Remembering some of the best title races Celtic have been in over the years

For the first time in a long time, Scottish football’s got a proper title race on its hands. When Hearts beat Celtic 3-1 on 26 October to go eight points clear of the reigning champions at the top of the Scottish Premiership, not many believed they’d still be in amongst it with a handful of games to go.

Rangers haven’t gone away either, despite recent inconsistency, and the Hoops will have to work hard to secure their 17th title in 20 years.

According to data from Gambling.com, home of independent sportsbook reviews and trusted online casinos, Celtic are still the bookies’ favourites and the reigning champions have more than enough experience to go the distance, but the facts remain that they’re third in the ta

Hearts are genuinely in the mix this season, but history and the resources gap still make Celtic slight favourites if they get their act together. Even so, in terms of jeopardy and the prospect of a non-Old Firm champion, this is about as lively as Scottish football has felt in the league for a long time.

The signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could boost Celtic’s hopes. He’s reportedly set to sign for Martin O’Neill’s side in the coming days, bringing Champions League and Premier League experience after being without a club since the end of last season with Beşiktaş. His arrival would provide the kind of big-game mentality Celtic needs for the run-in.

Should Celtic snatch the title from Hearts, this would likely go down as one of the best title races in recent years. But what seasons are there to compare it with? In this article, we look back at some of the best title races in Scottish football gone by.

2002-03: Rangers edge it on goal difference

This really was the purest Old Firm sprint finish. Rangers and Celtic both finished on 97 points, which still feels absurd in hindsight. The title came down to goal difference, with Rangers finishing +73 to Celtic’s +72. One goal. That’s what separated them after 38 matches.

The key swing moment came late in the season when Rangers demolished Dunfermline 6-1, while Celtic dropped points away.

On the final day, both sides won. Celtic beat Kilmarnock 4-0, but it was already done. The trophy was heading to Ibrox. It came just days after losing to Jose Mourinho’s Porto in the UEFA Cup, which added further damage,

What it stands out is how relentlessly high the standard was. Neither side blinked, and how brutally thin the margin turned out to be makes it legendary. Henrik Larsson scored 44 that season, and it still wasn’t enough. One extra Celtic goal anywhere across 38 games and history flips.

2004-05: Helicopter Sunday

The benchmark for chaos. Going into the final day, Celtic were two points clear and needed only to match Rangers’ result. When Celtic went 1-0 up at Fir Park against Motherwell, the title looked settled. Supporters were already celebrating, and the SPL trophy sat in a helicopter waiting to be delivered to whichever ground needed it.

Then everything unravelled. Motherwell scored twice late on, Celtic lost 2-1, and Rangers, who were grinding out a tense match at Easter Road against Hibernian, suddenly knew a single goal would win the league. When that goal went in, the SPL had to airlift the SPL to Edinburgh instead of Motherwell.

It’s remembered not just for the ending, but for how emotionally violent it was. Celtic fans were celebrating, then stunned within minutes. No Scottish title race before or since has had that kind of whiplash. The images of Gordon Strachan standing shell-shocked on the touchline still haunt Celtic supporters who lived through it, but at the same time, made the next trophies even sweeter.

2007-08: Rangers’ fixture pile-up and Celtic surge

This one’s fascinating tactically and physically. Rangers looked in control through the spring, but their run to the UEFA Cup final created an insane schedule. At one point, they had four league games in hand, but were playing every few days with a paper-thin squad stretched to breaking point.

Celtic, steadier and fresher, just kept winning. The key moment came when Rangers dropped points at home to Aberdeen and then lost the Old Firm derby at Parkhead. Suddenly, the games in hand became pressure rather than an advantage. Walter Smith’s side couldn’t cope with the fixture congestion.

Celtic clinched it on the final day, and the race is remembered as a lesson in European ambition colliding with domestic reality. Rangers went to Manchester for the UEFA Cup final against Zenit St Petersburg, and  Celtic lifted the trophy. Rangers lost 2-0.

2010-11: The tightest race of the modern era

This was less about a single day of drama and more about sustained tension. Celtic and Rangers were separated by a handful of points for months, trading blows through the run-in. Every match felt significant, every dropped point felt catastrophic.

Neil Lennon’s Celtic pushed Walter Smith’s final Rangers side all the way, but Rangers’ defensive solidity was decisive. They conceded just 22 league goals all season and edged it by a single point, finishing on 92 to Celtic’s 91. The quality of football was exceptional, and the consistency required from both sides was relentless.

The Old Firm matches were cagey, nervy affairs, and the race felt like it could turn on a single mistake. It’s often overlooked because there was no Helicopter-style moment, but in terms of quality and consistency, it set the standard for the 2010s and was one of the last times Rangers had the upper hand.

2018-19 to 2020-21: Gerrard vs Rodgers/Lennon era

For a couple of those seasons, the gap between Celtic and Rangers stayed narrow into the second half of the campaign. Steven Gerrard’s Rangers were building something serious at Ibrox, and Celtic knew their dominance was under genuine threat for the first time in years.

Rangers finally cracked it and stopped 10-in-a-row in 2020-21, but it was a flash in the pan compared to the dominance that saw Celtic control proceedings in Scottish football for 14 of the last 15 years.

It’s probably why, for outsiders, this season is so refreshing. We’ve got a genuine three-way race with Hearts in the mix, Celtic chasing from behind, and Rangers lurking with intent.

It’s been a long time since Scottish football felt this open, and as a neutral, knowing Celtic can still snatch it makes every match feel significant.

Celtic still have the best chance

Despite sitting third, Celtic remain the most likely winners. They’ve got the experience, the squad depth, and the mentality to grind out results when it matters most. Hearts are punching above their weight and deserve credit for their consistency, but the pressure of leading a title race often exposes inexperience. Rangers are inconsistent and lack the cutting edge to sustain a challenge.

If Celtic can integrate Oxlade-Chamberlain quickly and maintain their recent improvement under O’Neill, they’ll overhaul Hearts and Rangers. The title’s theirs to lose, and history suggests they won’t bottle it when the stakes are highest.

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