With the title race tightening, Celtic host Hearts in the season‑final showdown that could end a 40‑year Old Firm monopoly. Hearts would become the first non‑Old Firm champions since Aberdeen’s 1984‑85 triumph under Sir Alex Ferguson. The stakes are amplified by the financial chasm separating Glasgow’s giants from the rest of the league.

Last season Celtic posted a turnover of £143.6 million, roughly six times Hearts’ revenue and almost £70 million more than Rangers, who earned £94.2 million. At the bottom end Falkirk recorded just under £4 million, creating a gap of nearly £140 million overall.

Stadium size mirrors the fiscal divide: Celtic Park seats 60,411, dwarfing every Scottish arena and outstripping national venue Hampden by close to 9,000 seats. Rangers’ Ibrox holds 50,817, while Aberdeen’s Pittodrie drops to 20,866 – less than half Ibrox. Falkirk’s ground could be filled only 7,500 times by Celtic’s crowd.

The financial and infrastructural edge gives the Old Firm a self‑reinforcing advantage, making Hearts’ challenge a rare test of whether on‑pitch performance can outweigh off‑field resources. Even a narrow defeat would underscore how entrenched the disparity remains across Scottish football still today for fans and clubs alike.