1898–99 Scottish Division Two
Football league season
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The 1898â99 Scottish Second Division was the sixth season of the Scottish Football League Second Division.
| Season | 1898â99 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Kilmarnock |
| Promoted | Kilmarnock |
â 1897â98 1899â1900 â | |
Defending champions Kilmarnock retained their title after going through the full season unbeaten. It was the only time that a team has gone unbeaten for a full season in the second tier of Scottish football. Kilmarnock were subsequently elected to the Scottish Football League First Division for the 1899â1900 season.
Background
The Scottish Football League Second Division was formed in 1893 and first contested in the 1893â94 season.[1]
Kilmarnock were the defending champions having won the 1897â98 title by four points over nearest rivals Port Glasgow Athletic.[2] However, they were not elected to Division One as the three proceeding league champions had been and instead would remain in Division Two. Only once previously had the Division Two winners not been elected to Division One â Hibernian in 1893â94.[1]
Format
The league took on a traditional double round robin format. Each team played every other team twice â once at home and once away from home â for a total of 18 matches each. Two points were awarded for a win, one point was awarded for a draw and nothing was awarded for a loss. Teams were ranked on total number of points accumulated. There were no tie breakers so teams finishing level on points were considered of equal rank.[1]
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kilmarnock (C, P) | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 73 | 24 | +49 | 32 | Elected to the 1899â1900 Scottish First Division |
| 2 | Leith Athletic | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 63 | 38 | +25 | 27 | |
| 3 | Port Glasgow Athletic | 18 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 75 | 51 | +24 | 25 | |
| 4 | Motherwell | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 41 | 40 | +1 | 20 | |
| 5 | Airdrieonians | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 36 | 46 | â10 | 15 | |
| 5 | Hamilton Academical | 18 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 48 | 58 | â10 | 15 | |
| 7 | Ayr | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 35 | 51 | â16 | 13 | |
| 7 | Morton | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 36 | 42 | â6 | 13 | |
| 9 | Linthouse | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 29 | 62 | â33 | 11 | |
| 10 | Abercorn | 18 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 41 | 65 | â24 | 9 |
Rules for classification: Teams finish equal if level on points. Points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Aftermath
Having successfully defended their title, Kilmarnock were later elected to Scottish Football League First Division for the 1899â1900 season.[1]
This was the only time that a team completed an unbeaten season in the second tier of Scottish football.[1]