Football has had a break, but is back with a vengeance across the world. Over the lockdown (1, 2 & 3 – thanks Boris), I longed for football with crowds, and travelling. I love watching football, and I love exploring new places and taking in what they have to offer.

Because of this, I decided to start a series in which I look at some lesser discussed football leagues here in the UK and analyse what they have to offer and potentially open my mind up to new football possibilities. Now, I’m not going to just give up watching the Premier League, however I have a big interest in developing my football knowledge, whilst also enjoying watching as much of the game as possible.

This time, we are going to be discussing the Scottish top-flight, admittedly not the most exotic of choices, but an often overlooked and disregarded from any outside of Scotland. The league has produced 2 huge sides which have competed at the top of European competition in their history, and although the league has very much been a two horse race in the long-term, there is still a fierce rivalry and in recent years, plenty of drama at the top of the league. It is a league that is massively accessible for us in England, and so I wanted to include it into the ‘Travel Man’ series in order to shed some light upon the league and Scottish football in general, as, with many of us struggling to get overseas to watch some football in new surroundings, the Scottish Premiership might well be the answer to that issue.

If you support a Scottish side, let us know over on Twitter what’s the best thing about the league (@NextGoalWinBlog), as we would love to know who our Scottish side could be, and where we should head first on our travels.

Enjoy.

History

Although often derided, and underestimated in England, the Scottish top division has been a historic and long running league filled with history and drama for over 100 years, as the Scottish Football League was founded in 1890 until its merger in 2013 with the Scottish Premier League led to a reformation of the division system in Scotland. Since then, the league system operates at the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Championship, Scottish League 1 and Scottish League 2 before moving into the Highlands lower leagues. Following the rebrand in 2013, Celtic have claimed 7 of the 8 titles, with only Rangers breaking this run last season under manager Steven Gerrard. Prior to the change, from 1890-2013, it was in fact Rangers who led the way with 47 titles under the Scottish Football League format. A confusing history, led primarily by the two biggest sides in the country, and a fierce rivalry in Glasgow, as Rangers and Celtic have battled it out at the top for the majority of the time in Scotland and continue to do so to this day.

Rangers have in recent times undergone hardship, when in 2012 they were relegated to the 4th tier of football, however climbed quickly back to the top with their dominant history, infrastructure and playing staff being far too good for this level. Since 2016, they have remained in the top-flight, where, as mentioned they have in the last year, added their 55th first division title to their cabinet, their first in 10 years and broke the 9-year run of arch rivals Celtic. In Europe, they often compete in the Europa League most years, and were runners up in the 2007-2008 UEFA Cup. They were also winners of the 1971-72 Cup Winners Cup, however this is as far as their European glory has led them. Domestically however, their trophy cabinet is packed, with 33 Scottish Cups and 27 Scottish League Cups to polish. Their rivals Celtic make similar reading in their history, with 51 league titles, 40 cups and 20 league cups. Falling just behind Rangers, their near 10 year period at the top allowed them to make up the difference significantly, and the records now sit as close as the league table to this day. Celtic however can go one step further in European competition, as in 1966-67 they won the European Cup, and were runners up in 1969-70, something Rangers have not come close to matching, and will unlikely match for some time. So, their trophy numbers are almost level, their support is almost level, their current league position is almost level, it’s certainly a two-horse race in Scotland, however it’s one of those discussions that splits most people, Celtic or Rangers, who do you choose.

Elsewhere, outside of the big two, there are still some fairly decent sides let’s not forget. With Hearts, Hibernian, Motherwell and Aberdeen, there remains a competition for the 3rd and 4th spots which now earn qualification spots for the Europa Conference League, so the rivalries and competition is there to find if you look for it, not just at the top but throughout the league.

The State Of Things

We have eluded to the current state of things in Scotland, with Rangers leading the way on 51 points at time of writing, and Celtic not too far back with 45. With over half the season played, things could still change significantly, as both sides are still adapting to new management and a bit of a revamp in their squad. In 3rd spot, Hearts are fairly comfortable, and will be heading for a Europa Conference spot if it remains this way, and Motherwell are hanging onto 4th, where they would enter qualifying rounds for the Conference League. At the bottom, St Johnstone are struggling to get out from the automatic drop spot, while Dundee sit just above, which would put them into the relegation playoff match come the end of the season. Of course, with the league split after 33 games, things will change for sure throughout the league, however it wouldn’t be too surprising to see it much the same come May 2022. Whatever occurs, I foresee some real drama on the horizon in Scotland, and with new restrictions on fan attendance, we may see some freak results as we did across Europe over past lockdowns.

Why Bother?

So, if it’s only a two-horse race, “why bother” you may be asking. Well, as we have seen in the last year or so, there is a shift in power once again, with Rangers recapturing the no.1 spot in the country. Therefore, Celtic are undergoing a real shift in the club, while Rangers are forced to do a similar thing with their manager Gerrard departing for the Premier League. At time of writing, it’s still anyone’s game, with Rangers in top-spot with 51 points, and Celtic not too far behind with 45 points from 20 games. With just over half the season played, it could still go either way, something the league hasn’t had for a good few years. Meanwhile at the bottom of the league, there are 5 of the 12 teams who are struggling with 20 points or less, meaning that there will be a real scrap at the lower half of the league in the final run-in.

Finally, another reason to watch, is that there is some real talented players plying their trade in the Scottish Premiership. With Furuhashi leading the way for Celtic, and Morelos and Roofe for Rangers, there are some real talented players operating in the league, so you’re guaranteed some entertaining football. It’s not just at the top 2 where there is talent, as Watt and Ramirez are both up there in the scoring charts for Motherwell and Aberdeen respectively.

Overall, although football is just non-stop, during the Christmas break may allow some of us to take in an extra game or two, and although it won’t be in-person for the foreseeable, Sky Sports will allow many to take in a game or 2 over the festive period, so give it a try and let us know what you think of the division.