▁Premier ▁League ▁( SP L ) ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 – 9 9 ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁winter ▁break , ▁meaning ▁teams ▁had ▁to ▁play ▁throughout ▁January . ▁The ▁break ▁was ▁abol ished ▁to ▁avoid ▁fi xture ▁con g estion ▁caused ▁by ▁more ▁Scottish ▁clubs ▁particip ating ▁in ▁UEFA ▁compet itions ▁and ▁the ▁up coming ▁FIFA ▁World ▁Cup . ▁This ▁change ▁was ▁critic ised ▁by ▁many ▁S PL ▁man agers , ▁including ▁Martin ▁O ' Ne ill ▁and ▁Alex ▁Mc Le ish . ▁ ▁European ▁ber th s ▁Results ▁in ▁European ▁competition ▁over ▁the ▁previous ▁five ▁years ▁saw ▁the ▁league ▁move ▁down ▁from ▁ 1 5 th ▁to ▁ 1 6 th ▁in ▁the ▁UEFA ▁country ▁coefficient ▁ranking . ▁This ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁league ▁lost ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁ber th s ▁in ▁the ▁UEFA ▁Champions ▁League ▁qual ifying ▁r ounds ▁for ▁the ▁following ▁season , ▁and ▁received ▁an ▁additional ▁ber th ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 2 – 0 3 ▁UEFA ▁Cup ▁qual ifying ▁round . ▁ ▁Teams ▁Tw elve ▁clubs ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁league ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 – 0 2 ▁season ▁– ▁the ▁top ▁eleven ▁clubs ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 – 0 1 ▁Scottish ▁Premier ▁League ▁and ▁the ▁champions ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 – 0 1 ▁Scottish ▁First ▁Division . ▁ ▁St ▁Mir ren ▁were ▁re leg ated ▁from ▁the ▁top ▁flight ▁after ▁only ▁one ▁season ▁of ▁participation . ▁They ▁were ▁replaced ▁by ▁Living ston , ▁who