The Scottish Premiership title race has become unusually competitive this season, with Heart of Midlothian, Rangers F.C. and Celtic F.C. separated by just three points with five matches remaining.
While tight contests between the Glasgow rivals are common, a genuine three-team race for the championship is extremely rare. The last time such a dramatic fight went down to the final day was during the 1982-83 season.
Dundee United’s Historic 1983 Triumph
In the 1982-83 campaign, Dundee United F.C. secured their only Scottish top-flight title under legendary manager Jim McLean.
United finished just one point ahead of Celtic F.C. and Aberdeen F.C. after producing six consecutive wins at the end of the season.
The championship was decided on the final day when Dundee United defeated Dundee F.C. 2-1 at Dens Park. Goals from Ralph Milne and Eamonn Bannon secured the victory, while Iain Ferguson’s strike for Dundee ensured a tense finish.
At the same time, Aberdeen thrashed Hibernian F.C. 5-0 and Celtic beat Rangers 4-2 at Ibrox, but it was not enough to stop Dundee United from clinching the title by a single point.
Interestingly, both United and Celtic scored 90 league goals that season, highlighting how closely matched the teams were.
Another Rare Three-Team Race In 1965
Before the dramatic 1983 season, the previous three-way title race occurred in the 1964-65 campaign.
Kilmarnock F.C. won the league title ahead of Heart of Midlothian and Dunfermline Athletic F.C..
The championship was decided using the old goal-average system rather than goal difference. Kilmarnock secured the title after defeating Hearts 2-0 at Tynecastle on the final day, giving them a slightly superior goal average.
Under the modern goal-difference system, Hearts would actually have been champions.
Closest Modern Example Came In 1998
The closest modern example of a three-team race occurred in the 1997-98 season when Hearts briefly challenged the dominance of Rangers and Celtic.
Managed by Jim Jefferies, Hearts remained in the race with seven games left but faded after a poor run of results. Rangers, led by Walter Smith, also stumbled late in the season.
Ultimately, Wim Jansen guided Celtic to the title, finishing two points ahead of Rangers and preventing their rivals from achieving a historic tenth consecutive championship.
A Rare Scenario In Scottish Football
The current title race involving Hearts, Rangers and Celtic is therefore a rare sight in Scottish football. For over four decades, the championship battle has usually been dominated by the Old Firm duo.
With only a handful of matches left this season, the league could witness its first true three-team title finish since Dundee United’s historic triumph in 1983.
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