Scottish title challenges: The near misses during 40 years of Old Firm dominance
A 40-year duopoly in Scottish football is under major threat as Hearts top the table with two games left.
Here, PA Sport look at occasions since then when the Glasgow hegemony came under threat.
1986
Hearts were also top for much of the 1985-86 season after a slow start.
Alex MacDonald’s side were seven minutes away from glory before Dundee substitute Albert Kidd struck twice to inflict a 2-0 defeat – their first in 32 matches.
Celtic had gone into the final day two points and three goals behind but hit five goals past St Mirren before Love Street erupted when news of Kidd’s goals came through.
Celtic won the title on goal difference following their eighth consecutive win.
1991
Hearts had been minutes away from taking the title outside Glasgow for the fifth time in the 1980s after Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen and Jim McLean’s Dundee United formed a New Firm to compete with the old order.
However, the drama at Dens and Love Street overshadowed what would be a more lasting impact on Scottish football as Graeme Souness oversaw his first game as Rangers boss on the same day. New spending power and transfer ambition saw the Gers win 10 of the next 11 titles.
Aberdeen were runners-up on five occasions during the Govan club’s record-equalling nine-in-a-row titles, and came very close in 1991 when they travelled to Ibrox top on the final day.
Rangers slipped into second the previous weekend when Dougie Arnott netted two late goals as Motherwell inflicted a 3-0 defeat at Fir Park which put Aberdeen top on goals scored.
Aberdeen strikers Peter van de Ven and Hans Gilhaus missed great chances against injury-hit Rangers, who were in the early weeks of Walter Smith’s reign, before Mark Hateley netted a title-winning double in a 2-0 win.
1994
Motherwell offered Scottish football a brief glimpse of a challenge after a 2-1 midweek win over Rangers in late April, and Tommy McLean’s side moved four points behind with three games left as Celtic drew at Ibrox three days later.
Rangers then lost at home to Hibernian but Motherwell could not capitalise as a 2-1 home defeat by Dundee United effectively handed Rangers the title.
The Steelmen ended up third behind Aberdeen, four points adrift of Rangers, after taking just one point from their final three games.
1998
Like this season, Hearts were embroiled in a genuine three-way race with the lead regularly changing hands.
But Jim Jefferies’ side finished seven points adrift of champions Celtic after winning one of their final seven matches.
2006
Hearts finished 17 points behind Celtic but split the Old Firm and fans were left with a real sense of ‘what if?’.
Manager George Burley was sacked by erratic owner Vladimir Romanov with the Jambos top of the league having won eight and drawn two of their first 10 matches.
2018
Current Hearts boss Derek McInnes is the only manager to have vaguely threatened since.
His Aberdeen team just about kept on the trail of Celtic on a few occasions until falling away in the final months.
The closest the Dons ultimately came was when they finished nine points behind Brendan Rodgers’ side in 2018.