1985–86 Scottish Premier Division

{{Short description|80th season of top-tier football league in Scotland}}

{{Infobox football league season

| competition = Scottish Premier Division

| season = 1985–86

| winners = Celtic
5th Premier Division title
34th Scottish title

| promoted =

| relegated =

| continentalcup1 = European Cup

| continentalcup1 qualifiers = Celtic

| continentalcup2 = UEFA Cup

| continentalcup2 qualifiers = Heart of Midlothian
Dundee United
Rangers

| continentalcup3 = Cup Winners' Cup

| continentalcup3 qualifiers = Aberdeen

| league topscorer = Ally McCoist (24)

| matches = 180

| total goals = 498

| average goals =

| biggest home win =

| biggest away win =

| highest attendance =

| lowest attendance =

| average attendance =

| prevseason = 1984–85

| nextseason = 1986–87

}}

Celtic won the 1985–86 Scottish Premier Division 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.{{cite web |last1=Paul |first1=Ian |title=Celtic keep bargain - with a little help from Dundee|date=5 May 1986|work= Glasgow Herald |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=l7ZAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t6UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2512%2C1047906 |access-date=15 October 2022}}

Relegation was suspended due to league reconstruction, therefore Motherwell and Clydebank retained their Premier Division status.

Much of the season was only viewed by fans in stadiums as a dispute between television companies and the Scottish Football League resulted in no televised Scottish league football between September 1985 and March 1986.{{cite web|title=Dens memories reduce former Hearts manager to tears - Scotsman.com Sport |url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/dens-memories-reduce-former-hearts-manager-tears-2475971 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008043619/http://sport.scotsman.com/heartofmidlothianfc/Dens-memories-reduce-former-Hearts.2751855.jp |archive-date=2012-10-08 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-04-05 }}

Table

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=Q

|show_limit=5

|winpoints=2

|team1=CEL|name_CEL=Celtic

|team2=HOM|name_HOM=Heart of Midlothian

|team3=DNU|name_DNU=Dundee United

|team4=ABE|name_ABE=Aberdeen

|team5=RAN|name_RAN=Rangers

|team6=DND|name_DND=Dundee

|team7=STM|name_STM=St Mirren

|team8=HIB|name_HIB=Hibernian

|team9=MOT|name_MOT=Motherwell

|team10=CLY|name_CLY=Clydebank

|col_EC1=green1|text_EC1=Qualification for the European Cup first round

|result1=EC1

|col_UC1=blue1|text_UC1=Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round

|result2=UC1|result3=UC1|result5=UC1

|col_ECWC1=yellow1|text_ECWC1=Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round

|result4=ECWC1

|update=complete

|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/scot86.html Rsssf]

}}

Results

=Matches 1–18=

During matches 1–18 each team plays every other team twice (home and away).

{{#invoke:Sports results|main

|matches_style=FBR|solid_cell=grey

|name_ABE=Aberdeen

|match_ABE_CEL=4–1

|match_ABE_CLY=3–1

|match_ABE_DND=4-1

|match_ABE_DNU=3–2

|match_ABE_HIB=3–0

|match_ABE_HOM=3–0

|match_ABE_MOT=1–1

|match_ABE_RAN=1–0

|match_ABE_STM=1–1

|name_CEL=Celtic

|match_CEL_ABE=2–1

|match_CEL_CLY=2–0

|match_CEL_DND=2–1

|match_CEL_DNU=0–3

|match_CEL_HIB=1–1

|match_CEL_HOM=0–1

|match_CEL_MOT=2–1

|match_CEL_RAN=1–1

|match_CEL_STM=2–0

|name_CLY=Clydebank

|match_CLY_ABE=2–1

|match_CLY_CEL=0–2

|match_CLY_DND=4–0

|match_CLY_DNU=1–2

|match_CLY_HIB=2–4

|match_CLY_HOM=1–0

|match_CLY_MOT=1–1

|match_CLY_RAN=0–1

|match_CLY_STM=1–1

|name_DND=Dundee

|match_DND_ABE=1–3

|match_DND_CEL=0–2

|match_DND_CLY=2–0

|match_DND_DNU=0–3

|match_DND_HIB=1–0

|match_DND_HOM=1–1

|match_DND_MOT=3–1

|match_DND_RAN=3–2

|match_DND_STM=2–1

|name_DNU=Dundee United

|match_DNU_ABE=1–1

|match_DNU_CEL=1–0

|match_DNU_CLY=2–1

|match_DNU_DND=2–0

|match_DNU_HIB=2–2

|match_DNU_HOM=1–1

|match_DNU_MOT=3–0

|match_DNU_RAN=1–1

|match_DNU_STM=5–0

|name_HIB=Hibernian

|match_HIB_ABE=1–1

|match_HIB_CEL=0–5

|match_HIB_CLY=5–0

|match_HIB_DND=2–1

|match_HIB_DNU=0–1

|match_HIB_HOM=0–0

|match_HIB_MOT=1–0

|match_HIB_RAN=1–3

|match_HIB_STM=2–3

|name_HOM=Heart of Midlothian

|match_HOM_ABE=1–0

|match_HOM_CEL=1–1

|match_HOM_CLY=4–1

|match_HOM_DND=1–1

|match_HOM_DNU=2–0

|match_HOM_HIB=2–1

|match_HOM_MOT=3–0

|match_HOM_RAN=3–0

|match_HOM_STM=3–0

|name_MOT=Motherwell

|match_MOT_ABE=1–1

|match_MOT_CEL=1–2

|match_MOT_CLY=0–0

|match_MOT_DND=1–3

|match_MOT_DNU=0–1

|match_MOT_HIB=2–0

|match_MOT_HOM=2–1

|match_MOT_RAN=0–3

|match_MOT_STM=3–1

|name_RAN=Rangers

|match_RAN_ABE=0–3

|match_RAN_CEL=3–0

|match_RAN_CLY=0–0

|match_RAN_DND=0–1

|match_RAN_DNU=1–0

|match_RAN_HIB=1–2

|match_RAN_HOM=3–1

|match_RAN_MOT=1–0

|match_RAN_STM=3–0

|name_STM=St Mirren

|match_STM_ABE=1–0

|match_STM_CEL=1–2

|match_STM_CLY=0–2

|match_STM_DND=1–0

|match_STM_DNU=1–0

|match_STM_HIB=1–3

|match_STM_HOM=6–2

|match_STM_MOT=4–1

|match_STM_RAN=2–1

|update=complete

|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/scot86.html Rsssf]

}}

=Matches 19–36=

During matches 19–36 each team plays every other team twice (home and away).

{{#invoke:Sports results|main

|matches_style=FBR|solid_cell=grey

|name_ABE=Aberdeen

|match_ABE_CEL=0–1

|match_ABE_CLY=4–1

|match_ABE_DND=0–0

|match_ABE_DNU=0–1

|match_ABE_HIB=4–0

|match_ABE_HOM=0–1

|match_ABE_MOT=3–2

|match_ABE_RAN=1–1

|match_ABE_STM=3–1

|name_CEL=Celtic

|match_CEL_ABE=1–1

|match_CEL_CLY=2–0

|match_CEL_DND=2–1

|match_CEL_DNU=1–1

|match_CEL_HIB=2–0

|match_CEL_HOM=1–1

|match_CEL_MOT=3–2

|match_CEL_RAN=2–0

|match_CEL_STM=1–1

|name_CLY=Clydebank

|match_CLY_ABE=0–6

|match_CLY_CEL=0–5

|match_CLY_DND=0–0

|match_CLY_DNU=1–1

|match_CLY_HIB=1–3

|match_CLY_HOM=1–1

|match_CLY_MOT=1–1

|match_CLY_RAN=2–1

|match_CLY_STM=0–2

|name_DND=Dundee

|match_DND_ABE=0–0

|match_DND_CEL=1–3

|match_DND_CLY=4–0

|match_DND_DNU=0–1

|match_DND_HIB=3–1

|match_DND_HOM=2–0

|match_DND_MOT=4–0

|match_DND_RAN=2–1

|match_DND_STM=3–1

|name_DNU=Dundee United

|match_DNU_ABE=2–1

|match_DNU_CEL=4–2

|match_DNU_CLY=4–0

|match_DNU_DND=0–0

|match_DNU_HIB=4–0

|match_DNU_HOM=0–3

|match_DNU_MOT=4–0

|match_DNU_RAN=1–1

|match_DNU_STM=1–2

|name_HIB=Hibernian

|match_HIB_ABE=0–1

|match_HIB_CEL=2–2

|match_HIB_CLY=2–3

|match_HIB_DND=1–0

|match_HIB_DNU=1–2

|match_HIB_HOM=1–2

|match_HIB_MOT=4–0

|match_HIB_RAN=1–1

|match_HIB_STM=3–0

|name_HOM=Heart of Midlothian

|match_HOM_ABE=1–1

|match_HOM_CEL=1–1

|match_HOM_CLY=1–0

|match_HOM_DND=3–1

|match_HOM_DNU=1–1

|match_HOM_HIB=3–1

|match_HOM_MOT=2–0

|match_HOM_RAN=3–1

|match_HOM_STM=3–0

|name_MOT=Motherwell

|match_MOT_ABE=0–1

|match_MOT_CEL=0–2

|match_MOT_CLY=3–0

|match_MOT_DND=2–2

|match_MOT_DNU=2–0

|match_MOT_HIB=3–1

|match_MOT_HOM=1–3

|match_MOT_RAN=1–0

|match_MOT_STM=1–2

|name_RAN=Rangers

|match_RAN_ABE=1–1

|match_RAN_CEL=4–4

|match_RAN_CLY=4–2

|match_RAN_DND=5–0

|match_RAN_DNU=1–1

|match_RAN_HIB=3–1

|match_RAN_HOM=0–2

|match_RAN_MOT=2–0

|match_RAN_STM=2–0

|name_STM=St Mirren

|match_STM_ABE=1–1

|match_STM_CEL=0–5

|match_STM_CLY=3–0

|match_STM_DND=1–2

|match_STM_DNU=1–1

|match_STM_HIB=0–2

|match_STM_HOM=0–1

|match_STM_MOT=1–0

|match_STM_RAN=2–1

|update=complete

|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/scot86.html Rsssf]

}}

References

Category:Scottish Premier Division seasons

Scot