Scottish football’s current landscape starkly highlights the urgent need to break free from four decades of dominance by just two clubs. As Celtic prepares to lift the Premiership trophy once again, it marks nearly 40 years since any team outside the Old Firm Celtic and Rangers claimed the top-flight title. This prolonged monopoly has created a league that many now view as stale and predictable, raising serious questions about competitiveness and the sport’s future in Scotland.
This season, discussions around restructuring the Premiership whether to expand to 14 or 16 teams have taken center stage. Yet these debates skirt the fundamental problem: Scottish football has long operated as a one- or two-team league, limiting genuine competition. Celtic’s impending 12th title in 13 seasons, along with a potential sixth domestic treble since 2016, underscores their remarkable consistency and dominance. However, this supremacy casts a long shadow over the rest of the league.
The financial gulf between Celtic and other clubs is stark. In their upcoming match against St Mirren, a club with a turnover of just £6 million faces a Celtic side boasting £124 million. This disparity creates a competitive mismatch so extreme it borders on farcical. The Rangers squad, once a fierce challenger, now struggles to keep pace, finishing the season significantly ahead of the third-placed team but still well behind Celtic’s standards. This imbalance is not due to mismanagement at Celtic but rather highlights the systemic challenges faced by other Scottish clubs.
For Celtic fans, winning remains the heartbeat of their experience, entwined with rivalry and pride. Their hunger for silverware is relentless, fueled by decades of rivalry with Rangers, who dominated Scottish football in the 1990s while Celtic languished. But from a wider perspective, the continued absence of other champions speaks to a deeper issue within the league’s structure and economic model.
Historically, Scottish football enjoyed a more varied and competitive era. Between 1950 and 1965, seven different teams won the league, and clubs like Aberdeen and Dundee United were formidable forces. The arrival of legendary managers and the nurturing of strong squads allowed for a spread of success and genuine competition. Yet, that era feels like a distant memory now, as the league’s economic and competitive landscape has shifted dramatically.
Economic realities have also played a major role. The financial clout once held by clubs like Aberdeen and Dundee United allowed them to retain key players and challenge for titles. Today, Celtic and Rangers are on an entirely different financial footing, fueled by larger fan bases, bigger revenues, and significant player sales. Even mid-tier English Premier League teams often outspend Scottish sides, making it increasingly difficult for smaller clubs to compete or attract top talent.
Efforts to revive competition have faced mixed results. Smaller clubs often find themselves unable to sustainably invest in the squad depth needed to challenge Celtic and Rangers, and some have even suffered financial crises from overreaching. The lack of parity affects everything from attendance figures to television deals, creating a cycle that entrenches the Old Firm’s dominance.
Yet, there is a faint glimmer of hope. New investments, such as the potential stake in Hearts by a Premier League owner, hint at the possibility of improved infrastructure and analytics that could level the playing field over time. But for now, the gap remains vast, and for many clubs and supporters, the realistic goal is no longer winning the league but securing European qualification or simply finishing in the top three.
The Scottish Premiership’s current state a duopoly stretching back 40 years has broader implications for the development of Scottish football. Without genuine competition, the league risks stagnation in talent production and international standing. Young Scottish players often leave for England, where development opportunities are perceived as stronger. Meanwhile, the fear of losing at the top clubs discourages blooding academy prospects, limiting homegrown talent exposure.
Looking back, moments of near success by clubs outside the Old Firm only serve to highlight what might have been. A more competitive league could have generated better television deals, attracted more fans beyond Glasgow, and fostered a healthier football culture across Scotland. Without meaningful change, however, Scottish football risks drifting into a future where dominance by one or two clubs is the only certainty.
It is clear that a reboot is necessary. To preserve the passion and history of Scottish football, the league must find ways to balance competition, nurture talent, and close the financial and sporting divide. Only then can the excitement of a truly open title race return and end the decades of tedium that have marked Scottish football for far too long.
