Godwin ObajeThe Duopoly Dilemma: Can Scottish Football Break Free from Celtic and Rangers’ Grip?
It’s been 40 years since a team outside the Old Firm of Celtic and Rangers lifted the Scottish league title. Aberdeen’s triumph in 1985, under the management of Alex Ferguson, marked the last time a non-Old Firm team won the championship. Since then, the dominance of Celtic and Rangers has been unyielding, with the two Glasgow giants accumulating title after title.
A Golden Era
Billy Stark, a midfielder for Aberdeen in the 1985 title-winning team, remembers the era fondly. “I think it was a golden era – even with St Mirren, we finished third in 1979-80,” Stark says. “With four games to go, we could still win it. We went to Aberdeen and lost 2-0 and they wrapped up their first title of that era a few weeks later at Easter Road.”
The Last Non-Old Firm Title
Aberdeen’s title win in 1985 was a remarkable achievement, with the team amassing records for points and goals scored. The Dons’ success was built on a strong squad, led by players like Willie Miller, Alex McLeish, and Gordon Strachan. “We had a great team, and Alex Ferguson was an excellent manager,” Stark recalls. “We worked hard, and we deserved the title.”
The Rise of the Old Firm
So, what led to the Old Firm’s dominance in Scottish football? According to Stark, the appointment of Graeme Souness as Rangers player-manager in 1986 marked a significant turning point. “Everyone was staggered by Graeme Souness’ appointment as player-manager,” Stark says. “It was a very innovative appointment, and it turned out to be a big, seismic change in Scottish football.”
A Lack of Competition
The lack of competition in Scottish football has been a recurring theme in recent years. With Celtic and Rangers dominating the league, other teams have struggled to keep pace. Iain McMenemy, a former Stenhousemuir chairman, believes that the current system is flawed. “The gap is getting wider,” he says. “Rangers will not be as poor as they have been this season anytime soon, and yet they are still 13 points ahead of Hibs in third place.”
Calls for Change
McMenemy advocates for change, specifically in the way clubs are represented on the SPFL board. “They swap back and forth, Rangers are on the board for one term, then it swaps to Celtic, then back to Rangers,” he says. “Everyone in the Premiership goes along with that. When it comes to votes, the two biggest clubs always have a hand in dictating to the rest of the clubs in their own division exactly how it is to be.”
A Bleak Future
Unless there’s an extreme change, it’s likely that Celtic and Rangers will continue to dominate Scottish football. “It’s barely worth asking Scottish football journalists to predict the winners of the Scottish top flight,” the article notes. “Even proposing Rangers is now seen as a bold and somewhat maverick choice.”
Conclusion
The duopoly of Celtic and Rangers has strangled Scottish football, with other teams struggling to compete. While the dominance of the Old Firm shows no signs of waning, there are calls for change. As the Scottish football landscape continues to evolve, one thing is certain – something needs to give. Will it take another 40 years for a non-Old Firm team to win the title, or can Scottish football find a way to break free from the grip of Celtic and Rangers? Only time will tell.
Godwin Obaje
