Scottish football: what is the point?

By LA White
August 30 2005

A Leeds fan gives his opinion on Scottish football...(Please note, the views below do not necessarily reflect the English publics opinion on Scottish football)

Scottish football: what is the point? England is a nation that loves its heroic losses. Italia 90, The Great Escape, Dunkirk, The “Hand of God”. We remember these iconic moments better than we remember our actual victories. But there is a point of self-flagellating masochism we do not cross. And that line runs square through the middle of Scottish league football. Lets face it, why do they bother? So their league title was decided in the 2nd half of the last game of the season last year? Big freaking deal. 1985 was the last year someone other than Rangers or Celtic won the league. In the history of the Scottish league only 12 teams have ever won it. Rangers have won the Scottish league 52 times, Celtic 39. Rangers have won the SFA cup 31 times, Celtic 33. In the Scottish league cup, Rangers have won 24 times, Celtic 12. How dull is that? In the past few years few teams have been able to show a little financial muscle, and seriously challenge either of the Auld Firm teams, and as the disparity between the Dundee’s and the ‘Gers increases the chances of this happening is less and less likely. Add into that the fact that the past few seasons in Scottish football has seen farcical scenes where the teams that actually should have been promoted to the Scottish “Premier” League have to stay in Division 1 because their grounds don’t meet code compliance. Give me a break! These teams and players worked hard for years to get promoted, and you have some little, overly officious w***** with a clipboard come round their park and tell them, “Sorry lads, it’s all been in vain. Better luck next time.” Seriously, why do Scottish fans bother? People of course after reading this will start whining at me about “Man U blah blah blah, Chelsea blah, blah money, blah, Arsenal, blah, blah, whine”. But come on. Since the formation of our leagues there has been decades ruled by single sides. But two teams have not run our game since it’s inception, and making claims to the contrary is fatuous and infantile. Scottish football is like watching a heavyweight-boxing bout, being fought by two over-the-hill fighters looking for one last big purse. Occasionally a significant punch is landed, like when Rangers won the first of however many countless Auld Firm games there are each season now, put most of it is weathering the small jabs and body blows the wee men of the league are trying to inflict on them. Occasionally, the odd one hits home, like Hibernian’s 3-0 win on Saturday, but more often than not it is a matter of futile effort. Unless something rather large happens to shake up Scottish football big time it is going to remain the boring two-horse race it has always been. Maybe allowing the Scottish teams to compete in the English leagues isn’t such a bad idea?