Scotland - List of Champions

Champions

Summaries

Wartime Champions (unofficial)

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Scottish Football League Champions 1891-1939

1891  *Dumbarton & *Rangers (shared)
1892  -Dumbarton
1893  *Celtic
1894   Celtic
1895  *Heart Of Midlothian
1896   Celtic
1897   Heart Of Midlothian
1898   Celtic
1899   Rangers
1900   Rangers
1901   Rangers
1902   Rangers
1903  *Hibernian
1904 *-Third Lanark
1905   Celtic (after play-off)
1906   Celtic
1907   Celtic
1908   Celtic
1909   Celtic
1910   Celtic
1911   Rangers
1912   Rangers
1913   Rangers
1914   Celtic
1915   Celtic
1916   Celtic 
1917   Celtic
1918   Rangers
1919   Celtic
1920   Rangers
1921   Rangers
1922   Celtic
1923   Rangers
1924   Rangers
1925   Rangers
1926   Celtic
1927   Rangers
1928   Rangers
1929   Rangers
1930   Rangers
1931   Rangers
1932 *-Motherwell
1933   Rangers
1934   Rangers
1935   Rangers
1936   Celtic
1937   Rangers
1938   Celtic
1939   Rangers

* indicates club's first title
- indicates club's last title

Notes
Until 1920 clubs which finished equal on points played off for the title.
In 1891 Rangers and Dumbarton were declared joint champions after the play-off
resulted in a 2-2 draw. In 1905 Celtic beat Rangers 2-1 in the title play-off.

Index| Summary 1891| Champions 1947


Summary 1891-1939 (50 championships)

24  Rangers
19  Celtic
 2  Dumbarton, Heart Of Midlothian
 1  Hibernian, Third Lanark, Motherwell

Index| Champions 1891| War Leagues| Champions 1947


Wartime Leagues 1940-46

During the First World War the Scottish League continued operating pretty much as normal, although the Second Division was suspended from 1915, and some of the more remote clubs (e.g. Aberdeen and Dundee) were temporarily excluded due to travelling difficulties.
When war was declared in September 1939, the SFA immediately suspended all football and the League was abandoned after just 5 matches. A few weeks later an emergency competition was organised before the League closed down completely for the war from the summer of 1940. It did authorise member clubs to organise local competitions amongst themselves and separate leagues were organised in the South from autumn 1940 and in the North East from the following year. In the 1945-46 season the Scottish League took responsibility for league competition once more and operated two national divisions. These championships are unofficial and are not counted in the totals for each club.

Emergency War League 1939-40

Regional League West: Rangers
Regional League East: Falkirk

Championship play-off: Rangers 2  Falkirk 1


Southern League 1941-45

1941  Rangers
1942  Rangers
1943  Rangers
1944  Rangers
1945  Rangers


North-Eastern League 1941-45

1941 (autumn)  Rangers reserves
1942 (spring)  Aberdeen
1942 (autumn)  Aberdeen
1943 (spring)  Aberdeen
1943 (autumn)  Raith Rovers
1944 (spring)  Aberdeen
1944 (autumn)  Dundee
1945 (spring)  Aberdeen


Southern League 1945-46

'A' Division: Rangers
'B' Division: Dundee

Index| Champions 1891| Champions 1947


Scottish Football League Champions 1947-75

1947   Rangers
1948   Hibernian
1949   Rangers
1950   Rangers
1951   Hibernian
1952  -Hibernian
1953   Rangers
1954   Celtic
1955  *Aberdeen
1956   Rangers
1957   Rangers
1958   Heart Of Midlothian
1959   Rangers
1960  -Heart Of Midlothian
1961   Rangers
1962 *-Dundee
1963   Rangers
1964   Rangers
1965 *-Kilmarnock
1966   Celtic
1967   Celtic
1968   Celtic
1969   Celtic
1970   Celtic
1971   Celtic
1972   Celtic
1973   Celtic
1974   Celtic
1975   Rangers

* indicates club's first title
- indicates club's last title

Index| Champions 1891| Summary 1947| Champions 1976


Summary 1947-75 (29 championships)

11  Rangers
10  Celtic
 3  Hibernian
 2  Heart Of Midlothian
 1  Aberdeen, Dundee, Kilmarnock

Index| Champions 1947| Champions 1976


Scottish Football League Champions 1976-now

The league was re-organised at the end of the 1975-76 season. The teams finishing in the top ten positions of the old Division One in 1974-75 formed the new Premier Division for 1975-76.

1976   Rangers
1977   Celtic
1978   Rangers
1979   Celtic
1980   Aberdeen
1981   Celtic
1982   Celtic
1983 *-Dundee United
1984   Aberdeen
1985  -Aberdeen
1986   Celtic
1987   Rangers
1988   Celtic
1989   Rangers
1990   Rangers
1991   Rangers
1992   Rangers
1993   Rangers
1994   Rangers
1995   Rangers
1996   Rangers
1997   Rangers
1998   Celtic
1999   Rangers
2000   Rangers
2001   Celtic
2002   Celtic
2003   Rangers
2004   Celtic
2005   Rangers
2006   Celtic
2007   Celtic
2008   Celtic  
2009   Rangers
2010   Rangers
2011   Rangers
2012   Celtic
2013   Celtic
2014   Celtic
2015   Celtic
2016   Celtic
2017   Celtic
2018   Celtic
2019   Celtic
2020   Celtic
2021  -Rangers
2022   Celtic
2023  -Celtic
2024

* indicates club's first title
- indicates club's last title

Index| Champions 1947| Summary 1976| Overall summary


Summary 1976-now (48 championships)

24  Celtic
20  Rangers 
 3  Aberdeen
 1  Dundee United

NB: while The Rangers Football Club Plc, the company owning Rangers FC in the 2011/12 season,
    entered liquidation on Oct 31, 2012 (after having been renamed RFC 2012 Plc), previously,
    on Jun 14, 2012, it had sold the club to another company, SEVCO Scotland Limited, thus
    enabling the club to continue its existence and retain its records

Index| Champions 1976| Overall summary


Summary 1891-now (127 championships)

55  Rangers
53  Celtic
 4  Heart Of Midlothian, Hibernian, Aberdeen
 2  Dumbarton
 1  Third Lanark, Motherwell, Dundee, Kilmarnock, Dundee United

NB: while The Rangers Football Club Plc, the company owning Rangers FC in the 2011/12 season,
    entered liquidation on Oct 31, 2012 (after having been renamed RFC 2012 Plc), previously,
    on Jun 14, 2012, it had sold the club to another company, SEVCO Scotland Limited, thus
    enabling the club to continue its existence and retain its records

Index| Champions 1891| Champions 1976


About this document

Prepared and maintained by James M. Ross and Karel Stokkermans for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Authors: James M. Ross and Karel Stokkermans
Last updated: 12 Jan 2024

© Copyright 1995/2024 James M. Ross, Karel Stokkermans and RSSSF
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All rights reserved.