SPL title race finally came to an end with Rangers beating up their arch rivals Celtic. An unbelievable 3-0 win at the end for Rangers against current champions Celtic came as a surprise for everybody. The first victory in four years was incredible. The winning team at one point of time was considered highly pedestrian as they once were 7 points behind their old firm rivals. Striker Kris Boyd came out with striking colours by being the SPL top scorer with his 31 league goals. Even though the manager Walter Smith dropped keeper Allen McGregor and long-serving captain Barry Ferguson, the luck favoured Ranger’s.

With their remarkable win over the other teams, Rangers has created a niche for themselves in the Champions League. Not only this, the club’s exhausted funds will also see a boost with 6 games in group stages in their stride. They will also be able to eliminate the memory of their early exit in Lithuanian minnows FBK Kaunas.

However Celtic will have to find their way through the qualification rounds which has been made more difficult now with the introduction of a new system. If they come in the second round, in 3^rd and 4^th qualification rounds, they will have to face Europe’s heavyweight leagues England, France, Italy, Spain etc.

With Walter Smith in team, the Rangers bagged remarkable league titles nine in a row in 1990s. UEFA cup last season also saw the team in finals. On the other hand Gordon Strachan from Celtic resigned the very next day and was not supported by the team anymore, though he claimed three league titles in his first three years.