Football records in Scotland

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

<nowiki>*</nowiki>1890–91 title was shared between Dumbarton and Rangers

Titles

• Most top-flight league titles: 55, joint: Rangers, Celtic
• 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)

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 &ndash; 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&ndash;14)

Titles

• Most league title wins by a manager 18, Bill Struth (Rangers)
• Most league title wins by a player 13, Sandy Archibald (Rangers), James Forrest (Celtic)

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 36–0 Bon Accord, 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&ndash;91, 1992&ndash;93, 1993&ndash;94, 1996&ndash;97, 1998&ndash;99, 2001&ndash;02, 2002&ndash;03, 2004&ndash;05, 2007&ndash;08)
• Longest losing streak in finals: 5, joint record:
• Kilmarnock (1952&ndash;53, 1960&ndash;61, 1962&ndash;63, 2000&ndash;01, 2006&ndash;07),
• Dundee United (1981&ndash;82, 1984&ndash;85, 1997&ndash;98, 2007&ndash;08, 2014&ndash;15)
• Biggest final win: 6 goals:
• Celtic 7–1 Rangers, (1957&ndash;58)
• Most goals in a final: 9:
• Celtic 6–3 Hibernian, (1974&ndash;75)
• Most goals by a runner-up: 3:
• Dundee: Lost 3–5 against Celtic (1967&ndash;68)
• Hibernian: Lost 3–6 against Celtic (1974&ndash;75)
• Aberdeen: Drew 3–3 against Rangers but lost on penalties (1987&ndash;88)
• Hearts: Lost 3–4 against Rangers (1996&ndash;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&ndash;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)

Scottish Challenge Cup

Team records

• Most final wins: 4, Falkirk
• Most consecutive final wins: 2, Hamilton Academical (1991–92 – 1992–93), and Airdrieonians (2000–01 – 2001–02)
• Most final appearances: 6, Inverness Caledonian Thistle (1999–2000, 2003–04, 2009–10, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2025–26)
• Most consecutive final defeats: 2, Ayr United (1990–91 – 1991–92)
• Most consecutive final appearances: 3, Raith Rovers (2019–20 – 2022–23) (includes cancelled 2019–20 final)
• Most final appearances without winning: 2, Ayr United (1990–91, 1991–92)
• Most final appearances without losing: 4, Falkirk (1993–94, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2011–12)
• Longest gap between final wins: 30 years, Hamilton Academical (1992–93 – 2022–23)
• Longest winning streak in finals: 4, Falkirk (1993–94, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2011–12)
• Longest losing streak in finals: 2, Ayr United (1990–91 – 1991–92)
• Biggest final win: 5 goals:
• Livingston 5–0 Queen's Park, (2024–25)
• Most goals in a final: 8:
• Alloa Athletic 4–4 Inverness Caledonian Thistle, (1999–2000)
• Most goals by a runner-up:
• Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Drew 4–4 against Alloa Athletic but lost on penalties (1999–2000)

• Most final losses: 3, Queen of the South.
• Most common pairing in the final: 2, Inverness Caledonian Thistle vs. Raith Rovers (1 shared, 1 TBD)
• Most wins while playing at tier 3 or below: 1, joint record:
• Stenhousemuir, Scottish Second Division (1995–96)
• Stranraer, Scottish Second Division (1996–97)
• Queen of the South, Scottish Second Division (2012–13)
• Most goals in a game: 12:
• Elgin City 5–7 Arbroath (2012–13)
• Largest goalscoring margin: 9 goals:
• Dumbarton 0–9 Inverness Caledonian Thistle (2025–26)

Attendances

• Highest attendance: 48,133, Rangers v Peterhead at Hampden Park, 10 April 2016 (1965&ndash;66)

Individual

• Most cup final wins by manager: 3, John Robertson (Inverness Caledonian Thistle)

Transfers

Record transfer fees paid

Record transfer fees received

Record domestic transfer fees

Most successful clubs by titles

References

External links