So Rangers have restored the boring duopoly in Scottish Football.
Only two clubs have been Premiership League Champions in the last 36 seasons.
No other football league on the planet has suffered such crushing domination by two clubs.
So what do the two Glasgow Giants want for their future?
Firstly, they seem to have accepted the fact that no one else of any significance really wants them. They have over the years harboured dreams of moving to a different league with higher status.
Sadly for the “Twins”, no one of any stature has shared this dream.
So it seems they are stuck in the Scottish Football structure for the foreseeable future.
Their wish list includes
* Both getting into the Champions League qualifying rounds every season. This would give them both the chance of making £40 million plus per season. That European revenue is around four times the TOTAL annual revenue of the most successful of the “also rans” in the Scottish Premiership.
* Keep the Premiership as a 12-club league. Playing the other 10 four times a season cements the domination of the Old Firm, ensuring no challenge ever emerges from the permanent “also rans”.
* Position Celtic and Rangers “colt” teams in the lower Scottish leagues. Having this game time available for youngsters will mean an even higher percentage of decent youth prospects sign for the Big Two.
* Extend the number of loan players lower league clubs can use to five from three. Once again, this makes the Old Firm more attractive to youngsters. It also ultimately allows for some control of which clubs get promoted to the Premiership. Only clubs Celtic and Rangers “like” will get loan players.
* Continue to exercise practical control of the SPFL and SFA. The Old Firm will never allow anything to happen that does not directly serve their narrow interests.
* Maintain the “ keep Home gate receipts” rule passed in 1980. This measure, disastrous for most other clubs, was the beginning of the end of competition in the Scottish Premiership. Within five years, the 36 year ( and counting) duopoly had started.
Ideally, the Old Form would only want to play each other, as well as in Europe. They don’t want Scottish clubs outside their carefully constructed “Big Two” to offer more than a token challenge.
Given that the third club in the Premiership – Hibs – are currently 33 points behind Rangers, the subjugation of the other challengers can be considered very successful.
Hibs have so far taken a single point out of the 18 at stake in their matches against Celtic and Rangers this season.
The future Celtic and Rangers want is one of no hope for other clubs.
Time for Change.
Scottish Football Matters 