Just in case it had gone over any Rangers fans’ heads, there’s a gigantic significance to season 2026/27. With Rangers having dropped points at Dundee in a completely unnecessary faux pas on the part of both Derek McInnes and the players, a huge gauntlet that could have been handed to Celtic hasn’t been. And the implications for the whole picture of the season could be very, very harsh indeed.

Many Rangers fans have probably forgotten, regardless of validity or otherwise, that Celtic have 55 titles now. Yes, of course, they’ve skipped ahead miles thanks to the last 15 years of chaos at Ibrox, but Rangers won 55 in 2021, and Celtic won it last season. Therefore, the race is on for the first time in club history that both sides are equal footing. And one will finally take the lead in the title race.

The Historic Rangers Celtic Title Race

That is to say, not that either side has never been ahead (Since 1930 when Rangers took the lead for the first time, the Govan giants have always led), but the point is that Celtic have the chance to overtake Rangers formally for the borderline first time since their inception. This is a gigantic season, and many Rangers fans have probably overlooked the significance of that huge benchmark Celtic could potentially achieve.

As we all know, Rangers sang under Mark Warburton ‘going for 55’. We secured that under Steven Gerrard, but that is the only league title Rangers have won since 2011. Celtic therefore have won 14 since then. They have completely and utterly not only closed the gap, but equalised it. And it is now the race to 56.

The Race for 56

This season will see either Rangers or Celtic crowned Scottish top flight winners for the 56th time, assuming one of them wins the league (well it ain’t gonna be Hearts this time, is it?). It is the first time in history that both sides have been on the same number of titles and have been going for the lead in that race. The simple reality is that this is huge.

In the modern era, this has not happened before. We don’t have exact numbers for going back in history, but we do know that, of course, Bill Struth’s wonderful era had Rangers secure 18 titles alone, and Celtic were bagging quite a few themselves. But as Struth said, We Welcome the Chase.

But that is not the case anymore. Celtic have 55 and so do Rangers. And this season will see one of those teams win their 56th.

Dundee’s Damaging Draw

And by dropping points at Dundee, while it doesn’t decide the title, losing momentum in October and now dropping four points behind Celtic is a huge deal. We hoped that Hearts ccould do Rangers a favour big time at Parkhead on Sunday but they fell miles short.

While it doesn’t decide 56 for either side, this weekend could be a pivotal one in the race for the title overall. Leagues are never won in October, but they can be lost at that point.

The simple reality for Rangers is that losing two points to Dundee and only picking up the single point at the end of the day could have been a very damaging outcome with Celtic winning against the Gorgie side in Glasgow’s east end on Sunday.

Rangers Celtic Title Race Pressure

We were very much hoping that didn’t happen, because it gives them a huge amount of momentum, even if they are under huge pressure. Their abysmal losses in Europe are of no consequence if they keep winning domestically, and at the moment that is all Celtic have done, aside, of course, against ourselves.

What is vital is stopping them winning the whole title for the 56th time. They would surpass Rangers for the first time in history, and that cannot be allowed to happen.

That is on Derek McInnes, and Derek McInnes alone, to stop that happening.