It’s just over three years since Brian Rice said the gap between the Old Firm and the rest of the top flight was as big as he’d seen in 40 years in football.
The then Hamilton Accies boss had watched his side thumped 5-0 by Rangers at Ibrox and was licking his wounds when he said: “Celtic and Rangers are on a different planet to anyone else in this division. The gap for me, between Celtic, Rangers and the rest, is as big as I’ve ever seen in my 40-odd years in Scottish football.”
Little more than one year on from that mauling in October 2019 his point was underlined when the Lanarkshire side were on the receiving end of an 8-0 hammering by Steven Gerrard’s Light Blues on their return to Govan. Rangers went on to romp the title that season by 25 points from Celtic. But Hibs were ‘just’ 14 points behind in third.
The question is now coming up yet again over the size of the gap between the top two and the rest. John Hartson questioned the strength of the Scottish Premiership after Celtic, albeit in the Scottish Cup, beat third placed Hearts for the second time in four days. That 3-0 quarter final stroll took the Old Firm’s goal tally at Tynecastle to a staggering 14 between them this season.
The Jambos are 25 points behind Rangers in second place. Taking games against each other out of the equation, the pair of Glasgow giants have lost just once domestically each in all competitions. St Mirren’s shock win against the Hoops in Paisley back in September and the Ibrox side’s defeat to St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.
So, with 10 games still to play, could we be on course for the biggest gap ever? And what are the biggest in terms of points? Here, Record Sport looks at the biggest gaps from second to third place in the top flight on the occasions where the Old Firm have occupied the top two spots.
1998/99 - 14 points
The inaugural SPL season as Dick Advocaat made a winning start to life in Scotland with the title part of his treble success. St Johnstone punched above their weight to finish third.
1999/00 - 15 points
It was two in a row for Rangers under Dutchman Dick Advocaat as he romped the league by 21 points - six more than the gap between Celtic and Hearts in third.
2000/01 - 16 points
Martin O'Neill swept into power at Parkhead in style and won the league by 15 points - just a point less than Hibs finished behind second place Rangers. That work by Alex McLeish was noted at Ibrox.
2001/02 - 27 points
Livingston made a flying start to life in the top flight with a third-place finish to secure a spot in Europe but were still along way off Gers in second who were 18 behind champions Celtic.
2002/03 - 34 points
A staggering gulf between Hearts and Celtic. Alex McLeish’s Light Blues and Martin O’Neill’s Hoops side enjoyed an enthralling league title race with the championship settled on the final day. It took goal difference to split the Glasgow giants on a thrilling final day of the season with the both finishing on 97 points and the Jambos the next ‘nearest’.
Craig Levein needed binoculars rather than his glasses to see runners-up Celtic after Hearts finished best of the rest 20 years ago with a staggering 34 points separating them. This is the biggest in the SPL/SPFL era.
2003/04 - 13 points
Hearts closed the gap considerably from that 34-point difference the previous season. But they were helped by a dismal showing from Rangers who were 17 points behind Celtic.
2004//05 - 31 points
Yet another roller-coaster season that went to the wire between McLeish's Gers and O'Neill's Celtic with the Ibrox side winning by a point on Helicopter Sunday. Hibs were in a distant third.
2006/07 - 7 points
Finishing runners-up was an improvement for Rangers here having been pipped to second spot by Hearts in the previous campaign. Walter Smith had come in to steady the ship after the Paul Le Guen disaster. But there wasn't much in it to Aberdeen in third.
2007/08 - 26 points
Another season settled on a final day although there wasn't as much drama at the end as Rangers ran out of steam at the end following their UEFA Cup final run. Motherwell were a distant third.
2008/09 - 23 points
Hearts secured third under Csaba Laszlo but were well off Celtic who lost out on the title on the final day to Rangers.
2009/10 - 18 points
Dundee United were on the up and clinched third spot as well as the Scottish Cup, despite Craig Levein departing Tannadice. They were still almost 20 points behind Celtic.
2010/11 - 29 points
Jim Jefferies was back at the Jambos but it was a familiar feeling as he managed to secure third but remained miles off the top two. Rangers won it on the last day by a point, Walter Smith's final title.
2011/12 - 11 points
Rangers were deducted 10 points following their financial collapse but still comfortably secured second in the league ahead of Motherwell . However, it was the Steelmen who got the Champions League spot with the Light Blues sent to the bottom tier.
2018/19 - 11 points
Following their time out of the top division, it took until Steven Gerrard's arrival at Ibrox for Rangers to even secure second spot again after Aberdeen took advantage of the Ibrox club's demise. The Dons lost out on third on goal difference here to Kilmarnock.
2019/20 - 21 points
Motherwell finished third, albeit the season was curtailed due to Covid, and they had played a game less than Rangers so the gap had the potential to get bigger if the campaign had been completed.
2020/21 - 14 points
Jack Ross got the Hibees into third spot behind Celtic were a long way off a Rangers side that celebrated their first title in a decade.
2021/22 - 28 points
Robbie Neilson got the Jambos back into the top flight after his Tynecastle return and into third spot but it was still a huge gap to Rangers.
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