Scotland – nothing much in the second tier, Division 1. With the exception of the outsider Queen’s Park, most of the teams were modest and equal.
Alloa Athletic was typical example – they finished 6th with 39 points. Not bad at all for a newcomer from Division 2, but otherwise nothing special. Local pride, at best.
Four teams were clearly better than the rest, but the final table gives the illusion of tough and competitive race between them – in reality, only two teams battled. The other two – Clydebank, 3rd and Partick Thistle, 4th were not actual candidates for promotion.
Despite the words of caution of manager Alex MacDonald, everybody in Scotland considered Heart of Midlothian premier division team just playing out time in Division 1. They were going up, surely. Sandy Jardine was the big man, leading the squad, but there were few more strong players, so the Hearts were looked at with serious optimism. Eventually, they did not disappoint – got promoted, but finished 2nd with 54 points. So, some doubts remained – they missed promotion by a point the previous season; now they missed first place also by a point.
The great years of St. Johnstone were only nostalgic past now and hardly anyone thought they were coming back. There were hopes, of course, but nothing to compare the boys from Perth to Heart of Midlothian – they were ‘part-timers’ after all. But sturdy and ambitious this year, leading the league most of the time. And finishing 1st at the end with 55 points. Which was great. But there were also doubts – despite having the most dangerous striker in the league, the ‘Perth Saints’ were outscored by 6 teams, among which was Raith Rovers, 10th in the final table. Were they strong enough to stay in the Premier Division was serious question – but for the future. For the moment – lovely victory of the underdog.