Scottish Premier League giants Celtic bounced back from their lowest league attendance in well over a decade, attracting 58,300 fans to the Old Firm clash with Rangers at Parkhead last Sunday.

Celtic's previous home match, against Hamilton Academicals, had attracted just 36,827 fans, the lowest attendance for an SPL match at parkhead since a 4-0 win over Falkirk in 1996, when a stand was closed because of the redevelopment of Parkhead. The difference between the crowd for that game and the clash with Rangers, undisputably the biggest game in Scottish soccer, is worth several hundred thousand pounds to the club.

The income Celtic can depend on from their ever-impressive crowds - even the low against Hamilton Academicals saw a figure that stands up against most attendances in Britain - is vital at a time when the SPL has been hit by a significant reduction in its television rights fees following the collapse of the British arm of irish broadcaster Setanta.

The new television agreement means the team that wins the SPL will receive less than US$5 million. In comparison, the club that finishes bottom of the English Premier League will receive close to US$50 million.

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Meanwhile, in December, the Belgian league moved above the SPL to 15th place in the Uefa coefficient table. That means Belgium will have two representatives in the Champions League in 2011/12 while the SPL will have just one. Even the SPL champions will face two qualifying rounds before entering the group stages.

The absence of a second Scottish club is expected to cost the Scottish game - and particularly Celtic or their great rivals Rangers, one of which is almost certain to occupy that SPL runners-up position - upwards of US$20 million.