In the Golden Age of Scottish football – 1950 to 1965 – seven clubs won the League Title.
Aberdeen; Celtic; Dundee; Hearts; Hibs; Kilmarnock; Rangers.
Outside that period – and since the Second World War – only one other club has won the League Title; Dundee United in 1982/83.
As I have noted on many occasions, since 1985 only two clubs have won the League Title; Celtic and Rangers.
This is unprecedented in European football. In the same timeframe, since 1985, no other European league has been won by fewer than five clubs.
Why has this duopoly emerged in Scotland?
To reiterate previous articles on this website reasonably succinctly, here are some key issues:
* The decision in 1980 to allow home clubs to keep 100% of their gate receipts. Prior to that date, gate receipts were shared between the two participants in the fixture, after deduction of expenses. This move hugely strengthened the finances of Celtic and Rangers, increasing their overall gate receipt revenue by between 70 and 80%. Today, they have stadiums that hold over 60,000 and around 50,000 respectively. They are normally full. No other club achieves average attendances of more than 18,000 at home matches. Half a dozen of the Premiership participants average home attendances of under 6000.
* The reduction of the league from 18 to as few as 10 clubs. The revised structure has meant all other clubs play Celtic and Rangers four times each season. This has proved an insurmountable obstacle for potential serious challengers. The loss of points to the “Old Firm” in eight matches a season has created too big a gap to be bridged by winning against the other clubs. Celtic and Rangers themselves ritually “slaughter” the bottom six clubs four times a season.
* The introduction of the Champions League in 1992. This tournament, thanks mainly to tv coverage revenue, has been a huge financial success. The financial windfall has only ever reached Celtic and Rangers. Today, that can mean revenue of £30 Million plus a season, even though the Scottish clubs never get anywhere near winning the tournament. This revenue matches or exceeds Premiership gate receipt revenue for the Big Two, making their financial superiority unassailable as far as the other clubs in Scotland are concerned.
I have suggested that there are remedies available to make the Premiership more competitive
* Use of a handicap system to make a sequence of wins progressively more difficult to achieve.
* Introduction of a Rugby League style end of season, with a knock-out tournament to decide the League Champions. Knock-outs are a much more realistic win target for clubs with fewer resources.
* A return to the sharing of home gate receipts. This would significantly lessen the financial strength of Celtic and Rangers.
* A return to a 18 club Premiership, with clubs playing each other only twice a season.
* Sharing European tournament revenue amongst all the clubs in the Premiership, after the expenses of participation are deducted.
* Form a new Top League WITHOUT Celtic and Rangers. They can be told to find a new “home”, in England or elsewhere.
These are just some ideas. There may well be other potential solutions – and a combination will be required. No single solution will work.
Clearly, Celtic and Rangers are content with the Status Quo. They love their total domination of the Scottish game, which in the last 36 years has become almost a ritual humiliation of the other clubs.
Be certain of one thing. Without radical changes, such as those I have suggested above, the domination of Celtic and Rangers will be PERMANENT.
There IS an option to do nothing, to let the “also rans” simply fade even further into the background and accept the duopoly until hell freezes over – or the North Pole melts, which will be sooner.
Having watched the duoply position develop over more than half a century, the “do nothing” option is not one I am personally prepared to accept.
I want to see genuine competition return to the top league – or I want Hearts to cease participating in that league.
The three main “pretend” challengers to Celtic and Rangers – Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs – have failed to win the League Title for an aggregate 168 years. Time to end the pretence.
For me, the choice is between competing or dying; death or glory, if you want to look it that way.
And right here, right now is when that choice needs to be made.
Time for Change.
Scottish Football Matters 