Rangers going bust in 2012 is probably the biggest event ever to happen to Celtic and Scottish football since the 1967 European Cup win.
Rangers’ financial collapse meant that Celtic had to compete against the likes of Aberdeen for the Scottish Premiership title for the first time in decades.
Whilst the Ibrox club had to start again in the fourth tier of Scottish football, Celtic hoovered up titles and cups and enjoyed an immense amount of domestic success.
However, as the Parkhead support revelled in the demise of Rangers, Adam Matthews has shared what the Celtic dressing room really thought about their rivals starting again in the lower leagues.
- READ MORE: Celtic and Rangers ‘considering’ move for versatile £1.5m Europa Conference League quarter-finalist
Rangers’ demise ‘a big miss’ for Celtic and Scottish football
Matthews joined Celtic in 2011 and helped the Parkhead club to the title in his first season.
However, as Rangers’ financial problems mounted in 2012, Matthews shares what the Celtic dressing room really thought of the Ibrox club starting again in Scottish League Two.
Matthews told the Daily Record, “I think if you ask anyone, honestly, no one wanted it. You might speak to some Celtic fans and, yes, they’d be buzzing that Rangers are struggling.
“But I don’t think it was good for the league or for Scottish football. And I think if you ask any Celtic player, even the most diehard Celtic fan, if they’re being honest, they’d rather Rangers in the league because it’s a massive game.
“It’s the one you look forward to the most in the calendar. So, yeah, it was a big miss for us. But at the end of the day, we just had to do our job and we won that league comfortably. But I think the league’s better when Rangers and Celtic are in it, just for the Old F-rms.”
Celtic’s success since Rangers promotion to SPFL in 2016
Celtic did not just dominate when Rangers were missing from the Scottish Premiership.
When they eventually got promoted to the top-tier in 2016, Celtic have still enjoyed near total domestic domination.
- 8 x Scottish Premiership titles: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
- 6 x Scottish Cup wins: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24
- 7 x League Cups: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2024–25
It’s an incredible record that Celtic should be proud of and despite the Scottish Cup disappointment at the weekend, the Parkhead club still remain the dominant force in Scotland.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
