Sunday 3 January 2010

Kilmarnock Win the League Title 1965


Jubilant Kilmarnock players celebrate the clinching of the Scottish League Championship following a dramatic last day victory over title rivals Hearts at Tynecastle in 1965. Hearts needed only to avoid losing 2-0 to the Ayrshire men to ensure they won the league for the second time in five years. However, goals from Davie Sneddon and Brian McIlroy ensured Kilmarnock got the two goal win they required to leave the Hearts fans in the near forty thousand crowd at Tynecastle stunned.

Killie had won the title at the end of season 1964-65 on goal average, something a bitter Tynecastle club sought to change two years later. Had the present day goal difference been used then Hearts would have been crowned champions.

It was perhaps typical of Hearts luck that twenty-one years later they also lost the league title on the final day of the season when they lost 2-0 at Dundee. Goal difference meant Celtic's five goal thrashing of St. Mirren the same day saw the league flag fly over Celtic Park. Had the goal average system of 1965 still been in place in 1986, Hearts would have been champions...

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