Scotland Clubs Ranked - 1960/61 to 2023/24

Scotland has been dominated by two clubs and going back over the period covered here that has always been the case. With such a large concentration of people in the city of Glasgow it's hardly surprising. 

Celtic and Rangers are the two clubs, one traditionally Catholic and the other protestant. That is no longer the case but the competition between them is intense. Celtic are ahead and was helped in part when Rangers was demoted to the Third Division in 2012 due to a debt crisis. The gap is now quite large. 

The first chart above shows domestic points and the 'Tot' figure includes European success. For domestic points, the Premier League (Division 1) top four are rewarded with 6, 3, 2 and 1. The Cup 4 and 2 points for the finalists only. The League Cup 3 and 1. 

In Europe, the Champions League (European Cup) 8 , 4 and two from the semi finals forward. The Europa League (UEFA Cup) got 6, 3 and 1. The new Conference League I added to the long defunct Cup Winner's Cup. They get 4 and 2 for the finalists. 

 

The Scottish Premier League is totally dominated by the two most successful clubs, known together as the Old Firm. Celtic have won eleven of the last 12 titles. The last time another side won was Aberdeen way back in 1984/85! They won it the year before as well. Dundee Utd was the year before that for a rare treble without the Old Firm getting a title between them.

The Scottish Cup is also passed between the top two with the odd hiccup. They aren't so dominant due to the uncertainty of knock out matches. St Johnstone won it as recently as 2021 but they haven't enough success to make the top five.

The League Cup has gone the way of Rangers, the only title they have exceeded Celtic in. Aberdeen takes its customary third place. In 2021, St Johnstone won this cup as well in quite a coup for a lower ranked club. 

Finally, Europe where success hasn't been huge, certainly of late. Rangers came second in the Europa League as late as 2021 but it's not easy for smaller nation's clubs to compete against the big guns. Celtic's European Cup win in 1967 may never be repeated by a Scottish club. 

All put together, the clubs are below. They are divided into regions, with a ranking number (RK) which gives their place against all the other clubs. The Glasgow region claim 62.7% of all points. Central/East 20.4%, Lothian 9.6%, Strathclyde 6%. The Highlands and South have had a minimal impact.