Scottish Football

[wroteforluck87]

Forgive me if we already have a thread for this..

Scottish football usually gets slated for being a poor standard with only two teams who can win it, this year partly due to poor decisions in the boardrooms of both Celtic and Rangers a team outside of the "Old Firm" could win the league title for the first time since Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen in 1985. That team is Hearts a team who is own by the same group who owns Brighton and a few other clubs who's lead at the top as been clipped back recently with a few poor results most notably losing to their city rivals Hibernian.

Now that Martin O'Neil is back in charge of Celtic after his replacement Wilfred Nancy was sacked after just 62 days I feel like they will be pushing again but we could be looking at a three horse race for the first time in a long time.

Personally I've a soft spot for Celtic, I've never been up to take in a game live but I tend to watch as many important games as I can on the TV. People question why I enjoy watching them given the gulf in standard between them and the majority of the clubs in the division which usually is the case barring this season however I find the expectancy of the fans to win every game and the pressure that brings fascinating.

Does anyone else have a Scottish club or an interest in Scottish football?

[HawkMan]

I enjoy the Scottish Premier and for those who don't know , after MOTD on Saturday and sometimes Sunday,  on BBC1 Scotland is Sportscene, the Scottish Premiership highlights show. Sky channel 964,  I always record that to watch during following week.

Got me thinking this week in the light of Amorim getting sacked, Utd decades ago got Sir Alex from Aberdeen after he broke the Old Firm stranglehold,  so..Derek McInnes for Man Utd anyone?

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, HawkMan said:

I enjoy the Scottish Premier and for those who don't know , after MOTD on Saturday and sometimes Sunday,  on BBC1 Scotland is Sportscene, the Scottish Premiership highlights show. Sky channel 964,  I always record that to watch during following week.

Got me thinking this week in the light of Amorim getting sacked, Utd decades ago got Sir Alex from Aberdeen after he broke the Old Firm stranglehold,  so..Derek McInnes for Man Utd anyone?

It's also on BBC Scotland at 7.15pm on Saturdays.

[OriginalMrC]

Ive never been able to get over the sectarianism in Scottish football so have no team to support. I do enjoy watching it though - proper tubthumping football with lots of passion. Big tackles and poor refereeing and at times poor quality but a game not yet spoilt by the possession style football in England.

I genuinely hope Hearts do it but have a feeling there'll be a late charge from one of the old firm to clinch it. 

[daz39]

I will watch the Scottish Championship games that are shown on a Friday night over any premier league game, some really good games in proper football grounds, same with the NI league too.

Back in the day i used to look out for Stranraer's result purely because i caught a ferry from there once and it was the only Scottish place i'd been to at the time.

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, daz39 said:

I will watch the Scottish Championship games that are shown on a Friday night over any premier league game, some really good games in proper football grounds, same with the NI league too.

Back in the day i used to look out for Stranraer's result purely because i caught a ferry from there once and it was the only Scottish place i'd been to at the time.

The first Scottish game I went to was Queen of the South v Stranraer.

Loved it.

Queens all the way, obviously.

[Hopping Mad]

17 hours ago, wroteforluck87 said:

Forgive me if we already have a thread for this..

Scottish football usually gets slated for being a poor standard with only two teams who can win it, this year partly due to poor decisions in the boardrooms of both Celtic and Rangers a team outside of the "Old Firm" could win the league title for the first time since Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen in 1985. That team is Hearts a team who is own by the same group who owns Brighton and a few other clubs who's lead at the top as been clipped back recently with a few poor results most notably losing to their city rivals Hibernian.

Now that Martin O'Neil is back in charge of Celtic after his replacement Wilfred Nancy was sacked after just 62 days I feel like they will be pushing again but we could be looking at a three horse race for the first time in a long time.

Personally I've a soft spot for Celtic, I've never been up to take in a game live but I tend to watch as many important games as I can on the TV. People question why I enjoy watching them given the gulf in standard between them and the majority of the clubs in the division which usually is the case barring this season however I find the expectancy of the fans to win every game and the pressure that brings fascinating.

Does anyone else have a Scottish club or an interest in Scottish football?

Yes. Legacy in the main of five years - 1986-1991 - living and working in Cumbria. Went over the border regularly, with a couple of mates, to watch Scottish football. Still retain an interest. This season, I've been to Auchinleck Talbot (a long-held ambition), SFL newcomers East Kilbride, Berwick Rangers and Edinburgh South.

A favourite memory, from May 1989, was watching Alloa Athletic clinch promotion at Dumbarton's former Boghead Park ground.

Always had a soft spot for Hearts, Queen of the South and Airdrieonians (the first three Scottish grounds I went to). Coincidentally, my neighbour, from Penicuik, is a Jambo. I would love it - love it! - if Hearts can deny the Old Firm the title this season.

My wife looks out for Annan Athletic's results - after we went to watch them play Cowdenbeath, at Galabank, in 2009, during a Dumfries & Galloway holiday.

I find Scottish football much more exciting than English, which is a pale imitation of what it used to be.

Edited January 9 by Hopping Mad

[JonM]

On 09/01/2026 at 16:20, Hopping Mad said:

My wife looks out for Annan Athletic's results - after we went to watch them play Cowdenbeath, at Galabank, in 2009, during a Dumfries & Galloway holiday.

Still find it amusing that, in spite of living in Yorkshire, I can get to Annan Athletic's ground in less time that it takes me to get to Hull or Sheffield - even though trips to the latter are almost entirely on motorway. It's also a shorter journey time than going to Whitehaven, Barrow, Wigan, St. Helens, Widnes, Warrington...

[wroteforluck87]

Martin O'Neill's first game back in charge of Celtic and they thump Dundee United 4.0

[Gerrumonside ref]

8 minutes ago, wroteforluck87 said:

Martin O'Neill's first game back in charge of Celtic and they thump Dundee United 4.0

I didn’t totally understand why the stood him down as caretaker this year in the first place.  At a club like that a figurehead of stature like him will always attract better assistant coaches, players, player dedication etc.

Interesting thread, my team are Clydebank although they are trying to battle up through the pyramid in Scotland.

The elderly father is from Liverpool and his Scottish team were the Bully Wee (Clyde) who were more prominent in the 50s/60s and played in a traditional Liverpool away kit too!

I see Hearts are in the running up there and it reminds me of the 1986 Scottish season when they looked to be on for the double like Liverpool/Everton but ended the season with nothing.

Edited January 10 by Gerrumonside ref

[wroteforluck87]

We are in the same boat about not understanding why the board stood Martin O'Niell down so soon, I think they got Wilfred Nancy at a price they couldn't refuse his CV was no where near as impressive as Kjetil Knutsens (Bodo/Glints manager) was.

I have a few Celtic fan friends I can lean on for "mood" around Parkhead and the common notion amongst fans is the board have a plan to buy cheap and sell on when the price is right an "ajax" model if you will.. which is fine but when your in the next transitional period a club like Celtic still has to win so you need to invest wisely and put your hand in your pocket when necessary.

The problem with Wilfred he came in with the mindset of his teams plays this way and in time these players will play this way abit like Ruben Amorims reluctantancy to play 4 at the back with Man Utd and when your losing games at a club that doesn't accept losing a club final to St Mirren, being second in the league to Hearts & losing to Rangers.. your not going to get that time. Where as Martin O'Niell just found a system that suits the players he has I don't want to down play it but it's really as simple as that.

[Sidi Fidi Gold]

 

[wroteforluck87]

Rangers 4-2 Hearts

Celtic grab a late winner away at Kilmarnock 

Table

Hearts Played 27 points 57

Rangers Played 27 points 55

Celtic played 26 points 54

With Rangers & Celtic both needing to play each other and Aberdeen before the split fixtures expect a few twists and turns before the season draws to a conclusion.

 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

14 minutes ago, wroteforluck87 said:

Rangers 4-2 Hearts

Celtic grab a late winner away at Kilmarnock 

Table

Hearts Played 27 points 57

Rangers Played 27 points 55

Celtic played 26 points 54

With Rangers & Celtic both needing to play each other and Aberdeen before the split fixtures expect a few twists and turns before the season draws to a conclusion.

 

Nah, Rangers have basically reeled in Hearts. Title challenge over for them. Rangers should take it now, Celtic still looking a bit clunky. Just the usual Scottish football in the end.

[The Future is League]

I have a loose family connection to Motherwell so i look out for their results, but have never been to any of their games.

[wroteforluck87]

9 hours ago, The Future is League said:

I have a loose family connection to Motherwell so i look out for their results, but have never been to any of their games.

Motherwell remind me alot of my football team Oldham.. the unfavoured little brother of the two bigger sides in the City, there has been quite a few ex Latics players play for them recently as well 

[Thedave]

On 08/01/2026 at 23:34, wroteforluck87 said:

Forgive me if we already have a thread for this..

Scottish football usually gets slated for being a poor standard with only two teams who can win it, this year partly due to poor decisions in the boardrooms of both Celtic and Rangers a team outside of the "Old Firm" could win the league title for the first time since Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen in 1985. That team is Hearts a team who is own by the same group who owns Brighton and a few other clubs who's lead at the top as been clipped back recently with a few poor results most notably losing to their city rivals Hibernian.

Now that Martin O'Neil is back in charge of Celtic after his replacement Wilfred Nancy was sacked after just 62 days I feel like they will be pushing again but we could be looking at a three horse race for the first time in a long time.

Personally I've a soft spot for Celtic, I've never been up to take in a game live but I tend to watch as many important games as I can on the TV. People question why I enjoy watching them given the gulf in standard between them and the majority of the clubs in the division which usually is the case barring this season however I find the expectancy of the fans to win every game and the pressure that brings fascinating.

Does anyone else have a Scottish club or an interest in Scottish football?

I went to school in the north east of Scotland so went to a few Aberdeen games so I always look out for there results even though I moved away in 1996 

[Eddie]

On 09/01/2026 at 09:38, OriginalMrC said:

Ive never been able to get over the sectarianism in Scottish football so have no team to support. I do enjoy watching it though - proper tubthumping football with lots of passion. Big tackles and poor refereeing and at times poor quality but a game not yet spoilt by the possession style football in England.

I genuinely hope Hearts do it but have a feeling there'll be a late charge from one of the old firm to clinch it. 

To be fair it’s only the Old Firm who are sectarian, and everyone else hates them. 

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, Eddie said:

To be fair it’s only the Old Firm who are sectarian, and everyone else hates them. 

Hearts and Hibs are sectarian - not as pronounced but it's definitely still there. There's an old joke that they're just Rangers and Celtic fans who couldn't afford the train fare to Glasgow.

You're right, though. Take away the Gruesome Twosome - as most fans in/of Scottish football do - and it's all tremendous fun.

Edited February 19 by gingerjon

[OriginalMrC]

7 minutes ago, Eddie said:

To be fair it’s only the Old Firm who are sectarian, and everyone else hates them. 

Not really. They are the clearest examples and most prominent but it not just the Old Firm who are sectarian. Hibs and Hearts is another example. 

[Eddie]

3 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

Not really. They are the clearest examples and most prominent but it not just the Old Firm who are sectarian. Hibs and Hearts is another example. 

I’ve been to games at both clubs and know a few fans of each and I’ve never seen or heard anything sectarian. It may be there but it’s certainly a tiny irrelevant minority if it is.  

[Eddie]

My team are Dundee, I picked them as a kid in the Panini sticker days as I liked the kit and everyone else supported Rangers, Celtic, Dundee Utd or Aberdeen.  There hasn’t been much to shout about over the last 40 odd years, Claudio Cannigia’s brief spell at the club being a highlight.  Scottish football is great, a good antidote to the premier league which I’ve completely lost interest in. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Clydebank are my team and I believe they’re battling their way through the pyramid after becoming defunct.

[Gerrumonside ref]

2 hours ago, Eddie said:

My team are Dundee, I picked them as a kid in the Panini sticker days as I liked the kit and everyone else supported Rangers, Celtic, Dundee Utd or Aberdeen.  There hasn’t been much to shout about over the last 40 odd years, Claudio Cannigia’s brief spell at the club being a highlight.  Scottish football is great, a good antidote to the premier league which I’ve completely lost interest in. 

Been to Dens Park and Tannadice as a tourist before.

Amazing how close they are.

I wanted mugs and scarves as a memento but the club shops weren’t open.

[N2022]

8 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Hearts and Hibs are sectarian - not as pronounced but it's definitely still there. There's an old joke that they're just Rangers and Celtic fans who couldn't afford the train fare to Glasgow.

You're right, though. Take away the Gruesome Twosome - as most fans in/of Scottish football do - and it's all tremendous fun.

I'm surprised at this. Friend of my wife's grew up in Edinburgh. Barnton suburbs (so maybe different from some other areas in attitudes?)  and she and her family are big Hibs fans. This surprised me, as from what she'd told me, any time they went to church it was a Protestant one. I didn't like to make too much of a thing of it, but I think once let the question slip, and she said it wasn't a big deal in her experience, not like in Glasgow.