# 1965–66 in Scottish football

The 1965–66 season was the 93rd season of competitive football in Scotland and the 69th season of Scottish league football.

## Overview

After the openness of recent years, the Old Firm came back strongly this season. Celtic won their first title under the management of Jock Stein, their first since 1954 and rivals Rangers finished as runners-up. For the only time in Scottish football, the Old Firm teams finished first and second in all three domestic competitions.

## Scottish League Division One

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Celtic | 34 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 106 | 30 | +76 | 57 |
| 2 | Rangers | 34 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 91 | 29 | +62 | 55 |
| 3 | Kilmarnock | 34 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 73 | 46 | +27 | 45 |
| 4 | Dunfermline | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 94 | 55 | +39 | 44 |
| 5 | Dundee United | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 79 | 51 | +28 | 43 |
| 6 | Hibernian | 34 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 81 | 55 | +26 | 38 |
| 7 | Hearts | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 56 | 48 | +8 | 38 |
| 8 | Aberdeen | 34 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 61 | 54 | +7 | 36 |
| 9 | Dundee | 34 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 61 | 61 | 0 | 34 |
| 10 | Falkirk | 34 | 15 | 1 | 18 | 48 | 72 | −24 | 31 |
| 11 | Clyde | 34 | 13 | 4 | 17 | 62 | 64 | −2 | 30 |
| 12 | Partick Thistle | 34 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 55 | 64 | −9 | 30 |
| 13 | Motherwell | 34 | 12 | 4 | 18 | 52 | 69 | −17 | 28 |
| 14 | St Johnstone | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 58 | 81 | −23 | 26 |
| 15 | Stirling Albion | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 40 | 68 | −28 | 26 |
| 16 | St Mirren | 34 | 9 | 4 | 21 | 44 | 82 | −38 | 22 |
| 17 | Morton (R) | 34 | 8 | 5 | 21 | 42 | 84 | −42 | 21 |
| 18 | Hamilton Academical (R) | 34 | 3 | 2 | 29 | 27 | 117 | −90 | 8 |
Champions: Celtic Relegated: Greenock Morton, Hamilton Academical

## Scottish League Division Two

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Ayr United | 36 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 78 | 37 | +41 | 53 | Promotion to the 1966–67 First Division |
| 2 | Airdrieonians | 36 | 22 | 6 | 8 | 107 | 56 | +51 | 50 | Promotion to the 1966–67 First Division |
| 3 | Queen of the South | 36 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 73 | 46 | +27 | 47 | |
| 4 | East Fife | 36 | 20 | 4 | 12 | 72 | 55 | +17 | 44 | |
| 5 | Raith Rovers | 36 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 71 | 43 | +28 | 43 | |
| 6 | Arbroath | 36 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 72 | 52 | +20 | 43 | |
| 7 | Albion Rovers | 36 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 58 | 54 | +4 | 43 | |
| 8 | Alloa Athletic | 36 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 65 | 65 | 0 | 38 | |
| 9 | Montrose | 36 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 67 | 63 | +4 | 37 | |
| 10 | Cowdenbeath | 36 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 69 | 68 | +1 | 37 | |
| 11 | Berwick Rangers | 36 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 69 | 58 | +11 | 35 | |
| 12 | Dumbarton | 36 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 63 | 61 | +2 | 35 | |
| 13 | Queen's Park | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 62 | 65 | −3 | 33 | |
| 14 | Third Lanark | 36 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 55 | 65 | −10 | 32 | |
| 15 | Stranraer | 36 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 64 | 83 | −19 | 28 | |
| 16 | Brechin City | 36 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 52 | 92 | −40 | 27 | |
| 17 | East Stirlingshire | 36 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 59 | 91 | −32 | 23 | |
| 18 | Stenhousemuir | 36 | 6 | 7 | 23 | 47 | 93 | −46 | 19 | |
| 19 | Forfar Athletic | 36 | 7 | 3 | 26 | 61 | 120 | −59 | 17 | |
Promoted: Ayr United, Airdrieonians

## Cup honours

| Competition | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
| Scottish Cup 1965–66 | Rangers | 1 – 0 (rep.) | Celtic |
| League Cup 1965–66 | Celtic | 2 – 1 | Rangers |
| Junior Cup | Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic | 6 – 1 (rep.) | Whitburn |

## Individual honours

| Award | Winner | Club |
| Footballer of the Year | John Greig | Rangers |

## Scottish clubs in Europe
### Celtic

| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition |
| 28 September 1965 | De Adelaarshorst, Deventer (A) | Go Ahead Eagles | 6–0 | CWC1 |
| 7 October 1965 | Celtic Park, Glasgow (H) | Go Ahead Eagles | 1–0 | CWC1 |
| 3 November 1965 | Atletion, Aarhus (A) | AGF Aarhus | 1–0 | CWC2 |
| 17 November 1965 | Celtic Park, Glasgow (H) | AGF Aarhus | 2–0 | CWC2 |
| 12 January 1966 | Celtic Park, Glasgow (H) | Dinamo Kiev | 3–0 | CWC3 |
| 26 January 1966 | Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, Kiev (A) | Dinamo Kiev | 1–1 | CWC3 |
| 14 April 1966 | Celtic Park, Glasgow (H) | Liverpool | 1–0 | CWCSF |
| 19 April 1966 | Anfield, Liverpool (A) | Liverpool | 0–2 | CWCSF |

### Dunfermline Athletic

| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition |
| 3 November 1965 | East End Park, Dunfermline (H) | KB Copenhagen | 5–0 | FC2 |
| 17 November 1965 | Frederiksberg, Copenhagen (A) | KB Copenhagen | 2–4 | FC2 |
| 26 January 1966 | East End Park, Dunfermline (H) | FC Zbrojovka Brno | 2–0 | FC3 |
| 16 February 1966 | Městský fotbalový stadion Srbská, Brno (A) | FC Zbrojovka Brno | 0–0 | FC3 |
| 8 March 1966 | East End Park, Dunfermline (H) | Real Zaragoza | 1–0 | FCQF |
| 20 March 1966 | La Romareda, Zaragoza (H) | Real Zaragoza | 2–4 | FCQF |

### Heart of Midlothian

| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition |
| 18 October 1965 | Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh (H) | Valerengen | 1–0 | FC1 |
| 27 October 1965 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo (A) | Valerengen | 3–1 | FC1 |
| 12 January 1966 | Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh (H) | Real Zaragoza | 3–3 | FC2 |
| 26 January 1966 | Estadio Mestalla, Valencia (A) | Real Zaragoza | 2–2 | FC2 |
| 2 March 1966 | Estadio Mestalla, Valencia (A) | Real Zaragoza | 0–1 | FC2 |

### Hibernian

| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition |
| 8 September 1965 | Easter Road, Edinburgh (H) | Valencia CF | 2–0 | FC1 |
| 12 October 1965 | Estadio Mestalla, Valencia (A) | Valencia CF | 0–2 | FC1 |
| 3 November 1965 | Estadio Mestalla, Valencia (A) | Valencia CF | 0–3 | FC1 |

### Kilmarnock

| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition |
| 8 September 1965 | Selman Stërmasi Stadium, Tirana (A) | KF Tirana | 0–0 | ECPR |
| 29 September 1965 | Rugby Park, Kilmarnock (H) | KF Tirana | 1–0 | ECPR |
| 17 November 1965 | Rugby Park, Kilmarnock (H) | Real Madrid | 2–2 | EC1 |
| 1 December 1965 | Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid (A) | Real Madrid | 1–5 | EC1 |

## Other honours
### National

| Competition | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
| Scottish Qualifying Cup – North | Inverness Caledonian | 5 – 1 * | Elgin City |
| Scottish Qualifying Cup – South | Gala Fairydean | 8 – 5 * | Vale of Leithen |

### County

| Competition | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
| Aberdeenshire Cup | Deveronvale | | |
| Ayrshire Cup | Kilmarnock | 3 – 1 * | Ayr United |
| East of Scotland Shield | Hearts | 4 – 2 | Hibernian |
| Fife Cup | Dunfermline Athletic | 6 – 6 * ‡ | Raith Rovers |
| Forfarshire Cup | Dundee | 2 – 1 | Brechin City |
| Lanarkshire Cup | Airdrie | | |
| Renfrewshire Cup | Morton | 3 – 1 * † | St Mirren |
| Stirlingshire Cup | Alloa Athletic | wo | Stirling Albion |
$^*$ – aggregate over two legs † – play off ‡ – trophy shared

### Highland League

Top Three :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Elgin City | 30 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 96 | 35 | +61 | 53 |
| 2 | Inverness Caledonian | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 111 | 46 | +65 | 47 |
| 3 | Ross County | 29 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 92 | 50 | +42 | 40 |

## Scotland national team

The Scottish national football side failed to qualify for the 1966 FIFA World Cup, which was ultimately won by the host nation England.
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | Scotland scorer(s) |
| 2 October 1965 | Windsor Park, Belfast (A) | Northern Ireland | 2–3 | BHC | Alan Gilzean (2) |
| 13 October 1965 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | Poland | 1–2 | WCQG8 | Billy McNeill |
| 9 November 1965 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | Italy | 1–0 | WCQG8 | John Greig |
| 2 October 1965 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | Wales | 4–1 | BHC | Bobby Murdoch (2), Willie Henderson, John Greig |
| 7 December 1965 | Stadio San Paolo, Naples (A) | Italy | 0–3 | WCQG8 | |
| 2 April 1966 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | England | 3–4 | BHC | Jimmy Johnstone (2), Denis Law |
| 11 May 1966 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | Netherlands | 0–3 | Friendly | |
| 18 June 1966 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | Portugal | 0–1 | Friendly | |
| 25 June 1966 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | Brazil | 1–1 | Friendly | Stevie Chalmers |
1966 British Home Championship – Third Place
Key:
* (H) = Home match
* (A) = Away match
* WCQG8 = World Cup qualifying – Group 8
* BHC = British Home Championship