queen’s Park v Arbroath East Fife v Stranraer Arbroath v Queen’s Park Stranraer v East Fife Queen’s Park v East Fife East Fife v Queen’s Park |
2-0 4-1 1-2 1-0 4-2 0-3 |
Promotion
and relegation play-offs between the second and third top and second bottom
First and Second Division clubs.
|
2007-08 |
|
|
|
30
Apr 2008 30
Apr 2008 7
May 2008 7
May 2008 10
May 2008 10
May 2008 |
Alloa Athletic vClyde Raith Rovers v Airdrie United Airdrie United v Raith Rovers Clyde v Alloa Athletic Airdrie United v Clyde Clyde v Airdrie United |
2-1 0-2 2-2 5-3 aet 0-1 2-0 |
Promotion
and relegation plays-off between the second and third top and second bottom
Second and Third Division clubs.
|
2007-08 |
|
|
|
30 Apr 2008 30 Apr 2008 7 May 2008 7 May 2008 10 May 2008 10 May 2008 |
Arbroath v Cowdenbeath Montrose v Stranraer Cowdenbeath v Arbroath Stranraer v Montrose Arbroath v Stranraer Stranraer v Arbroath |
1-1 1-1 1-2 aet 3-0 2-0 1-0 |
The
2007-08 playoffs were subsequently ignored after Gretna disbanded, and all the beaten
clubs in the finals were place in the higher division.
Promotion
and relegation play-offs between the second and third top and second bottom
First and Second Division clubs.
|
2008-09 |
|
|
|
13 May 2009 14 May 2009 16 May 2009 17 May 2009 20 May 2009 24 May 2009 |
Brechin City v Ayr United Peterhead v Airdrie United Ayr United v Brechin City Airdrie united v Peterhead Ayr United v Airdrie United Airdrie United v Ayr United |
0-2 0-2 3-2 2-1 2-2 0-1 |
Promotion
and relegation plays-off between the second and third top and second bottom
Second and Third Division clubs.
|
2008-09 |
|
|
|
|
13 May 2009 14 May 2009 16 May 2009 17 May 2009 20 May 2009 24 May 2009 |
East Stirlingshire v Cowdenbeath Stenhousemuir v Queen’s Park Cowdenbeath v East Stirlingshire Queen’s Park v Stenhousemuir Cowdenbeath v Stenhousemuir Stenhousemuir v Cowdenbeath Stenhousemuir won on penalties |
1-2 2-1 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 aet |
|
The 2008-09 playoffs were subsequently
ignored after Livingston were demoted from the First to Third Division after
they entered administration, and all the beaten clubs in the finals were place
in the higher division.