# Football records in Scotland

This short description is INTENTIONALLY "none" &#x2D; please see WP:SDNONE before you consider changing it! Football in Scotland is a popular professional sport. Founded in 1873, Scotland has the second oldest national football association in the world. The national cup competition, the Scottish Cup, was started in the 1873–74 season. Its trophy is the oldest national sporting trophy in the world. A Scottish football league system was first instituted in 1890, with the creation of the Scottish Football League. A second national cup competition, the Scottish League Cup, was created in the 1946–47 season. This page details the team and individual records set in these competitions.

## League competitions
### Team records

Top ten clubs by league titles won :
| Rank | Club | Tier One: Premiership | Tier Two: Championship | Tier Three: League One | Tier Four: League Two | Totals |
| 1 | Rangers | 55* | 1 | 1 | 1 | 58* |
| 2 | Celtic | 54 | | | | 54 |
| 3 | Hibernian | 4 | 6 | | | 10 |
| 4 | Greenock Morton | | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| 5 | Falkirk | | 7 | 2 | | 9 |
| 6 | Raith Rovers | | 6 | 3 | | 9 |
| 7 | Ayr United | | 6 | 3 | | 9 |
| 8 | Clyde | | 5 | 4 | | 9 |
| 9 | Partick Thistle | | 6 | 2 | | 8 |
| 10 | Heart of Midlothian | 4 | 3 | | | 7 |
Clubs winning all four divisions :
| Rank | Club | Tier One: Premiership | Tier Two: Championship | Tier Three: League One | Tier Four: League Two |
| 1 | Rangers | 55 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Dumbarton | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Clubs winning bottom 3 divisions :
| Rank | Club | Tier Two: Championship | Tier Three: League One | Tier Four: League Two |
| 1 | Greenock Morton | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | Hamilton Academical | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Queen's Park | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Dumbarton | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Ross County | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Livingston | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 7 | Albion Rovers | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Gretna | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Top ten clubs by total number of seasons (ever) in Top Flight :
| Rank | Club | No. of seasons |
| 1 | Celtic | 128 |
| 2 | Rangers | 124 |
| 3 | Heart of Midlothian | 122 |
| 4 | Hibernian | 118 |
| 6 | St Mirren | 114 |
| 5 | Aberdeen | 113 |
| 7 | Motherwell | 109 |
| 8 | Dundee | 100 |
| 9 | Kilmarnock | 95 |
| 10 | Partick Thistle | 85 |
Top ten clubs by ongoing, successive seasons in Top Flight :
| Rank | Club | First season of current spell | No. of seasons |
| 1 | Celtic | 1890–91 | 128 |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 1905–06 | 113 |
| 3 | Motherwell | 1985–86 | 40 |
| 4 | St Johnstone | 2009–10 | 16 |
| 5 | Rangers | 2016–17 | 9 |
| 6 | Hibernian | 2017–18 | 8 |
| 7 | St Mirren | 2018–19 | 7 |
| 8 | Ross County | 2019–20 | 6 |
| 9 | Heart of Midlothian | 2020–21 | 4 |
| 10 | Kilmarnock | 2022–23 | 3 |
Clubs having been Champions of Scotland :
| Club | First title | Longest time between titles | Longest time between titles | Years | Current time since last title | Current time since last title |
| Club | First title | From | Until | Years | Last title won | Years |
| Dumbarton | 1890–91* | 1890–91 | 1891–92 | 1 | 1891–92 | 132 |
| Rangers | 1890–91* | 1963–64 | 1974–75 | 11 | 2020–21 | 3 |
| Celtic | 1892–93 | 1953–54 | 1965–66 | 12 | 2023–24 | 0 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 1894–95 | 1896–97 | 1957–58 | 61 | 1959–60 | 64 |
| Hibernian | 1902–03 | 1902–03 | 1947–48 | 45 | 1951–52 | 72 |
| Third Lanark | 1903–04 | 1903–04 | | | 1903–04 | 120 |
| Motherwell | 1931–32 | 1931–32 | | | 1931–32 | 92 |
| Aberdeen | 1954–55 | 1954–55 | 1979–80 | 25 | 1984–85 | 39 |
| Dundee | 1961–62 | 1961–62 | | | 1961–62 | 62 |
| Kilmarnock | 1964–65 | 1964–65 | | | 1964–65 | 59 |
| Dundee United | 1982–83 | 1982–83 | | | 1982–83 | 41 |
*1890–91 title was shared between Dumbarton and Rangers

#### Titles

* Most top-flight league titles: 55, Rangers
* Most consecutive league titles: 9, joint record:
** Celtic (1965–66 to 1973–74)
** Rangers (1988–89 to 1996–97)
** Celtic (2011–12 to 2019–20)
* Longest gap between title wins: 61 years, Hearts (1897 to 1958)
Highest top flight finishes without titles :
| Position | Club | Last season in position | No. of clubs |
| 2nd | Falkirk | 1909–10 | 3 |
| 2nd | Greenock Morton | 1916–17 | 3 |
| 2nd | Airdrieonians (1878) | 1925–26 | 3 |
| 3rd | St Mirren | 1892–93 | 10 |
| 3rd | St Bernard's | 1893–94 | 10 |
| 3rd | Raith Rovers | 1921–22 | 10 |
| 3rd | East Fife | 1952–53 | 10 |
| 3rd | Partick Thistle | 1962–63 | 10 |
| 3rd | Clyde | 1966–67 | 10 |
| 3rd | Dunfermline Athletic | 1968–69 | 10 |
| 3rd | Livingston | 2001–02 | 10 |
| 3rd | St Johnstone | 2012–13 | 10 |
| 3rd | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 2014–15 | 10 |
| 4th | Cambuslang | 1890–91 | 5 |
| 4th | Leith Athletic | 1891–92 | 5 |
| 4th | Ayr United | 1915–16 | 5 |
| 4th | Queen of the South | 1933–34 | 5 |
| 4th | Hamilton Academical | 1934–35 | 5 |
| 5th | Queen's Park | 1928–29 | 4 |
| 5th | Ross County | 2012–13 | 4 |
| 5th | Cowdenbeath | 1924–25 | 4 |
| 5th | Clydebank (1914) | 1919–20 | 4 |
| 6th | Renton | 1891–92 | 1 |
| 7th | Abercorn | 1890–91 | 1 |
| 8th | Vale of Leven | 1890–91 | 1 |
| 9th | Port Glasgow Athletic | 1903–04 | 1 |
| 10th | Clydebank (1965) | 1985–86 | 2 |
| 10th | Cowlairs | 1890–91 | 2 |
| 11th | Albion Rovers | 1921–22 | 2 |
| 11th | Arbroath | 1937–38 | 2 |
| 12th | Stirling Albion | 1958–59 | 2 |
| 12th | Gretna | 2007–08 | 2 |
| 18th | East Stirlingshire | 1963–64 | 1 |
| 19th | Bo'ness | 1927–28 | 1 |
| 20th | Alloa Athletic | 1922–23 | 1 |

#### Top-flight appearances

* Most appearances: 127 completed seasons, Celtic (1890–present)

#### Largest victories

* Largest top flight home win: 11–0, Celtic v Dundee, 26 October 1895
* Largest top flight away win: 1–11, Airdrieonians v Hibernian, 24 October 1959

#### Streaks

* Longest top flight unbeaten run: 62 games, Celtic (20 November 1915 – 21 April 1917)
** Longest top flight unbeaten run (games in all national competitions): 69 games (56 in the league), Celtic (15 May 2016 – 13 December 2017)
* Most consecutive top flight wins: 25, Celtic (2003–04)
* Unbeaten league season:
** Celtic P18 W15 D3 L0, 1897–98
** Rangers P18 W18 D0 L0, 1898–99
** Kilmarnock P18 W14 D4 L0, 1898–99 (second level)
** Rangers P36 W33 D3 L0, 2013–14(third level)
** Celtic P38 W34 D4 L0, 2016–17
** Rangers P38 W32 D6 L0, 2020–21
** Falkirk P36 W27 D9 L0, 2023–24 (third level)

#### Attendances

* Highest attendance: 118,567 - Rangers v Celtic at Ibrox Park, 2 January 1939

### Individual
#### Goals

* Most top flight goals in a career: 410, Jimmy McGrory (Celtic 397, Clydebank 13)
* Most top flight goals in a season: 52, Willie MacFadyen (Motherwell, 1931–32)
* Most top flight goals in a game: 8, Jimmy McGrory (Celtic 9 Dunfermline Athletic 0, 14 January 1928)
* Most top flight hat-tricks: 48, Jimmy McGrory

#### Appearances

* Most top flight appearances: 626, Bob Ferrier (Motherwell)
* Most consecutive appearances with a goal scored: 14, Evelyn Morrison (Falkirk, 1928–29)

#### Goalkeepers

* Longest consecutive period of time without conceding a goal: 1,256 minutes, Fraser Forster (Celtic, 2013–14)

#### Titles

* Most league title wins by a manager 18, Bill Struth (Rangers)
* Most league title wins by a player 13, Sandy Archibald (Rangers)

## Scottish Cup
### Team records

* Most final wins: 42, Celtic
* Most consecutive final wins: 4, Celtic (2016–17 to 2019–20)
* Most final appearances: 61, Celtic (includes cancelled 1909 fixture)
* Most consecutive final defeats: 3, Vale of Leven (1882–83 to 1884–85)
* Most consecutive final appearances: 8, Rangers (1975–76 to 1982–83)
* Longest gap between final wins: 114 years, Hibernian (1901–02 to 2015–16)
* Most final appearances without winning: 2, Hamilton Academical (1910–11, 1934–35)
* Most final appearances without defeat: 2, St Johnstone (2013–14, 2020–21)
* Longest winning streak in finals: 14, Rangers (1929–30, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66)
* Longest losing streak in finals: 10, Hibernian (1913–14, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1946–47, 1957–58, 1971–72, 1978–79, 2000–01, 2011–12, 2012–13)
* Biggest final wins: 5 goals, joint record:
** Renton 6–1 Cambuslang, (1887–88)
** Rangers 5–0 St Mirren, (1933–34)
** Celtic 6–1 Hibernian, (1971–72)
* Most goals in a final: 7:
** Renton 6–1 Cambuslang, (1887–88)
** Celtic 4–3 Queen's Park, (1899–1900)
** Hearts 4–3 Celtic, (1900–01)
** Celtic 6–1 Hibernian (1971–72)
** Motherwell 4–3 Dundee United (1990–91)
* Most goals by a runner-up: 3:
** Queen's Park: Lost 3–4 against Celtic (1899–1900)
** Celtic: Lost 3–4 against Hearts (1900–01)
** Dundee United: Lost 3–4 against Motherwell (1990–91)
** Hearts: Lost on penalties against Celtic after the game finished 3–3 (aet) (2019–20)
* Most final losses: 19, Rangers (excludes cancelled 1909 fixture)
* Most common pairing in the final: 16, Celtic v Rangers (8 Celtic wins, 7 Rangers wins)1908–09 was withheld)
* Most wins while playing at tier 2: 1, joint record:
** East Fife F.C. (1937–38)
** Hibernian (2015–16)

#### Attendances

* Highest attendance: 146,433, Celtic v Aberdeen at Hampden Park, 24 April 1937 (1936–37)

### Individual

* Most cup final wins by manager: 14, Willie Maley (Celtic)
* Most cup final wins by player 8, Bobby Lennox (Celtic)
* Most overall goals: Jimmy McGrory 77 goals (Celtic 74, Clydebank 3)
* Most Scottish Cup goals in a match: John Petrie 13 (Arbroath 36, Bon Accord 0, 12 September 1885)

## Scottish League Cup
### Team records

* Most final wins: 28, Rangers
* Most consecutive final wins: 5, Celtic (1965–66 – 1969–70)
* Most final appearances: 38, Rangers
* Most consecutive final defeats: 4, Celtic (1970–71 – 1973–74)
* Most consecutive final appearances: 14, Celtic (1964–65 – 1977–78)
* Most final appearances without winning: 3, Dunfermline Athletic (1949–50, 1991–92, 2005–06)
* Most final appearances without losing: 3, East Fife (1947–48, 1949–50, 1953–54)
* Longest gap between final wins: 21 years, Aberdeen (1955–56 – 1976–77)
* Longest winning streak in finals: 9, Rangers (1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2007–08)
* Longest losing streak in finals: 5, joint record:
** Kilmarnock (1952–53, 1960–61, 1962–63, 2000–01, 2006–07),
** Dundee United (1981–82, 1984–85, 1997–98, 2007–08, 2014–15)
* Biggest final win: 6 goals:
** Celtic 7–1 Rangers, (1957–58)
* Most goals in a final: 9:
** Celtic 6–3 Hibernian, (1974–75)
* Most goals by a runner-up: 3:
** Dundee: Lost 3–5 against Celtic (1967–68)
** Hibernian: Lost 3–6 against Celtic (1974–75)
** Aberdeen: Drew 3–3 against Rangers but lost on penalties (1987–88)
** Hearts: Lost 3–4 against Rangers (1996–97)
** Rangers: Drew 3–3 against Celtic but lost on penalties (2024–25)
* Most final losses: 15, Celtic
* Most common pairing in the final: 17, Celtic v Rangers (9 Rangers wins, 8 Celtic wins)
* Most wins while playing at tier 2: 1, joint record:
** East Fife F.C. (1947–48)
** Raith Rovers (1994–95)

#### Attendances

* Highest attendance: 107,609, Celtic v Rangers at Hampden Park, 25 October 1965 (1965–66)

#### Individual

* Most cup final wins by manager: 6, Scot Symon (East Fife and Rangers), Jock Stein (Celtic) and Walter Smith (Rangers)
* Most overall goals: Joe Harper 74 goals (Aberdeen 51, Hibernian 16, Morton 7)

## Transfers
### Record transfer fees paid

| Rank | Player | From | To | Fee | Date |
| 1 | Tore Andre Flo | Chelsea | Rangers | £12,000,000 | 23 November 2000 |
| 2 | Arne Engels | FC Augsburg | Celtic | £10,800,000 | 31 August 2024 |
| 3 | Odsonne Édouard | Paris Saint-Germain | Celtic | £9,000,000 | 15 June 2018 |
| 4 | Adam Idah | Norwich | Celtic | £8,250,000 | 14 August 2024 |
| 5= | Christopher Jullien | Toulouse | Celtic | £7,000,000 | 28 June 2019 |
| 5= | Ryan Kent | Liverpool | Rangers | £7,000,000 | 2 September 2019 |
| 7 | Michael Ball | Everton | Rangers | £6,500,000 | 20 August 2001 |
| 8 | Jota | Benfica | Celtic | £6,465,000 | 1 July 2022 |
| 9= | Cameron Carter-Vickers | Tottenham Hotspur | Celtic | £6,000,000 | 10 June 2022 |
| 9= | Chris Sutton | Chelsea | Celtic | £6,000,000 | 11 July 2000 |
| 9= | John Hartson | Coventry City | Celtic | £6,000,000 | 2 August 2001 |
| 9= | Auston Trusty | Sheffield United | Celtic | £6,000,000 | 31 August 2024 |

### Record transfer fees received

| Rank | Player | From | To | Fee | Date |
| 1 | Matt O'Riley | Celtic | Brighton | £30,000,000 | 27 August 2024 |
| 2= | Kieran Tierney | Celtic | Arsenal | £25,000,000 | 8 August 2019 |
| 2= | Jota | Celtic | Al-Ittihad | £25,000,000 | 3 July 2023 |
| 4 | Moussa Dembélé | Celtic | Olympique Lyonnais | £19,700,000 | 31 August 2018 |
| 5 | Calvin Bassey | Rangers | Ajax | £19,580,000 | 20 July 2022 |
| 6 | Odsonne Édouard | Celtic | Crystal Palace | £14,000,000 | 31 August 2021 |
| 7 | Kristoffer Ajer | Celtic | Brentford | £13,500,000 | 21 July 2021 |
| 8 | Victor Wanyama | Celtic | Southampton | £12,500,000 | 11 July 2013 |
| 9= | Virgil van Dijk | Celtic | Southampton | £11,500,000 | 1 September 2015 |
| 9= | Nathan Patterson | Rangers | Everton | £11,500,000 | 4 January 2022 |

### Record domestic transfer fees

| Rank | Player | From | To | Fee | Date |
| 1 | Scott Brown | Hibernian | Celtic | £6,600,000 | 1 July 2007 |
| 2 | Duncan Ferguson | Dundee United | Rangers | £6,100,000 | 1 July 1993 |
| 3= | Steven Whittaker | Hibernian | Rangers | £3,000,000 | 1 August 2007 |
| 3= | Kevin Thomson | Hibernian | Rangers | £3,000,000 | 1 January 2007 |
| 3= | Kenny Miller | Hibernian | Rangers | £3,000,000 | 1 July 2000 |
| 3= | Neil McCann | Heart of Midlothian | Rangers | £3,000,000 | 14 December 1998 |
| 3= | David Turnbull | Motherwell | Celtic | £3,000,000 | 27 August 2020 |
| 8 | Steven Naismith | Kilmarnock | Rangers | £2,800,000 | 31 August 2007 |
| 9 | Phil O'Donnell | Motherwell | Celtic | £2,600,000 | 1 September 1994 |
| 10 | Dave McPherson | Heart of Midlothian | Rangers | £2,600,000 | 1 July 1992 |

## Most successful clubs by titles

| Team | Domestic | Domestic | Domestic | European | European | European | European | European | Total |
| Team | League titles | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Champions League | Cup Winners' Cup | Europa League | Europa Conference League | Super Cup | Total |
| Celtic | 54 | 42 | 22 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 119 |
| Rangers | 55 | 34 | 28 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 118 |
| Aberdeen | 4 | 7 | 6 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 19 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 4 | 8 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | 16 |
| Hibernian | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 10 |
| Queen's Park | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 |
| Kilmarnock | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 5 |
| Dundee United | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 5 |
| Dundee | 1 | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 5 |
| Motherwell | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| St Mirren | - | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| East Fife | - | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| Dumbarton | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| Third Lanark | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| Clyde | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| St Johnstone | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| Falkirk | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| Dunfermline Athletic | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| Partick Thistle | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Greenock Morton | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Airdrieonians | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| St Bernard's | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Raith Rovers | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Livingston | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Ross County | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |