1985–86 in Scottish football
| 1985–86 in Scottish football | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Premier Division champions | ||
| Celtic | ||
| Division One champions | ||
| Hamilton Academical | ||
| Division Two champions | ||
| Dunfermline Athletic | ||
| Scottish Cup winners | ||
| Aberdeen | ||
| League Cup winners | ||
| Aberdeen | ||
| Junior Cup winners | ||
| Auchinleck Talbot | ||
| Teams in Europe | ||
| Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee United, Rangers, St Mirren | ||
| Scotland national team | ||
| 1986 World Cup qualification, 1986 World Cup, Rous Cup |
The 1985–86 season was the 89th season of competitive football in Scotland.
At a national level, Scotland's qualification for the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico was marred by the death of Manager Jock Stein. In the end caretaker manager Alex Ferguson was not able to take the team beyond the first round.
In club football, with Rangers once again failing to mount a title challenge, manager Jock Wallace's second spell as manager ended in April when he was sacked and the club appointed Graeme Souness as player-manager, recruiting the former Liverpool midfielder from Sampdoria in Italy. Celtic eventually won the league on the final day after Hearts threw away a two-point lead.
Impressively, Aberdeen won both the Scottish cup and the league cup.
Celtic won the League and became champions in one of the closest finishes in League history. On the final day of the season Hearts were leading Celtic by two points - a draw against Dundee would have been sufficient to see them win their first League title since the 1959–60 season. Hearts lost 2–0 to Dundee at Dens Park thanks to two late goals by substitute Albert Kidd, while Celtic beat St Mirren 5–0 at Love Street. As a result, Celtic won the league on goal difference.
Relegation was suspended due to league reconstruction, therefore Motherwell and Clydebank retained their Premier Division status.
Much of the season was only viewed in the flesh as a dispute between television companies and the Scottish Football League resulted in no televised Scottish league football between September 1985 and March 1986.
Champions: Celtic
No relegation
Promoted: Hamilton Academical, Falkirk
Relegated: Ayr United, Alloa Athletic.
Promoted: Dunfermline Athletic, Queen of the South
Key:
On 10 September 1985, the Scotland team travelled to Ninian Park, Cardiff, to take on Wales in their final qualifying game for the World Cup in Mexico. They needed at least a draw to secure a place in the qualification play-off, which they finally achieved in the 81st minute when a Davie Cooper penalty drew Scotland level with Wales, who had gone ahead earlier with a Mark Hughes goal. Just after the final whistle, Scotland manager Jock Stein collapsed from a heart attack at the side of the pitch and died in the medical room shortly afterwards. He was 62 years old.
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