The depressing reality of Rangers' Scottish Cup triumph over Hearts - they and Celtic have six-month hex and more

The blue-and-white ribbons of Rangers being tied to a trophy for the first time in 23 national finals spoke of more than the Ibrox men ending an 11-year hoodoo with a thoroughly merited Scottish Cup triumph over Hearts. It spoke of the bind the game in this country finds itself in beyond Glasgow’s two footballing citadels.

It is hardly unusual for Celtic and Rangers to carve up the domestic honours; as they have this season as a consequence of Ange Postecoglou’s men having annexed the cinch Premiership and the League Cup. Heck, Celtic’s quadruple treble remains fresh in the memory. However, it is unknown for all the other teams in Scotland to be so thoroughly incapable of landing a glove on either of them at the same time.

Yet, this is where we are right now. It is now exactly six months since either of the big two suffered a domestic loss outside of their own tribal confrontations. And that occasion, Hibs’ League Cup semi-final slaying of Rangers on November 21 last year, came with the Ibrox men destabilised and disorientated by the departure of Steven Gerrard and his backroom staff to Aston Villa. So much so, they were under the charge of two club youth coaches as a hat-trick from the now departed Martin Boyle condemned them to a 3-1 defeat. A loss Giovanni van Bronckhorst looked out on aghast from the Hampden stands in then not officially having taken up his Ibrox role.

Since the Dutchman has been at the Rangers helm properly, his side have failed to overcome domestic opponents. Yet, never at any stage have they appeared as if they would be overcome by them. It was a smattering of draws and two derby reverses that did the damage to their championship prospects. As this scenario panned out, Celtic put together a