23 Feb 2026 19:28:38
To all the football historians out there .IF (and I know it's a big IF) Motherwell win the league -
Would it be the biggest upset/achievement in the history of Scottish Football?
What else comes close to or betters that?
23 Feb 2026 20:19:18
Motherwell are a great watch this season and are more than capable of taking points from either of the top three. However, for Motherwell to have any realistic chance of winning the league they need to win their games against the top three, as merely drawing and taking points from them won't be enough. Rangers have taken 5 points v Motherwell's 2 points; Hearts and Motherwell have 2 points each from their 2 games, and Celtic and Motherwell have 3 points each from their 2 games played.
While they're a great watch, I can't see them winning their remaining 5 games against the top three, so results elsewhere would really need to go their way to be in with a realistic chance.
23 Feb 2026 21:08:35
I think it would be one of the biggest shocks in any football history. Even the Hearts one would be massive. Someone today compared it with Leicester, but it would be bigger.
No one in over 40yrs has beaten the Old Firm, while 8 sides have won the English league in that time. If we can't pull it off, I'd actually be happy if one of them does it.
23 Feb 2026 21:10:22
Would be our Leicester, but I don't see it happening. They've been the best watch so far. Hearts are the best team.
23 Feb 2026 21:15:06
I don't see it happening for the reasons Still Blur said above, but if they did, then yes, I'd say it would be the biggest upset in the Scottish league in modern times, at least. For Hearts to have been top for most of the season, and then for neither of the Old Firm to win while Motherwell take it, would be the biggest surprise result.
23 Feb 2026 22:13:17
Personally, I don't think they are going to pull back 10 points on Hearts or 6 on us, even. They are 1 point worse than us in the last 10 games on form. Also, only 12 (from 33) of their league points come in games against the top 6 teams. Four of their games before the split are against top 6 teams, so 9 of their last 11 games are against top 6 teams.
I just don't see, given their form against the top 6 this season, them winning the extra 10 points from those games, when they only won 12 points from 11 games against top 6 up till now.
23 Feb 2026 23:04:47
Agree, Kaiser. If Hearts or Motherwell win, then it would be world newsworthy due to how long it's been since another team won the league. Motherwell slightly edge it, though, because they'd have come back to win from 4th spot, so it would be just a little bit more special.
I'm desperate for us to win it, but if either of those two win it, I think it would be good for Scottish football.
24 Feb 2026 03:56:47
If Motherwell win it, then I agree it would be like Leicester, but I won't say that if Hearts win it.
24 Feb 2026 05:49:58
Hearts or Motherwell winning the league will be just as big as Mjallbybin Sweden winning it this year.
24 Feb 2026 09:48:43
Motherwell may have a say on who wins the league, but if not us, surely it's Hearts to throw away.
24 Feb 2026 10:54:38
Let's put it bluntly, Motherwell have no chance whatsoever of winning the league this season.
24 Feb 2026 11:37:10
Paul, I was thinking about the Swedish story when I asked the question, but I don't think there are any massive clubs in Sweden. I know about Malmo, AIK and IFK, but they're not on the same scale as Rangers and Celtic, and I didn't think it was quite the same accomplishment (although still very impressive).
24 Feb 2026 12:39:52
Certainly, it would be the biggest upset since Dundee United won it all those years ago. A bit like this season, United and Aberdeen were strong, and it was two pretty poor OF teams. Still, I think it's more likely Hearts will win it of the two of them, but Motherwell could do some real damage with the games they've got left.
24 Feb 2026 12:41:38
Zikos, I didn't realise until Paul mentioned how much of an achievement it was, though. The town where they come from has a population of just over 1400 and an average attendance of around 5k. That is the same population as Aberlady in Lothian or Ullapool in the Highlands.
I agree, nothing on the same scale as OF, but I saw that AIK have a 50000 seater stadium and averages of over 30k, so a huge accomplishment for a community of that size. I can't imagine anyone other than OF and perhaps a few others winning ours due to finances mainly.
24 Feb 2026 15:20:11
I didn't realise they got those types of attendances in Sweden.
24 Feb 2026 17:56:38
Only really AIK and Hammerby seem to get that high, but Malmo and Djurgardens get around 19-20k, and Gothenburg around 17k. Take OF out of Scotland and those are as high or higher.
Can you imagine a club with 4-5k attendances winning our league, so say Livingston, Raith or St Johnstone.