1988–89 in Scottish football

1988–89 in Scottish football

Premier Division champions
Rangers
Division One champions
Dunfermline Athletic
Division Two champions
Albion Rovers
Scottish Cup winners
Celtic
League Cup winners
Rangers
Junior Cup winners
Cumnock Juniors
Teams in Europe
Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee United, Heart of Midlothian, Rangers
Scotland national team
1990 World Cup qualification, Rous Cup
← 1987–88 1989–90 →

The 1988–89 season was the 92nd season of competitive football in Scotland. ^[1]

Notable events

Rangers regained their league title and retained the League Cup, but defeat by Celtic in the Scottish Cup final ended their hopes of a domestic treble.

Graeme Souness's acquisition of English players continued with the signing of Norwich City striker Kevin Drinkell and Everton defender Gary Stevens. For the title run-in, he also signed defender Mel Sterland from Sheffield Wednesday, only to sell him to Leeds United in the close season.

Hearts enjoyed the best European run out of all the Scottish clubs, reaching the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup, where they were narrowly beaten by the West German giants Bayern Munich.

Alex Smith and Jocky Scott took joint charge of Aberdeen for the 1988–89 season following the departure of Ian Porterfield after less than two years in charge, but were still unable to return to the club to the glory days of Alex Ferguson, as Rangers and Celtic collected all the major prizes once again.

Scottish Premier Division

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Rangers (C)	36	26	4	6	62	26	+36	56	Qualification for the European Cup first round
2	Aberdeen	36	18	14	4	51	25	+26	50	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
3	Celtic	36	21	4	11	66	44	+22	46	Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round
4	Dundee United	36	16	12	8	44	26	+18	44	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
5	Hibernian	36	13	9	14	37	36	+1	35	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
6	Heart of Midlothian	36	9	13	14	35	42	−7	31
7	St Mirren	36	11	7	18	39	55	−16	29
8	Dundee	36	9	10	17	34	48	−14	28
9	Motherwell	36	7	13	16	25	44	−19	27
10	Hamilton Academical (R)	36	6	2	28	19	76	−57	14	Relegation to the 1989–90 Scottish First Division

Source: Statto
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Champions: Rangers
Relegated: Hamilton Academical

Scottish League Division One

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Dunfermline Athletic (C, P)	39	22	10	7	60	36	+24	54	Promotion to the Premier Division
2	Falkirk	39	22	8	9	71	37	+34	52
3	Clydebank	39	18	12	9	80	55	+25	48
4	Airdrieonians	39	17	13	9	66	44	+22	47
5	Morton	39	16	9	14	46	46	0	41
6	St Johnstone	39	14	12	13	51	42	+9	40
7	Raith Rovers	39	15	10	14	50	52	−2	40
8	Partick Thistle	39	13	11	15	57	58	−1	37
9	Forfar Athletic	39	10	16	13	52	56	−4	36
10	Meadowbank Thistle	39	13	10	16	45	50	−5	36
11	Ayr United	39	13	9	17	56	72	−16	35
12	Clyde	39	9	16	14	40	52	−12	34
13	Kilmarnock (R)	39	10	14	15	47	60	−13	34	Relegation to the Second Division
14	Queen of the South (R)	39	2	8	29	38	99	−61	12	Relegation to the Second Division

Source: RSSSF and statto^[2]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Promoted: Dunfermline Athletic
Relegated: Kilmarnock, Queen of the South

Scottish League Division Two

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion
1	Albion Rovers (C, P)	39	21	8	10	65	48	+17	50	Promotion to the First Division
2	Alloa Athletic (P)	39	17	11	11	66	48	+18	45	Promotion to the First Division
3	Brechin City	39	15	13	11	58	49	+9	43
4	Stirling Albion	39	15	12	12	64	55	+9	42
5	East Fife	39	14	13	12	55	54	+1	41
6	Montrose	39	15	11	13	54	55	−1	41
7	Queen's Park	39	10	18	11	50	49	+1	38
8	Cowdenbeath	39	13	14	12	48	52	−4	40
9	East Stirlingshire	39	13	11	15	54	58	−4	37
10	Arbroath	39	11	15	13	56	63	−7	37
11	Stranraer	39	12	12	15	58	63	−5	36
12	Dumbarton	39	12	10	17	45	55	−10	34
13	Berwick Rangers	39	10	13	16	50	59	−9	33
14	Stenhousemuir	39	9	11	19	44	59	−15	29

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted

Promoted: Albion Rovers, Alloa Athletic

Other honours

Cup honours

Competition	Winner	Score	Runner-up
Scottish Cup 1988–89	Celtic	1 – 0	Rangers
League Cup 1988–89	Rangers	3 – 2	Aberdeen
Youth Cup	Celtic	1 – 0	Hibernian
Junior Cup	Cumnock Juniors	1 – 0	Ormiston Primrose

Non-league honours

Senior

Competition	Winner
Highland League 1988–89	Peterhead
East of Scotland League	Gala Fairydean
South of Scotland League	Dalbeattie Star

Individual honours

SPFA awards

Award	Winner	Club
Players' Player of the Year	Theo Snelders	Aberdeen
Young Player of the Year	Billy McKinlay	Dundee United

SFWA awards

Award	Winner	Club
Footballer of the Year	Richard Gough	Rangers
Manager of the Year	Graeme Souness	Rangers

Scottish clubs in Europe

Results for Scotland's participants in European competition for the 1988–89 season

Celtic

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score	Competition	Celtic scorer(s)
European Cup
7 September 1988	Bozsik Stadion, Budapest (A)	Budapest Honvéd	0–1	EC1
5 October 1988	Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)	Budapest Honvéd	4–0	EC1	Billy Stark, Andy Walker, Frank McAvennie, Mark McGhee
26 October 1988	Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)	Werder Bremen	0–1	EC2
8 November 1988	Weserstadion, Bremen (A)	Werder Bremen	0–0	EC2

Dundee United

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score	Competition	Dundee United scorer(s)
	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
6 September 1988	Ta'Qali Stadium, Valletta (A)	Floriana	0–0	CWC1
5 October 1988	Tannadice, Dundee (H)	Floriana	1–0	CWC1	Raphael Meade
26 October 1988	Tannadice, Dundee (H)	Dinamo Bucharest	0–1	CWC2
9 November 1988	Dinamo Stadium, Bucharest (A)	Dinamo Bucharest	1–1	CWC2	Dave Beaumont

Aberdeen

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score	Competition
UEFA Cup
7 September 1988	Pittodrie, Aberdeen (H)	Dynamo Dresden	0–0	UC1
5 October 1988	Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, Dresden (A)	Dynamo Dresden	0–2	UC1

Heart of Midlothian

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score	Competition	Hearts scorer(s)
UEFA Cup
7 September 1988	Richmond Park, Dublin (A)	St Patrick's Athletic	2–0	UC1	Wayne Foster (pen.), Mike Galloway
5 October 1988	Tynecastle, Edinburgh (H)	St Patrick's Athletic	2–0	UC1	Mike Galloway, Kenny Black
26 October 1988	Tynecastle, Edinburgh (H)	FK Austria Vienna	0–0	UC2
9 November 1988	Prater Stadion, Vienna (A)	FK Austria Vienna	1–0	UC2	Mike Galloway
23 November 1988	Tynecastle, Edinburgh (H)	Velež Mostar	3–0	UC3	Eamonn Bannon, Mike Galloway, John Colquhoun
7 December 1988	Bijeli Brijeg Stadium, Mostar (A)	Velež Mostar	1–2	UC3	Mike Galloway
28 February 1989	Tynecastle, Edinburgh (H)	Bayern Munich	1–0	UCQF	Iain Ferguson
14 March 1989	Olympiastadion, Munich (A)	Bayern Munich	0–2	UCQF

Rangers

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score	Competition	Rangers scorer(s)
UEFA Cup
7 September 1988	Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (H)	GKS Katowice	1–0	UC1	Mark Walters
5 October 1988	Ul. Bukowa, Katowice (A)	GKS Katowice	4–2	UC1	Terry Butcher (2), Ian Durrant, Derek Ferguson
26 October 1988	Müngersdorfer Stadion, Cologne (A)	1. FC Köln	0–2	UC2
9 November 1988	Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (H)	1. FC Köln	1–1	UC2	Kevin Drinkell

Scotland national team

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score^[3]	Competition	Scotland scorer(s)
14 September	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo (A)	Norway	2–1	WCQG5	Paul McStay, Maurice Johnston
19 October	Hampden Park, Glasgow (H)	Yugoslavia	1–1	WCQG5	Maurice Johnston
22 December	Stadio Renato Curi, Perugia (A)	Italy	0–2	Friendly
8 February	Tsirion Stadium, Limassol (A)	Cyprus	3–2	WCQG5	Maurice Johnston, Richard Gough (2)
8 March	Hampden Park, Glasgow (H)	France	2–0	WCQG5	Maurice Johnston (2)
26 April	Hampden Park, Glasgow (H)	Cyprus	2–1	WCQG5	Maurice Johnston, Ally McCoist
27 May	Hampden Park, Glasgow (H)	England	0–2	Rous Cup
30 May	Hampden Park, Glasgow (H)	Chile	2–0	Rous Cup	Alan McInally, Murdo MacLeod

Key:

(H) = Home match
(A) = Away match
WCQG5 = World Cup qualifying – Group 5
F = Friendly

Notes and references

^ "1988/89 - the Scottish Football League". Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
^ "Scottish Division One 1988-1989 Season Summary". statto.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
^ Scotland's score is shown first.

v t e Seasons in Scottish football
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Seasons in Scottish football

v t e 1988–89 in Scottish football
« 1987–88 1989–90 »
Domestic leagues	Football League Premier Division First Division Second Division Highland League
Domestic cups	Scottish Cup Final League Cup Final Junior Cup Tennent's Sixes
European competitions	European Cup European Cup Winners' Cup UEFA Cup
Related to national team	Results 1990 World Cup qualifying (Group 5) Rous Cup
Club seasons
Premier Division	Aberdeen Celtic Dundee Dundee United Hamilton Academical Heart of Midlothian Hibernian Motherwell Rangers St. Mirren
First Division	Airdrieonians Ayr United Clyde Clydebank Dunfermline Athletic Falkirk Forfar Athletic Kilmarnock Meadowbank Thistle Morton Partick Thistle Queen of the South Raith Rovers St. Johnstone
Second Division	Albion Rovers Alloa Athletic Arbroath Brechin City Berwick Rangers Cowdenbeath Dumbarton East Fife East Stirlingshire Montrose Queen's Park Stenhousemuir Stirling Albion Stranraer