Scotlands Last Three

Will it be Heart of Midlothian, Rangers, or Celtic that takes the lead in the Scottish Premiership? Currently, a mere three points separate the top three teams with just five games left to play.

Just three points cover the top three positions.

The last time the Edinburgh club claimed the championship was in 1960, and it has been 41 years since a team other than the Old Firm has won the title.

Though there have been numerous fierce competitions between Glasgow’s giants over the years, when was the last time we saw a true three-way showdown right up until the end?

To find that, we must travel back to the 1982-83 season.

United’s Historic Title in 1983

In the year that saw the birth of former Scotland footballers James McFadden and Shaun Maloney, there was no league split, and only two points were awarded for a win when the TV classics Taggart and Auf Wiedersehen Pet debuted.

Dundee United clinched the title for the first and only time, nervously finishing with six consecutive victories to end one point ahead of both Celtic and Aberdeen.

The Dons, who managed to secure both the European Cup Winners’ Cup and the Scottish Cup during the closing fixtures, remained unbeaten in their final six games, although a 0-0 draw against Hibernian meant they finished second.

Celtic, on the other hand, suffered crucial defeats against their closest rivals in the final stretch of matches, despite having a young Charlie Nicholas scoring regularly.

The climactic finale came at Dens Park, where United triumphed over city rivals Dundee 2-1, thanks to goals from Ralph Milne and Eamonn Bannon, although an Iain Ferguson goal before half-time made the second half quite tense.

“Those final moments felt like an eternity,” recalled Hamish McAlpine of United.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen crushed Hibs 5-0 at Pittodrie, while Celtic celebrated a 4-2 victory over Rangers at Ibrox but were ultimately left disappointed.

Both United and Celtic ended the season with 90 goals, while Aberdeen finished with 76.

Kilmarnock Edges Out Hearts in 1965

The last time we witnessed a similar three-way challenge was in the 1964-65 season when Kilmarnock edged out Hearts using the old goal average system, with Dunfermline Athletic just a point behind in third.

Hearts hosted Kilmarnock on the final day with a two-point lead and a superior goal average, but were stunned by a 2-0 defeat as David Sneddon and Brian McIlroy scored in quick succession.

This win allowed Kilmarnock to achieve a goal average of 1.878, while Hearts’ stood at 1.836. If calculated using today’s goal difference system, Hearts would have claimed the title with +40 compared to Kilmarnock’s +33.

That season, all three top teams won 22 of their 34 matches, with Dunfermline boasting an impressive goal average of 2.3.

Hearts Falter as Celtic Triumphs in 1998

The closest we’ve come to a three-way race since United’s memorable season was in 1997-98, with Hearts competing with Celtic and Rangers.

Under manager Jim Jefferies, Hearts were in contention with seven games remaining but faltered, earning only two points from a difficult run of five matches, including a derby loss and a significant defeat to Rangers.

Meanwhile, Walter Smith’s Rangers, marking his last season at the helm, struggled too, dropping points in the final stretch, while Celtic, led by Wim Jansen in his only term, managed to secure two wins and two draws to finish two points clear, ultimately ending Rangers’ quest for an unprecedented 10-in-a-row and leaving Hearts seven points behind.