Title race may be blooming but it’s too early to count

WHAT do Celtic (four times), Rangers (three times), Hamilton Accies, Aberdeen and Hearts all have in common?

They have all led the top-flight table after eight league games over the last 10 years.

The Premiership title race so far this season has been intriguing but, like Darryl Hannah in Splash, it remains to be seen if it’ll develop legs.

There’s genuine excitement at the current gap of only five points between the top six sides not least as the top half of the table, Livingston apart, features the sides generally considered to be the most powerful in the country.

A natural order has been restored to the Scottish game in the last few months with the big two from Glasgow and Edinburgh joined by Kilmarnock with Aberdeen, after a sluggish start, looking ready to emerge again.

That’s a reflection of the power of the game in relation to playing budgets, although Livi are punching so far above their weight Olive Oyl has caught Mike Tyson with a few jabs.

The last time there was only a five-point gap separating the top six at this stage, back in October 2012, there was no Rangers and St Johnstone and Motherwell had muscled into nose bleed territory.

The folly of predicting a genuine championship race at that time was exposed six months later when Celtic casually swatted aside all comers and saw off the Steelmen for the title by 16 points.

Celtic landed two-ina-row that year with a modest points tally of 79, the lowest in the last decade. Four of their seven consecutive titles have been won with a points tally of 90 plus – their 106 point total in 2017 is a modern record. But unless they find a consistent run of form fast they could be drawn into a battle the likes of which Scottish football hasn’t seen since 2011.

Back then, Rangers won the title by a single point from their rivals but Celtic’s domestic supremacy has been underlined ever since.

The numbers 20, 16, 29, 17, 15, 30 and 9 may read like a Lottery player’s lucky dip but those points difference between first and second in the last seven years have represented a jackpot era of success.

Aberdeen’s run of eight league wins in a row, in 2015, remains a high water mark for the Dons after a start to the season only Rangers matched five years

There’s excitement at the gap of only five points between top six

earlier. But the Pittodrie side still lost the title by 15 points to Ronny Deila’s outfit and while his tenure is much derided, that season’s 86-point tally was still four points more than Celts achieved under Brendan Rodgers this year. Celts won the league last time out but the nine-point margin over Dons was as tight as it’s got.

Steven Gerrard has revitalised Rangers but their away form has been woeful and they are under big pressure at Accies on Sunday.

And if Hearts fail to beat Aberdeen they could be tossed off their lofty perch.

History favours the Hoops but it doesn’t half promise to be an exciting few months.

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