Captain Richard Gough maintains that no Scottish team will again win nine successive championships because the financial resources of the Old Firm are now more evenly matched.

Offering his congratulations to Celtic and their manager, Wim Jansen, in denying the Ibrox side a place in history, the defender revealed the disappointment at the opportunity which was lost.

''I am disappointed for the club but I would have been even sorrier, and for Walter Smith in particular, if we had not made in nine-in-a-row last season.

''Some people say winning the title is easy. I can assure you it is not. It was not lost on the last day of the season - it was lost at other grounds. We brought it to the last game, turned in a good performance against Dundee United, and forced Celtic to go and win their game.

''Our record against Celtic and Hearts has been fantastic this season, losing only one game to our two closest rivals. Rangers teams in the past have been very good against the other team. That is what our cham-pionships have been made of but this season that has not been the case because we slipped up against the others.

''If we had beaten Kilmarnock, then Celtic might have lost at Dunfermline. However, we probably should not have been in this position because Celtic should have tied it up before then.''

Gough, an inspirational captain amid the 10 championships he captured in his career at Ibrox, believes history will deliver a benevolent judgment on the current team.

''In 10 years people may say it was a great team of its era,'' he insisted. ''But I think that in the next couple of years they will realise what a great team this is. I have been lucky to be involved in it all and had a tremendous time.

''Celtic managed nine successive championships in the sixties and we equalled that feat, but I don't think this will be achieved again because both clubs are on the same financial level now.

''We have left a great legacy for the incoming people to try and follow what has been a marvellous era for Rangers. I hope the next group of players can do as well.

''Now we have the Scottish Cup final to look forward to. We have been winners for most of my time here and I would like to finish off as one. Hopefully, we can get a good results against Hearts and give the manager and players who are leaving a trophy.''

Rangers dredged their resources to secure victory at Tannadice, and the reaction of their supporters seemed as if another title had been won.

However, throughout the Scottish game there will be no lamenting their demise.

Rangers remain the great unloved, particularly among those who follow the New Firm.

Throughout the game the Dundee United fans taunted those bedecked in red, white, and blue as news of events from Parkhead filtered through.

Perhaps if these same fans had show the same passion throughout the season, then it would not have taken Dundee United, aided by a #10,000 bonus to each player, to preserve their premier division place in the second-last game of the season.

Perhaps it is because Rangers usurped Aberdeen and Dundee United a decade ago that there is such deep hostility to their cause, or maybe it was the imperious style with which Graeme Souness turned the balance of power which upset so many people; or it could be just downright envy.

The field invasion at the end, by around 200 Rangers fans defiantly proclaiming to be ''the people,'' does nothing for their image.

Yet Celtic, with a massive transfer budget under Tommy Burns and Wim Jansen, and with equally ill-behaved fans, have never provoked the same depth of ill-feeling.

For Dundee United and their manager, Tommy McLean, there is much work to be done to rebuild a team which came so close to the abyss once again.

He must do it without midfield man Dave Bowman, who has agreed to cross Tannadice Street and join Dundee next season.

q The action group calling for change at Dundee United held a supporters' rally yesterday. So many United fans turned up that the group were forced to hold the meeting in the open air.