The outcome of the Scottish Premiership title race may have been obvious long before a ball was kicked in anger last August, but the 2013/14 football season still managed to provide drama aplenty along the way.
The demise of Rangers more than two years ago has left Celtic bereft of any serious league challenge, a situation which is likely to continue for the next two or three campaigns at the very least.
So it was hardly a surprise when Celtic coasted to their third consecutive league flag by a sizeable margin, despite the loss of key players last summer, such as Gary Hooper to Norwich City and Victor Wanyama to Southampton. The hoops did manage to lose meekly in the two domestic knock-out competitions, although they did at least manage to qualify for the lucrative Champions League group stages.
However, there would be no second fairytale victory over Barcelona this time around, though Neil Lennon’s men did at least ensure that Scottish football maintained a foothold in the European game, albeit one that hardly merits the furrowing of brows among the game’s elite.
And then, with the champagne from the title party day having barely dried on Lennon’s suit, the manager decided to call it a day. Lennon, of course, has long since coveted a move to England, but at the time of writing the Irishman maintains that he has no offer lined up south of the border. Perhaps his role as TV pundit at the World Cup will keep him busy enough for the time being!
Names being bandied around as a potential successor to Lennon include David Moyes (remember him?) Owen Coyle, and Malky Mackay, all ‘Celtic-minded’ men who may feel they have a point to prove in the game, and a spell at Celtic Park, where silverware is all but guaranteed, may appeal.
As for the others, Hearts kicked off the season 15 points behind the rest, this being their punishment for descending into administration last year following the disastrous Vladimir Romanov tenure. Relegation, it seemed, was inevitable, especially as Hearts were also handed a player signing embargo, with the result being a reliance on young, untried kids throughout the season.
Still, former Scotland boss Craig Levein has returned to Gorgie under new owner, Edinburgh-based businesswoman Ann Budge. Apparently Budge has admitted she knows little about the beautiful game, which has led some Hearts fans to rather cruelly deduce that Levein’s appointment must surely be hers!
For the first half of the season, Hearts’ great rivals, Hibernian, scoffed and snorted at their neighbours’ expense, as the Easter Road club pushed for a European spot sitting nicely mid-table. The mood at Hibs was enhanced further when Terry Butcher replaced Pat Fenlon as boss, promising to restore Hibs to their rightful place within the higher echelons of the Scottish game.
However, for all Butcher’s reign started reasonably, it quickly collapsed all around him, as his side capitulated on a regular basis. Knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Championship side Raith Rovers, Hibs went on an astonishing run of only two league wins in twenty matches. A display of mind-boggling ineptitude that resulted in their relegation along with Hearts at the weekend via the play-off tie, against Hamilton Accies.
For the first time ever, Edinburgh will not have a team in the top tier of Scottish football. Both Hearts and Hibs will join Rangers in what is likely to be a very interesting Championship race next season.
Sometimes you have to pause and take all that in. Three giants of the Scottish game playing outwith the Premiership. To put that in some sort of perspective, it’s the equivalent of, say, Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton playing in the Championship next season!
Talking of Rangers, the soap opera at Ibrox continues. Sure, they won the second division at a canter, going through the league season undefeated. However, performances were far short of convincing, and they lost out in the final of the Ramsden’s Cup to the aforementioned Raith Rovers.
A mere two seasons since the former club was liquidated, the current Rangers has managed to squander around £67m, and the financial uncertainly continues apace with the news that fans are being urged to withhold season ticket purchases in a bid to remove the current Board.
Meanwhile, boss Ally McCoist continues to match Terry Butcher in the visibly ageing stakes before our very eyes.
It should also be noted that Aberdeen claimed their first trophy in almost two decades, allowing Dons fans to dare to dream of a return to the Alex Ferguson days. And St Johnstone delighted many by lifting the Scottish Cup, their first trophy in their 130 years existence.
Tune in next season to witness Celtic’s fourth straight league title, Rangers’ latest off-field shenanigans, and Hearts and Hibs’ fight to lay claim to be the best team in……Edinburgh! As ever there will be surprises along the way, which is why we’ll be ready to do it all over again come August.