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List of Scottish football champions
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| Field | Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | List of Scottish football champions | ||||
| image | [[File:Gary Irvine (3496273115) (cropped).jpg | 100px | center]] [[File:SPL trophy.jpg | 100px | center]] |
| caption | The trophies awarded to the Scottish champions prior to 1998 (top) and subsequently (bottom) | ||||
| founded | 1890 (Scottish Football League) | ||||
| 1998 (Scottish Premier League) | |||||
| teams | 12 | ||||
| champions | Celtic | ||||
| (55th title) | |||||
| season | 2024–25 | ||||
| most_champs | Celtic (55 titles) | ||||
| Rangers (55 titles, including 1 shared) | |||||
| current | 2025–26 |
1998 (Scottish Premier League)
2013 (Scottish Premiership) (55th title) Rangers (55 titles, including 1 shared)
The Scottish football champions are the winners of the highest league in Scottish football, namely the Scottish Football League (SFL) from 1890 until 1998, the Scottish Premier League (SPL) from 1998 until 2013 and the Scottish Premiership thereafter.
The SFL was established in 1890, initially as an amateur league until professionalism in Scottish football was legalised in 1893. At the end of the first season, Dumbarton and Rangers finished level on points at the top of the table. The rules in force at the time required that the teams contest a play-off match for the championship, which finished in a 2–2 draw, and the first ever championship was thus shared between two clubs, the only occasion on which this has happened. In 1893, a lower division was formed, with the existing division renamed Division One. The higher tier continued during World War I but the league was suspended altogether during World War II. Although there were several short spells when a third level was created, the two-division structure remained largely in place until 1975, when a major re-organisation of the league led to a new three-tier setup and the creation of a new Premier Division at the highest level. In 1998, the teams then in the Premier Division broke away to form the SPL, which supplanted the Premier Division as the highest level of football in Scotland. The SPL and SFL merged in 2013 to form the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), which branded its top division as the Scottish Premiership.
Throughout its existence the championship of Scottish football has been dominated by two Glasgow clubs, Celtic and Rangers. The two rivals, who are collectively known as the "Old Firm", have claimed the vast majority of league titles and there have only been five seasons in which neither finished in the top two, most recently in the 1964–65 season. As of 2025, both teams have won 55 titles, while no other club has won on more than four occasions. No club outside the Old Firm has won the title since the 1984–85 season, when Aberdeen won the Premier Division under the management of Alex Ferguson. The current 40-year period of dominance by the Old Firm is a record; the previous longest streak was 27 years, between 1904 and 1931. Each of the Old Firm clubs has managed a run of nine consecutive championships: Celtic from 1966 to 1974 and again from 2012 to 2020, As of the end of the 2024–25 season, Celtic have won 21 doubles and Rangers 18. The only other club to have won a league and Scottish Cup double is Aberdeen, in 1983–84. Both Old Firm clubs have completed a treble (Celtic 8 times; Rangers 7) by also winning the Scottish League Cup. In the 1966–67 season, Celtic took all three domestic trophies, and also won the European Cup to complete the only quadruple to date.
Champions
Key:
Scottish Football League (1890–1893)
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Top scorer(s) | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890–91 | Dumbarton (1) and | |||||
| Rangers (1) | Celtic | (Dumbarton) | 20 | |||
| 1891–92 | Dumbarton (2) | Celtic | Heart of Midlothian | (Dumbarton) | 23 | |
| 1892–93 | Celtic (1) | Rangers | St Mirren | (Celtic) | ||
| (Celtic) | 11 |
Scottish Football League Division One (1893–1946)
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Top scorer(s) | Player | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893–94 | Celtic (2) | Heart of Midlothian | St Bernard's | (Celtic) | 16 | ||
| 1894–95 | Heart of Midlothian (1) | Celtic | Rangers | (Clyde) | 12 | ||
| 1895–96 | Celtic (3) | Rangers | Hibernian | (Celtic) | 19 | ||
| 1896–97 | Heart of Midlothian (2) | Hibernian | Rangers | (Heart of Midlothian) | 12 | ||
| 1897–98 | Celtic (4) | Rangers | Hibernian | (Rangers) | 18 | ||
| 1898–99 | Rangers (2) | Heart of Midlothian | Celtic | (Rangers) | 25 | ||
| 1899–1900 | Rangers (3) | Celtic | Hibernian | (Rangers) | |||
| (Heart of Midlothian) | 15 | ||||||
| 1900–01 | Rangers (4) | Celtic | Hibernian | (Rangers) | 20 | ||
| 1901–02 | Rangers (5) | Celtic | Heart of Midlothian | (Third Lanark) | 10 | ||
| 1902–03 | Hibernian (1) | Dundee | Rangers | (Hibernian) | 14 | ||
| 1903–04 | Third Lanark (1) | Heart of Midlothian | Celtic and Rangers | (Rangers) | 28 | ||
| 1904–05 | Celtic (5) | Rangers | Third Lanark | (Rangers) | |||
| (Celtic) | 19 | ||||||
| 1905–06 | Celtic (6) | Heart of Midlothian | Airdrieonians | (Celtic) | 20 | ||
| 1906–07 | Celtic (7) | Dundee | Rangers | (Celtic) | 29 | ||
| 1907–08 | Celtic (8) | Falkirk | Rangers | (Falkirk) | 32 | ||
| 1908–09 | Celtic (9) | Dundee | Clyde | (Dundee) | 29 | ||
| 1909–10 | Celtic (10) | Falkirk | Rangers | (Celtic) | |||
| (Falkirk) | 24 | ||||||
| 1910–11 | Rangers (6) | Aberdeen | Falkirk | (Rangers) | 38 | ||
| 1911–12 | Rangers (7) | Celtic | Clyde | (Rangers) | 33 | ||
| 1912–13 | Rangers (8) | Celtic | Airdrieonians and | ||||
| Heart of Midlothian | (Airdrieonians) | 30 | |||||
| 1913–14 | Celtic (11) | Rangers | Heart of Midlothian and | ||||
| Morton | (Airdrieonians) | 27 | |||||
| 1914–15 | Celtic (12) | Heart of Midlothian | Rangers | (Heart of Midlothian) | |||
| (Ayr United) | 29 | ||||||
| 1915–16 | Celtic (13) | Rangers | Morton | (Celtic) | 34 | ||
| 1916–17 | Celtic (14) | Morton | Rangers | (Airdrieonians) | 39 | ||
| 1917–18 | Rangers (9) | Celtic | Kilmarnock and Morton | (Motherwell) | 35 | ||
| 1918–19 | Celtic (15) | Rangers | Morton | (Rangers) | 29 | ||
| 1919–20 | Rangers (10) | Celtic | Motherwell | (Motherwell) | 33 | ||
| 1920–21 | Rangers (11) | Celtic | Heart of Midlothian | (Motherwell) | 43 | ||
| 1921–22 | Celtic (16) | Rangers | Raith Rovers | (St Mirren) | 45 | ||
| 1922–23 | Rangers (12) | Airdrieonians | Celtic | (Heart of Midlothian) | 30 | ||
| 1923–24 | Rangers (13) | Airdrieonians | Celtic | (Dundee) | 38 | ||
| 1924–25 | Rangers (14) | Airdrieonians | Hibernian | (Cowdenbeath) | 33 | ||
| 1925–26 | Celtic (17) | Airdrieonians | Heart of Midlothian | (Cowdenbeath) | 40 | ||
| 1926–27 | Rangers (15) | Motherwell | Celtic | (Celtic) | 49 | ||
| 1927–28 | Rangers (16) | Celtic | Motherwell | (Celtic) | 47 | ||
| 1928–29 | Rangers (17) | Celtic | Motherwell | (Falkirk) | 43 | ||
| 1929–30 | Rangers (18) | Motherwell | Aberdeen | (Aberdeen) | 38 | ||
| 1930–31 | Rangers (19) | Celtic | Motherwell | (Heart of Midlothian) | 44 | ||
| 1931–32 | Motherwell (1) | Rangers | Celtic | (Motherwell) | 52 | ||
| 1932–33 | Rangers (20) | Motherwell | Heart of Midlothian | (Motherwell) | 45 | ||
| 1933–34 | Rangers (21) | Motherwell | Celtic | (Rangers) | 41 | ||
| 1934–35 | Rangers (22) | Celtic | Heart of Midlothian | (Rangers) | 36 | ||
| 1935–36 | Celtic (18) | Rangers | Aberdeen | (Celtic) | 50 | ||
| 1936–37 | Rangers (23) | Aberdeen | Celtic | (Hamilton Academical) | 34 | ||
| 1937–38 | Celtic (19) | Heart of Midlothian | Rangers | (Heart of Midlothian) | 40 | ||
| 1938–39 | Rangers (24) | Celtic | Aberdeen | (Rangers) | 35 | ||
| 1939–46 | Suspended due to World War II. | ||||||
| Unofficial leagues (Emergency League and regional North Eastern League and Southern League) held. |
Scottish Football League Division 'A' (1946–1955)
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Top scorer(s) | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946–47 | Rangers (25) | Hibernian | Aberdeen | (Third Lanark) | 22 | |
| 1947–48 | Hibernian (2) | Rangers | Partick Thistle | (Falkirk) | 20 | |
| 1948–49 | *Rangers (26)* | Dundee | Hibernian | (Dundee) | 30 | |
| 1949–50 | Rangers (27) | Hibernian | Heart of Midlothian | (Heart of Midlothian) | 30 | |
| 1950–51 | Hibernian (3) | Rangers | Dundee | (Hibernian) | 22 | |
| 1951–52 | Hibernian (4) | Rangers | East Fife | (Hibernian) | 27 | |
| 1952–53 | Rangers (28) | Hibernian | East Fife | (Hibernian) | ||
| (East Fife) | 30 | |||||
| 1953–54 | Celtic (20) | Heart of Midlothian | Partick Thistle | (Heart of Midlothian) | 27 | |
| 1954–55 | Aberdeen (1) | Celtic | Rangers | (Heart of Midlothian) | 21 |
Scottish Football League Division One (1955–1975)
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Top scorer(s) | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955–56 | Rangers (29) | Aberdeen | Heart of Midlothian | (Heart of Midlothian) | 28 | |
| 1956–57 | Rangers (30) | Heart of Midlothian | Kilmarnock | (Airdrieonians) | 33 | |
| 1957–58 | Heart of Midlothian (3) | Rangers | Celtic | (Heart of Midlothian) | ||
| (Heart of Midlothian) | 28 | |||||
| 1958–59 | Rangers (31) | Heart of Midlothian | Motherwell | (Hibernian) | 25 | |
| 1959–60 | Heart of Midlothian (4) | Kilmarnock | Rangers | (Hibernian) | 42 | |
| 1960–61 | Rangers (32) | Kilmarnock | Third Lanark | (Third Lanark) | 42 | |
| 1961–62 | Dundee (1) | *Rangers* | Celtic | (Dundee) | 24 | |
| 1962–63 | Rangers (33) | Kilmarnock | Partick Thistle | (Rangers) | 27 | |
| 1963–64 | *Rangers (34)* | Kilmarnock | Celtic | (Dundee) | 32 | |
| 1964–65 | Kilmarnock (1) | Heart of Midlothian | Dunfermline Athletic | (Rangers) | 30 | |
| 1965–66 | Celtic (21) | Rangers | Kilmarnock | (Celtic) | ||
| (Dunfermline Athletic) | 31 | |||||
| 1966–67 | *Celtic (22)* | Rangers | Clyde | (Celtic) | 21 | |
| 1967–68 | Celtic (23) | Rangers | Hibernian | (Celtic) | 32 | |
| 1968–69 | *Celtic (24)* | Rangers | Dunfermline Athletic | (Dundee United) | 26 | |
| 1969–70 | Celtic (25) | Rangers | Hibernian | (Rangers) | 24 | |
| 1970–71 | Celtic (26) | Aberdeen | St Johnstone | (Celtic) | 22 | |
| 1971–72 | Celtic (27) | Aberdeen | Rangers | (Aberdeen) | 33 | |
| 1972–73 | Celtic (28) | Rangers | Hibernian | (Hibernian) | 27 | |
| 1973–74 | Celtic (29) | Hibernian | Rangers | (Celtic) | 26 | |
| 1974–75 | Rangers (35) | Hibernian | *Celtic* | (Dundee United) | ||
| (Motherwell) | 20 |
Scottish Football League Premier Division (1975–1998)
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Top scorer(s) | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–76 | *Rangers (36)* | Celtic | Hibernian | (Celtic) | 24 | |
| 1976–77 | Celtic (30) | Rangers | Aberdeen | (Motherwell) | 21 | |
| 1977–78 | *Rangers (37)* | Aberdeen | Dundee United | (Rangers) | 25 | |
| 1978–79 | Celtic (31) | *Rangers* | Dundee United | (Morton) | 22 | |
| 1979–80 | Aberdeen (2) | Celtic | St Mirren | (St Mirren) | 25 | |
| 1980–81 | Celtic (32) | Aberdeen | Rangers | (Celtic) | 23 | |
| 1981–82 | Celtic (33) | Aberdeen | Rangers | (Celtic) | 21 | |
| 1982–83 | Dundee United (1) | Celtic | Aberdeen | (Celtic) | 29 | |
| 1983–84 | Aberdeen (3) | Celtic | Dundee United | (Celtic) | 23 | |
| 1984–85 | Aberdeen (4) | Celtic | Dundee United | (Aberdeen) | 22 | |
| 1985–86 | Celtic (34) | Heart of Midlothian | Dundee United | (Rangers) | 24 | |
| 1986–87 | Rangers (38) | Celtic | Dundee United | (Celtic) | 35 | |
| 1987–88 | Celtic (35) | Heart of Midlothian | Rangers | (Dundee) | 33 | |
| 1988–89 | Rangers (39) | Aberdeen | Celtic | (Celtic) | ||
| (Aberdeen) | 16 | |||||
| 1989–90 | Rangers (40) | *Aberdeen* | Heart of Midlothian | (Heart of Midlothian) | 17 | |
| 1990–91 | Rangers (41) | Aberdeen | Celtic | (Celtic) | 18 | |
| 1991–92 | Rangers (42) | Heart of Midlothian | Celtic | (Rangers) | 34 | |
| 1992–93 | *Rangers (43)* | Aberdeen | Celtic | (Rangers) | 34 | |
| 1993–94 | Rangers (44) | Aberdeen | Motherwell | (Rangers) | 22 | |
| 1994–95 | Rangers (45) | Motherwell | Hibernian | (Motherwell) | 16 | |
| 1995–96 | Rangers (46) | Celtic | Aberdeen | (Celtic) | 26 | |
| 1996–97 | Rangers (47) | Celtic | Dundee United | (Celtic) | 25 | |
| 1997–98 | Celtic (36) | Rangers | Heart of Midlothian | (Rangers) | 32 |
Scottish Premier League (1998–2013)
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Top scorer(s) | Player | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | *Rangers (48)* | Celtic | St Johnstone | (Celtic) | 29 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Rangers (49) | Celtic | Heart of Midlothian | (Celtic) | 25 | ||
| 2000–01 | *Celtic (37)* | Rangers | Hibernian | (Celtic) | 35 | ||
| 2001–02 | Celtic (38) | *Rangers* | Livingston | (Celtic) | 29 | ||
| 2002–03 | *Rangers (50)* | Celtic | Heart of Midlothian | (Celtic) | 28 | ||
| 2003–04 | Celtic (39) | Rangers | Heart of Midlothian | (Celtic) | 30 | ||
| 2004–05 | Rangers (51) | Celtic | Hibernian | (Celtic) | 25 | ||
| 2005–06 | Celtic (40) | Heart of Midlothian | Rangers | (Kilmarnock, Rangers) | 32 | ||
| 2006–07 | Celtic (41) | Rangers | Aberdeen | (Rangers) | 20 | ||
| 2007–08 | Celtic (42) | *Rangers* | Motherwell | (Celtic) | 25 | ||
| 2008–09 | Rangers (52) | Celtic | Heart of Midlothian | (Rangers) | 27 | ||
| 2009–10 | Rangers (53) | Celtic | Dundee United | (Rangers) | 23 | ||
| 2010–11 | Rangers (54) | Celtic | Heart of Midlothian | (Rangers) | 21 | ||
| 2011–12 | Celtic (43) | Rangers | Motherwell | Gary Hooper (Celtic) | 24 | ||
| 2012–13 | Celtic (44) | Motherwell | St Johnstone | Michael Higdon (Motherwell) | 26 |
Scottish Premiership (2013–present)
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Top scorer(s) | Player | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Celtic (45) | Motherwell | Aberdeen | (Celtic) | 27 | ||
| 2014–15 | Celtic (46) | Aberdeen | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | (Aberdeen) | 18 | ||
| 2015–16 | Celtic (47) | Aberdeen | Heart of Midlothian | (Celtic) | 31 | ||
| 2016–17 | *Celtic (48)* | Aberdeen | Rangers | (Ross County) | 23 | ||
| 2017–18 | *Celtic (49)* | Aberdeen | Rangers | (Kilmarnock) | 18 | ||
| 2018–19 | *Celtic (50)* | Rangers | Kilmarnock | (Rangers) | 18 | ||
| 2019–20 | *Celtic (51)* | Rangers | Motherwell | (Celtic) | 22 | ||
| 2020–21 | Rangers (55) | Celtic | Hibernian | (Celtic) | 18 | ||
| 2021–22 | Celtic (52) | Rangers | Heart of Midlothian | (Ross County) | |||
| (Celtic) | 13 | ||||||
| 2022–23 | *Celtic (53)* | Rangers | Aberdeen | (Celtic) | 27 | ||
| 2023–24 | Celtic (54) | Rangers | Heart of Midlothian | (Heart of Midlothian) | 24 | ||
| 2024–25 | Celtic (55) | Rangers | Hibernian | (Rangers) | 18 |
Total titles won
- Clubs participating in the 2025–26 Scottish Premiership are denoted in bold type.
- Clubs no longer active are denoted in italics.
| Club | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Last Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic | 55 | 32 | 17 | 2024–25 |
| Rangers | 55 | 36 | 20 | 2020–21 |
| Aberdeen | 4 | 17 | 10 | 1984–85 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 4 | 14 | 20 | 1959–60 |
| Hibernian | 4 | 6 | 15 | 1951–52 |
| Dumbarton | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1891–92 |
| Motherwell | 1 | 7 | 9 | 1931–32 |
| Kilmarnock | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1964–65 |
| Dundee | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1961–62 |
| Dundee United | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1982–83 |
| Third Lanark | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1903–04 |
| Airdrieonians (1878) | 0 | 4 | 2 | — |
| Falkirk | 0 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Morton | 0 | 1 | 4 | — |
| Clyde | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| Partick Thistle | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| St Johnstone | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| Dunfermline Athletic | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| East Fife | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| St Mirren | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| Livingston | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| Raith Rovers | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| St Bernard's | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
By city/town
| City / town | Championships | Clubs | Last championship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow | 111 | Celtic (55), Rangers (55), Third Lanark (1) | 2024–25 (Celtic) |
| Edinburgh | 8 | Heart of Midlothian (4), Hibernian (4) | 1959–60 (Heart of Midlothian) |
| Aberdeen | 4 | Aberdeen (4) | 1984–85 (Aberdeen) |
| Dumbarton | 2 | Dumbarton (2) | 1891–92 (Dumbarton) |
| Dundee | 2 | Dundee (1), Dundee United (1) | 1982–83 (Dundee United) |
| Kilmarnock | 1 | Kilmarnock (1) | 1964–65 (Kilmarnock) |
| Motherwell | 1 | Motherwell (1) | 1931–32 (Motherwell) |
- Teams in Italics are defunct, and cannot win any more championships
- Teams in Bold currently participate in the Scottish Premiership
Notes
References
References
- Davies, Hunter. (2003). "Boots, Balls and Haircuts: An Illustrated History of Football from Then to Now". Cassell Illustrated.
- (22 August 2007). "Scotland – List of Champions".
- (3 January 2007). "Scotland – List of Divisional Movements".
- "History". Scottish Premier League.
- (24 July 2013). "SPFL: New Scottish league brands unveiled". BBC.
- Duncan, Colin. (25 April 2013). "Aberdeen stars Dougie Bell & Neil Simpson: We wouldn't have believed our SPL victory would be last for non-Old Firm team". Trinity Mirror.
- "Brief history". Celtic FC.
- (18 April 2013). "Doing the Double!".
- "1946–1970 An Historic Treble". Rangers FC.
- (28 February 2007). "The sulkiest football walk-offs ever". The Guardian.
- Barnes, Stuart. "News of the World Football Annual 2007/2008 (season 2007)". Invincible Press.
- (9 June 2016). "Scotland – List of Topscorers".
- (18 May 2020). "Celtic champions & Hearts relegated after SPFL ends season".
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