Predictions for 2014

Here we go...

ON THE PITCH

Celtic win the league (huh, bet you didn't see that one coming), but (shock, horror!) do get beaten a couple of times. Helped by home advantage in the final, they lift the Scottish Cup.

Hearts are relegated from the top flight (bet you didn't see that one coming either!)

Aberdeen finish second, and scoop the League Cup.

Kilmarnock finish eleventh, but survive a playoff.

Dundee return to the Premiership.

Rangers finish unbeaten in League One but don't get past their first Premiership opponent in the Scottish Cup. Their Championship campaign is a lot more awkward however, as they battle for promotion with a resurgent Hearts...leading to some embarrassment that the second and third highest average attendances in the country (or the first and third if Celtic stop fiddling their figures!) are in the second tier.

There's still no sign of armageddon - even Kilmarnock manage to keep their house in order - but another summer of costcutting makes the gap between Celtic and the rest even wider.

Weakened by summer departures, Celtic fail to make the Champions League.  And, of course, no other Scottish team even manages to win a European tie.

NOTABLE DEPARTURES - PLAYERS

Celtic - Joe Ledley and Georgios Samaras don't sign new deals. The club accept big summer offers for Fraser Forster and Virgil Van Dijk.

Dundee United - Ryan Gauld moves down south for a seven figure sum. Ditto John Souttar.

Inverness - Someone takes a punt on Billy McKay for, say, half a mil.

Kilmarnock - Chris Johnston is snapped up by a Championship club.

St. Johnstone - Someone takes a punt on Stevie May for about half a mil as well.

St. Mirren - Kenny McLean and John McGinn are sold. Steven Thompson to retire and take up a media role?

NOTABLE DEPARTURES - MANAGERS

I reckon Neil Lennon will move on to pastures new, if a job at somewhere like Norwich comes up. It's not as if he can achieve anything else at Celtic that he hasn't already (except maybe that elusive League Cup!)

Amongst current Premiership clubs, I can't see Allan Johnston or Gary Locke surviving to the end of 2014. Paul Hartley to coach Hearts in the Championship next season?

Even though I suspect they'll avoid a relegation playoff, I reckon Derek Adams might leave Ross County at the end of the season.

OFF THE PITCH

The SPFL will get a title sponsor - but not till next season, and it won't be for much more than pennies. Despite this, Neil Doncaster will remain in a job.

Rangers will manage to prevent administration - temporarily - with another share issue. Dave King will be invited to buy a significant proportion of those shares. When the SFA are asked (not by Scottish journalists, of course) how he passes the Fit And Proper Persons Test, their spokesperson will respond by putting their fingers in their ears and shouting "La la la, I can't hear you". Despite this, Stewart Regan will remain in a job.

The role of Compliance Officer is abolished after a team (probably Celtic or Rangers) challenges one of Vincent Lunny's decisions by using legal action.

All the optimism surrounding the national team will have evaporated - hey. I'm just basing that prediction on past experience!  But the women's team will have a playoff to qualify for the World Cup.  And, what the hell, I'm going to say they'll qualify, just so I can make one positive prediction.


And, on that happy note, I wish you all a much better 2014 than I'm predicting!

Regards,

L.