You have to go back to 1985 to find the last time that the Scottish Premiership title wasn’t clinched by either of the Old Firm teams: Celtic and Rangers. And, in fact, for much of that span since, those two Glaswegian outfits have had a monopoly on first and second place in the division – with others barely getting a look in. But is change afoot in 2025/26? The plucky Hearts have beaten Rangers twice already this term, suggesting that they’re ready to mount a sustained title bid.
Meanwhile Celtic, who sacked Brendan Rodgers earlier in the campaign, lost their first four games in a row under his successor, Wilfried Nancy – leading to some Bhoys fans to call for his head after less than a month in charge. Much can change, of course, given the lengthy nature of the football season. But Hearts will be top of the Scottish Premiership table on January 1 come what may… could 2026 be the year they finally end the Old Firm’s dominance? Here’s the closest shaves that Celtic and Rangers have suffered over the past four decades…
2017/18: A New Number Two
In the 2016/17 season, Aberdeen – the last club to win the Scottish Premiership title outside of the Old Firm – leapfrogged Rangers and finished in second place. It was a notable moment, although it’s worth remembering that Celtic still finished some 30 points clear from the Dons, so this wasn’t a title race in the true definition of the phrase.
But it set the wheels in motion, so in 2017/18 Aberdeen were keen to take another giant leap forward. And they did just that… Derek McInnes’ side topped the table after four weeks of action, although ultimately they were unable to prevent Celtic from powering clear thereafter. But Aberdeen did finish second once more. And, on this occasion, they were only nine points behind Celtic at the season’s end – the closest a non-Old Firm side has come to hoisting the SPL trophy in the past decade.
2005/06: Hearts On the Attack
You may recall the period in which Rangers were administratively relegated to the fourth tier of Scottish football back in 2012 due to financial sanctions. So we’re going to gloss over the period between 2012/13 and 2016/17, in which Rangers plied their trade outside of the Scottish Premiership.
It’s therefore back to 2005/06 we go, when the Scottish Premiership was still branded as the Scottish Premier League. This was a campaign in which Rangers failed to finish first or second in the table for the first time since 1988. And it was Hearts, today’s hopefuls, who took advantage. The Jam Tarts started the season in tremendous fashion, winning nine of their first eleven home games and landing a creditable draw with Celtic on the road.
Of course, the Hoops have that winning mentality that comes with landing 55 Scottish Premiership titles, so while they were able to keep on – and on – Hearts would, ultimately, just start to drop points over the course of the second half of the campaign. In the end, Celtic won the title by 17 clear points from Hearts in second… but it wasn’t without the odd scare or two along the way.
1993/94: The Dons Go Close
In the early 1990s, Celtic were not the force that they were before or would also subsequently become. From 1990/91 to 1994/95, they finished no higher than third place – potentially opening the door for others to challenge for the title. Unfortunately for the rest of Scottish football, this was one of the strongest periods in Rangers’ history… although that’s not to say they weren’t pushed closed on a couple of occasions.
The 1993/94 season was one such example. The Gers had won the title in each of the five prior campaigns, so you won’t be surprised to learn that Walter Smith’s men were red-hot favourites once more. But they did not start the campaign well, dropping points at their fortress Ibrox home and on the road, to offer encouragement to others.
It was Aberdeen that best grasped the nettle, going unbeaten through their opening eleven home games and picking up valuable points on the road, too. Alas, as has been the case for those pretenders to the throne since, the Dons were unable to maintain their form – so as they lost their air of invincibility on home soil, Rangers’ own performances improved.
Played out back in the days when only two points were available for a win, Rangers eventually found themselves clear of Aberdeen and the rest, hoisting the trophy courtesy of a three-point margin to the Dons.
1990/91: Down to the Wire
🔙 Season 1990-91 | Aberdeen🆚️ @RangersFC 💙🇬🇧#RangersFC 🔴🔵⚪ pic.twitter.com/bQTVs6J6qK
— FeneRangers🏴🇹🇷 (@FEN190) December 18, 2024
But of all the seasons since Aberdeen won the Scottish Premiership in 1985, it was the 1990/91 campaign that offered the best chance of ending the Old Firm monopoly. Ans it was the Dons themselves that were in the box seat, taking the title race down to the final game of the season.
Aberdeen and Rangers could scarcely be separated over the course of 36 games, with their four head-to-head meetings ending in two draws and a win apiece for either side. The Gers were a tough, winning machine under the leadership of Graeme Souness, but when he found the lure of former club Liverpool too much to bear, the wheels started to come off Rangers’ title defence.
Incredibly, Aberdeen usurped the Glasgow outfit at the top of the Scottish Premier League table with 35 games played: they were level on points and goal difference, but the Dons were ahead on goals scored. They each had just one game left to play… against one another, with Rangers hosting Aberdeen on the last day of the season at Ibrox. Title races don’t get any closer than this.
Unfortunately for Aberdeen and no doubt many neutrals, the Gers showcased their true class on the day. The prolific Mark Hateley scored twice to guide Rangers to a 2-0 victory and the Scottish title by the barest of margins.
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