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Scottish title race hots up

Despite much belittling of their talents and resources — or lack of them — by the English, plucky Scottish minnows Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers look set to finish near the top of their domestic league.

Kept out of the English Premier League due to a technicality, the two sprats now find themselves fighting for the biggest prize in world football: the Scottish Premier League title. Incredibly, as well as this, the two teams may meet each other in the Scottish Cup Final for only the fifty-seventh time in succession.

BBC pundit Martin O'Neill commented: "I'm delighted to see the quality of opposition that the so-called 'Old Lags' have to face week in and week out. It's not in every country you have to face teams of the quality of Livingston and Partick. I've been very impressed by Celtic this year."

His counterpart at ITV, Ally McCoist, added: "Have no doubt about it, the SPL is one of the strongest leagues in Scotland. Any player who succeeds there would have no trouble doing well anywhere else — even at Sunderland for instance. I've been very impressed by Rangers this year."

Both clubs have become aggrieved at their economic weakness compared to clubs in other European leagues due to sponsors and television sports companies failing to appreciate the true financial worth of ties such as Motherwell versus Kilmarnock. However, since Channel 5 have begun showing CIS Insurance games additional revenue of several hundred pounds has found its way north of the border.

Despite this bonanza, embittered former Scottish International Graeme Souness described Rangers as being "not as good as they were ten years ago" and Celtic as "utterly overrated and boys not men".

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