2008–09 Scottish First Division

The 2008–09 Scottish First Division was the fourteenth season of the First Division in its current format of ten teams.

Irn-Bru Scottish First Division
Season2008–09
ChampionsSt Johnstone
PromotedSt Johnstone
RelegatedClyde
Top goalscorerStephen Dobbie (24)
Biggest home winQueen of the South 7–1 Clyde
Biggest away winAirdrie United 0–4 St Johnstone

Promotion and relegation from 2007–08

SPL & First Division

Promoted from First Division to Scottish Premier League

First & Second Divisions

Relegated from First Division to Second Division

Promoted from Second Division to First Division

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 St Johnstone (C, P) 36 17 14 5 55 35 +20 65 Promotion to the Premier League
2 Partick Thistle 36 16 7 13 39 35 +4 55
3 Dunfermline Athletic 36 14 9 13 51 43 +8 51
4 Dundee 36 13 11 12 33 32 +1 50
5 Queen of the South 36 12 11 13 57 50 +7 47
6 Greenock Morton 36 12 11 13 40 40 0 47
7 Livingston (R) 36 13 8 15 56 58 −2 47[lower-alpha 1]
8 Ross County 36 13 8 15 42 46 −4 47
9 Airdrie United 36 10 12 14 29 43 −14 42[lower-alpha 2] Qualification for the First Division Play-offs[lower-alpha 3]
10 Clyde (R) 36 10 9 17 41 58 −17 39 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. Demoted to 3rd Division for Financial Irregularities
  2. Spared Relegation as Losing Finalist in the playoff due to Livingston
  3. The 9th placed team will be entered into a play-off with the Second Division's 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed teams. The winning team will be awarded a place in the 2009–10 First 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 AIR CLY DND DNF GMO LIV PAR QOS ROS STJ
Airdrie United 0–2 0–0 1–3 5–0 0–0 0–1 2–0 0–2 1–1
Clyde 1–0 1–0 0–2 1–1 2–1 1–1 0–2 2–2 2–2
Dundee 1–1 1–0 0–0 1–0 0–3 0–0 2–0 1–2 1–1
Dunfermline Athletic 0–0 4–4 0–1 0–1 1–2 1–0 2–1 3–1 1–2
Greenock Morton 2–0 1–0 2–0 1–1 1–2 2–0 0–0 2–1 2–2
Livingston 1–2 2–1 1–2 2–3 1–0 3–1 2–0 2–0 0–1
Partick Thistle 2–1 2–0 0–0 1–0 2–1 2–1 2–0 0–1 4–0
Queen of the South 0–0 0–2 3–1 1–2 1–4 6–1 2–0 1–0 2–2
Ross County 2–0 3–0 1–2 2–1 3–0 1–4 1–0 0–2 1–2
St Johnstone 3–1 2–3 2–0 0–3 1–0 2–0 3–0 0–0 2–1
Source: BBC Sport
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second half of season
Home \ Away AIR CLY DND DNF GMO LIV PAR QOS ROS STJ
Airdrie United 1–0 1–0 1–1 1–0 4–4 0–1 2–0 1–0 0–4
Clyde 3–0 2–0 1–4 2–4 0–1 2–4 1–1 2–0 1–3
Dundee 0–1 2–1 1–0 0–0 4–1 4–0 2–3 2–0 0–1
Dunfermline Athletic 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–1 1–0 0–1 0–2 1–2 1–3
Greenock Morton 0–0 2–0 2–0 2–1 2–2 0–1 2–2 0–2 0–0
Livingston 1–1 1–1 0–1 4–2 0–2 2–4 2–2 4–2 1–0
Partick Thistle 0–1 0–1 1–1 2–3 1–0 1–0 0–2 0–2 0–0
Queen of the South 4–0 7–1 0–1 0–3 1–1 3–3 2–2 1–2 3–3
Ross County 0–0 0–0 1–1 1–3 1–1 2–2 0–2 1–0 2–2
St Johnstone 3–0 1–0 0–0 0–0 3–1 1–0 1–1 2–3 0–0
Source: BBC Sport
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top scorers
Rank Scorer Team Goals
1 Stephen Dobbie Queen of the South 24
2 Leigh Griffiths Livingston 18
3 Andy Kirk Dunfermline Athletic 15
4 Steven Milne St Johnstone 14
Mickaël Antoine-Curier Dundee
6 Pat Clarke Clyde 11
7 Simon Lynch Airdrie United 10
Steven Craig Ross County
Sean Higgins Ross County
10 Peter Weatherson Greenock Morton 9
Brian Wake Greenock Morton
Gary Harkins Partick Thistle
13 Nick Phinn Dunfermline Athletic 8
14 Collin McMenamin Dundee 7
15 William McLaren Clyde 6
Ruari MacLennan Clyde

Source: The League Insider

Attendance
Team Stadium Capacity Highest Lowest Average
Dundee Dens Park 11,856 6,537 2,831 3,995
St Johnstone McDiarmid Park 10,673 7,238 2,259 3,502
Dunfermline Athletic East End Park 11,998 4,998 1,371 3,255
Partick Thistle Firhill Stadium 10,887 3,378 2,296 2,956
Queen of the South Palmerston Park 6,412 3,339 2,029 2,720
Greenock Morton Cappielow 11,612 3,323 1,685 2,279
Ross County Victoria Park 6,310 3,444 1,625 2,279
Livingston Almondvale Stadium 10,016 2,169 1,068 1,728
Airdrie United New Broomfield 10,171 2,165 633 1,356
Clyde Broadwood Stadium 8,006 2,114 776 1,236

Source: The League Insider

Kits and shirt sponsors
Team Kit supplier Shirt sponsor(s) Notes
Airdrie United Surridge St. Andrew's Hospice New home strip.[6]
Clyde Surridge Optical Express/Reface Scotland New kit supplier and new away kit sponsor. Reface Scotland are away kit sponsor.[7]
Dundee Bukta Bukta New home kit, Bukta replace Signitures4U as sponsor.[8]
Dunfermline Athletic Puma The Purvis Group New kit supplier, return to traditional black and white striped home kit.[9]
Greenock Morton Bukta Millions New home kit[10]
Livingston Macron RDF Consulting New kit supplier Macron replacing Nike with a new yellow home kit, while IT solutions provider RDF Consulting sponsor the Lions for the next two seasons.[11]
Partick Thistle Puma Ignis Asset Management Puma replace Diadora as kit supplier.[12]
Queen of the South Surridge JB Houston Butchers/Maxwelltown Builders New home and away kits. Home kit is traditional blue and Away kit is red. JB Houston Butchers displayed on front of shirt, Maxwelltown Builders at the back.[13]
Ross County Adidas HIGHnet
St Johnstone Surridge George Wimpey New home kit

Managerial changes
See also: 2008–09 in Scottish football § Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Table position[14]
Dundee Alex Rae Sacked 20 October[15] Jocky Scott 30 October[16] 8
Livingston Roberto Landi Sacked 1 December[17] Paul Hegarty 5 December[18] 5
Livingston Paul Hegarty Suspended 25 April[19] John Murphy 30 June[20] 6

Monthly awards
Main article: Scottish Football League monthly awards
Month First Division manager SFL Player SFL Young player
Manager Club Player Club Player Club
August[21] Roberto Landi Livingston Stephen Robertson Airdrie United Leigh Griffiths Livingston
September[22] Jim McIntyre Dunfermline Athletic Paul McManus East Fife Calum Elliot Livingston
October[23] Derek McInnes St Johnstone Steven Milne St Johnstone Dominic Shimmin Greenock Morton
November[24] Jocky Scott Dundee Bryan Prunty Ayr United Kyle Benedictus Dundee
December[25] John Brown Clyde Alan Main St Johnstone Chris McMenamin Berwick Rangers
January[26] Ian McCall Partick Thistle Willie McLaren Clyde Bobby Barr Albion Rovers
February[27] Jocky Scott Dundee Gary Harkins Partick Thistle Fraser McLaren Berwick Rangers
March[28] Paul Hegarty Livingston Kevin Rutkiewicz St Johnstone Leigh Griffiths Livingston
April[29] Gordon Chisholm Queen of the South Stephen Dobbie Queen of the South Kevin Moon St Johnstone

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
Airdrie United 4 – 1 Peterhead 2–0 2–1
Brechin City 2 – 5 Ayr United 0–2 2–3

First legs

Brechin City0 – 2Ayr United
Report Aitken  8'  36' (pen.)
Attendance: 902
Referee: B Winter
Peterhead0 – 2Airdrie United
Report Baird  9'
McLaughlin  47'
Attendance: 1,364
Referee: C MacKay

Second legs

Ayr United3 – 2Brechin City
Prunty  15'
Connolly  70'
Aitken  72'		 Report McAllister  38'  53' (pen.)
Attendance: 1,974
Referee: C Allan
Airdrie United2 – 1Peterhead
Smyth  61'
Baird  85'		 Report McKay  45'
Attendance: 1,008
Referee: S Finnie

Final

The two semi-final winners played each other over two legs. The winning team was awarded a place in the 2009–10 First Division.

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

First leg

Ayr United2 – 2Airdrie United
Roberts  48'  67' Report di Giacomo  30'
Baird  43'
Attendance: 3,378
Referee: E Smith

Second leg

Airdrie United0 – 1Ayr United
Report Stevenson  29'
Attendance: 3,303
Referee: I Brines

References
  1. "Hamilton Accies 2-0 Clyde". BBC Sport. 2008-04-19. Archived from the original on 23 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
  2. "Partick Thistle 1-0 Stirling Alb". BBC Sport. 2008-04-08. Archived from the original on 11 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
  3. "Ross County 4-0 Berwick Rangers". BBC Sport. 2008-04-05. Archived from the original on April 7, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  4. "Clyde 2-0 Airdrie United (3-0)". BBC Sport. 2008-05-10. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  5. "Gretna demoted to Division Three". BBC Sport. 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  6. "New logo [and strip] revealed". Airdrie United F.C. 2008-07-15. Archived from the original on 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  7. "A bit of R & R!". Clyde F.C. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
  8. "New Dundee Home Strip Unveiled". Vital football. 2008-05-08. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  9. "Dunfermline kit". Dunfermline Athletic F.C. Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  10. "Greenock Morton kit". Greenock Morton F.C. 2008-05-23. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
  11. "Livingston announce new sponsor". Livington F.C. 20 August 2008. Archived from the original on 23 October 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  12. "Partick Thistle net new kit deal". BBC Sport. 2008-03-11. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  13. "Queen of the South kit". 2008-05-29. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  14. Shows position in table at time when manager departed.
  15. "Dundee sack Rae and seek new boss". BBC Sport. 2008-10-20. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  16. "Scott is Dens boss for third time". BBC Sport. 2008-10-30. Archived from the original on 1 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
  17. "Sack for Livingston manager Landi". BBC Sport. 1 December 2008. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
  18. "Livi confirm Hegarty as new boss". BBC Sport. 5 December 2008. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  19. "Hegarty turned away at Almondvale". BBC Sport. 27 April 2009. Archived from the original on 29 April 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
  20. "Livi name coach as deadline looms". BBC Sport. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  21. "The IRN-BRU SFL Manager and Player of the Month Awards August, 2008". Scottish Football League. 9 September 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
  22. "The IRN-BRU SFL Manager and Player of the Month Awards September, 2008". Scottish Football League. 15 October 2008. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  23. "THE IRN-BRU SFL Manager and Player of the Month Awards October, 2008". Scottish Football League. 11 November 2008. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
  24. "The IRN-BRU SFL Manager and Player of the Month Awards November, 2008". Scottish Football League. 11 December 2008. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
  25. "The IRN-BRU SFL Manager and Player of the Month Awards December, 2008". Scottish Football League. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  26. "The IRN-BRU SFL Manager and Player of the Month Awards January, 2009". Scottish Football League. 9 February 2009. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
  27. "The IRN-BRU SFL Manager and Player of the Month Awards February, 2009". Scottish Football League. 19 March 2009. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
  28. "The IRN-BRU SFL Manager and Player of the Month Awards March, 2009". Scottish Football League. 14 April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  29. "IThe IRN-BRU SFL Phenomenal Manager and Player of the Month Awards April, 2009". Scottish Football league. 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 13 August 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
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