One of the most-loved and popular sports on the face of the planet is football. The sport draws millions of fans all across the globe and for all the right reasons. The thrill of chasing the ball, scoring and winning trophies for the team is not just something that lends a sort of dignity and fulfilment to the players. Fans bond over these achievements and partake in the triumph with equal glory and enthusiasm.
Football is a sport that brings people across cultures in a joyous union, as they share their love for the sport. Fans are always on the lookout for ways to indulge in the sport in whichever ways they can, and betting on football is one of those popular ways. Several safe websites like https://www.youwager.lv/poker have options where interested people could bet on their favourite teams and players.
Speaking of the sport, there are several things that even an ardent football fan might not know about. For instance, not many people know that the oldest trophy which is still in use is placed in Scotland. That said, the motto of this article is to discuss several such facts related to Scottish football, given that it is one of the most popular sports in the country, and enlighten those who would want to learn more about it. Therefore, without much ado, let us delve into the topic and fish out some of these facts.
Scotland is Home to the Oldest Trophy:
We shall begin the discussion by stating this unmissable fact that Scotland is the home to the oldest football trophy. It would pique your interest to know that this trophy is still very much in use and is known as the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup or Scottish Cup. The cup, which is almost 19 inches tall and weighs around 5 pounds, was made by George Edward and Sons, out of pure silver.
Awarded first in 1894 to Queens Park FC, the cup is kept at the prime of its condition and presented to the tournament winners, every year. Interestingly, there is also a replica of the trophy that is mainly used for commercial purposes.
Rangers FC is the Most Successful Football Club in the World:
The second fact about Scottish football that we need to discuss about is something that might raise quite a few eyebrows. You might think that Real Madrid is the most popular and the most successful football club in the world, given their wide fan base and major wins. However, it is the Rangers FC that is the most successful football club. Scotland has a number of football clubs, each with a glorious history and major trophies under their belt. However, the club with the most illustrious career is Rangers FC.
The club has won 115 trophies over their 146-year old journey and has a world record of 54 League titles.
Another interesting fact that we ought to mention at this juncture is that the second most successful team in the world is the Celtic FC. They have won 105 trophies, which is more than what Real Madrid has won so far.
Aberdeen is the Last Team Who Defeated Madrid in a European Final:
Real Madrid has a rich football history and has always been the masters of success. They have taken on different teams in the European Finals and with much gusto. However, it might surprise you to find out who the last team was to defeat Real Madrid in any European Final. The events of 1983 in the domain of football might just resolve your queries regarding the same.
In the year 1983, Real Madrid had taken on Aberdeen from the Scottish side in the finals of the European Cup Winners Cup. Real Madrid was looking forward to taking on the young Aberdeen with their experience and skills. Real Madrid, then, was also managed by the much-celebrated Alfredo Di Stefano, which was quite intimidating for a young club like Aberdeen.
However, to everyone’s surprise, and against all odds, Aberdeen emerged victorious. The teams remained in a deadlock position for the last 90 minutes of the game and into the extra time. However, in the 112th minute, Aberdeen’s striker came to the rescue and led Aberdeen to bag their first European trophy. Till date, no other team has been able to break the record of Aberdeen as being the team who defeated Real Madrid in a European Final.
Edinburgh’s Team Hibernian Was the First British Team to Play in the European Cup:
Hibernian or Hibs, was the first British team to play in the inaugural season of the European Cup, which later came to be known as the Champion’s League. This little fact might have come to you as a surprise, but you might want to know the history behind it as well. The European Club began functioning in 1955, and several teams based on a number of criteria were invited to play in the league. Chelsea, one of the most popular teams of the English side, was also invited to play in the league.
However, they were later persuaded to decline the offer, post which Hibernian, a team based in Edinburgh was then invited to take part in the league.
The Hibs played against the German team known as the Rot-Weiss Essen and won 5-1 on aggregate. They later played against the Swedish side and won the match with a score of 4-1. The winning streak lasted for Hibernian until they faced the French side Reims.
Scotland is Also Home to the First British Team that Won the European Cup:
As mentioned in the previous point, Hibernian was the first British team to play in the European Cup. And about 11 years later, Celtic would go on to become the first British team to bag the trophy. Under the management of Jock Stein, Celtic had won several trophies which included the famous Scottish Cup and the Glasgow Cup.
They only required the European Cup to add to their glory. On May 25, 1967, they played against Inter Milan. Inter Milan, at the time, was managed by Helenio Herrara and had been the European Champions twice. In fact, it seemed that they would be the Champions the third time too.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Celtic cemented their win right after the one-hour mark. This win went down in history and solidified their manager, Jock Stein’s position, in history. A fascinating fact about this team is that every player in the team was born in Glasgow, and within a 30-mile radius. This was truly a rare phenomenon in the history of football, and might not recur in a long time.
Queens Park FC Is Still an Amateur:
This might be the strangest fact among all that we have discussed so far in the article. The Scottish Professional Football League or the SPFL is an organization that governs league football in Scotland. Therefore, all the member clubs in this body are professionals and semi-professionals. However, there is one exception to this case. Queens Park FC is still an amateur club. The club is a force to reckon with in the world of football.
They are known to be the ones who came up with the passing game and also keep experimenting with different styles of football to this day. If you are interested, you can catch their game at Hampden Park. Witnessing the club play on their home ground is a surreal experience that any football fan might not want to miss. The club goes by the motto “Ludere Causa Ludendi” which stands for their steadfast commitment to amateurism.
The years between 1873 to 1893 were a glorious phase for Queen’s FC, where they won about 10 Scottish Cups. These incredible wins make them the third most successful club, even to this day. Queens Park has constantly refused to play as professionals and participate in the Scottish League system. As a result, they have sunk to the lower sections of Scottish football.
Scotland Has the Most Successful Team Manager of All Time:
Sir Alex Ferguson remains as the most successful managers of all time in the domain of Scottish football. If one were to consider his entire career, it would bring to the fore that he has won 49 major trophies for his team. In fact, it was right at the beginning of his career that he won the first major trophy. Under Ferguson’s management, the Dons won a total of 3 Scottish League titles, among various others.
There are several other managers that we need to mention at this juncture. Rangers manager, Bill Struth won 30 major trophies for the team, and this included 18 Scottish League titles as well. Also, Celtic manager, Jock Stein also won a total of 10 League titles for his team, and 26 major trophies. Each of these managers had something fresh and innovative to bring to the table, and therefore, their names still shine bright on the horizon of Scottish football.
To Sum Up:
Football, as we discussed at the very beginning, is a much-loved and talked about sport across the planet. And Scottish football has always been one of the leading lights in this domain. It has a huge fan base who pin their hopes down to their teams and wait with bated breath for them to win titles for the country. These aforementioned facts are a few things that are sure to pique the interest of any football fan. Therefore, read up, do some more research and add more context to your fun while you catch another Scottish football league the next time.
