SCOTTISH FOOTBALL

Scottish football is very dull. Teams come and go, but there are only two that really matter, Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers. Since the Scottish league started in 1890, only 11 clubs have ever won it. Rangers have won it 54 times, Celtic 42. The next highest number of wins is 4, by Hearts and Hibs (the two Edinburgh clubs) and Aberdeen. When one of the Glasgow clubs wins, the other is usually the runner-up. In the current season, Celtic lead with 59 points and Rangers are second with 55; the next three clubs all have 35 points, and so are out of contention already.

Since 1965, when Kilmarnock won, either Rangers and Celtic have won in every season except 1980, 1984 and 1985, when it was Aberdeen (under Manchester United's current manager Sir Alex Ferguson). Both have had runs of 9 years in a row. In the 1986 season Hearts, needing a draw from the last game away to Dundee, were 7 minutes from winning for the first time since 1960; but they let in two late goals and lost the title to Celtic on goal difference.

There is a Scottish Cup; but the "Old Firm" tend to win that as well. Rangers have in fact won the double 17 times in their history. What is the point of supporting any other club, when all you get is guaranteed disappointment?

Other countries (eg Spain, with Real Madrid and Barcelona) sometimes have football oligopolies, and there are only half a dozen or so clubs, that could win the English Premier League today. Nevertheless, Scotland does seem to be in a league of its own, if you forgive the pun. The way forward in my view is to extend the geographical coverage of the English leagues to include Scotland and Wales, something that the Glasgow clubs have long wanted. However, that would run up against the Scottish independence issue, which is presumably why it won't happen any day soon.

Walter Blotscher