Old Firm

Old Firm

Fans kept apart at a match between the clubs
City or region	Glasgow
First contested	28 May 1888
Teams involved	Celtic and Rangers

The Old Firm is the collective name for the Glasgow football clubs Celtic and Rangers. The origin of the term is unclear but may derive from the commercial benefits of the two clubs' rivalry.^[1]

The two clubs are the most successful in Scotland, between them having won 97 Scottish League championships, 68 Scottish Cups and 41 Scottish League Cups. Interruptions to their ascendancy have occurred infrequently, most recently with the challenge of the New Firm of Aberdeen and Dundee United in the first half of the 1980s. Since the 1985–86 season one half of the Old Firm has won the Scottish League and since the 2005–06 season the Old Firm have finished in the top two places.

Rangers and Celtic have played each other 400 times: Rangers have won 159 matches, Celtic 144 matches and 96 have been draws.^[2] The two clubs normally compete four times a year in the SPL and have regularly met in Scottish cup competitions.

The clubs have large support bases around Glasgow but also have supporters clubs in most towns throughout Scotland and in many cities around the world. The presence of Rangers and Celtic has been estimated to be worth £120 million to the Scottish economy.^[3]

Rivalry and sectarianism

The competition between the two clubs has roots in more than just a simple sporting rivalry. It is infused with a series of complex disputes, sometimes centred on religion (Catholic and Protestant) and Northern Ireland-related politics (Loyalist and Republican). Another primary contributor to the intensity of the rivalry in the west of Scotland is that Rangers supporters are historically native Scots and Celtic supporters are historically Irish-Scots. While the confrontation between the two sets of supporters is often labelled as 'Sectarianism', 'Native-Immigrant tension' is an equally accurate catalyst for hostility between the two teams' supports in Scotland. Rangers' traditional support was largely from the Protestant community, while Celtic's was largely from those of Irish Roman Catholic backgrounds. One effect is that Scottish flags are rarer than might be expected amongst both sets of supporters; Celtic fans are more likely to wave the Irish tricolour while Rangers fans tend to wave the Union Flag.

The ferocity of the rivalry has made it rare for a player to represent both teams during his career. Players who have played for both sides of the Old Firm include Alex Bennett, Scott Duncan, Robert Campbell, and George Livingstone, who all played before the intensity of the rivalry had started prior to 1912, as well as later players: Alfie Conn, Maurice Johnston, Kenny Miller, Steven Pressley and Mark Brown.

Opposing fans fought an on-pitch battle in the aftermath of Celtic's 1–0 victory in the 1980 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. This remains one of the worst invasions onto a football pitch ever reported, and was instrumental in alcohol being banned from football grounds in Scotland.^[4]

There was serious fan disorder during an Old Firm match played in May 1999 at Celtic Park, as several missiles were thrown by Celtic fans, one of which struck referee Hugh Dallas, forcing the game to be stopped while he received medical treatment.^[5] At least four Celtic fans invaded the field of play to confront Dallas during the game,^[5] and more missiles were thrown at players on the pitch after the game.^[5] Since the events of that day, Old Firm league matches have normally been played in the early afternoon and the possibility of an Old Firm title decider has been deliberately avoided.^[6][7]

The Old Firm rivalry fuels many assaults on Old Firm Derby days, and some deaths in the past have been directly related to the aftermath of Old Firm matches.^{[citation needed]} An activist group that monitors sectarian activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, violent attacks increase ninefold over normal levels.^[8] An increase in domestic abuse can also be attributed to Old Firm fixtures.^[9] A freedom of information request found that Strathclyde Police incurred costs of £2.4 million for the seven derbies played during the 2010–11 season, with the clubs only contributing £0.3 million towards that.^[10] Other high profile games involving Rangers and Celtic incurred much lower costs.^[10] The reason for the disparity in costs and the contribution made is that Strathclyde Police has to increase its activity elsewhere in Glasgow and beyond, while the clubs are only responsible for costs incurred in the vicinity of their stadium.^[10]

Head-to-head record

An Old Firm clash in 2008

Note: League championship statistics include play-off match for the 1904–05 title which Celtic won 2–1.

1888–1999 statistics obtained from RSSSF; Remaining stats obtained from Soccerbase

Biggest wins

* Four or more goals difference, OR the winning team scored five or above

Celtic

• Celtic 6–2 Rangers on 27 August 2000. Scottish Premier League

• Celtic 5–1 Rangers on 21 November 1998. Scottish Premier League

• Celtic 4–0 Rangers on 26 April 1969. Scottish Cup Final

• Celtic 5–1 Rangers on 01 January 1966. SFL Division One

• Rangers 1-7 Celtic on 19 October 1957. Scottish League Cup

• Celtic 6–2 Rangers on 01 January 1939. SFL Division One

• Celtic 5–0 Rangers on 21 March 1925. Scottish Cup

• Celtic 4–0 Rangers on 01 January 1914. SFL Division One

• Celtic 4–0 Rangers on 10 March 1900. Scottish Cup

• Rangers 0–4 Celtic on 01 January 1898 SFL Division One

• Celtic 6–2 Rangers on 01 January 1896. SFL Division One

Rangers

• Rangers 5–1 Celtic on 26 November 2000. Scottish Premier League

• Rangers 4–0 Celtic on 26 March 2000. Scottish Premier League

• Rangers 5–1 Celtic on 01 January 1989. SFL Premier Division

• Rangers 4–0 Celtic on 01 January 1963. SFL Division One

• Celtic 1–5 Rangers on 01 January 1961. SFL Division One

• Celtic 0–4 Rangers on 31 August 1955. Scottish League Cup

• Rangers 4–0 Celtic on 01 January 1950. SFL Division One

• Rangers 4–0 Celtic on 01 January 1949. SFL Division One

• Celtic 0–4 Rangers on 01 January 1948. SFL Division One

• Rangers 4–0 Celtic on 14 April 1928. Scottish Cup

• Celtic 0–4 Rangers on 01 January 1899. SFL Division One

• Rangers 5–0 Celtic on 01 January 1894. SFL Division One

Players who have played for both teams

Pre-war

• Tom Dunbar (Celtic 1888–1891, Rangers 1891–1892, Celtic 1892–1898) ^[11]
• Allan Martin (Rangers 1891–1892, Celtic 1895–1896)
• George Livingstone (Celtic 1901–1902, Rangers 1906–1909)
• Alex Bennett (Celtic 1903–1908, Rangers 1908–1918)
• Tom Sinclair (Rangers 1904–1906, Celtic 1906–1907)
• Robert Campbell (Celtic 1905–1906, Rangers 1906–1914)
• Hugh Shaw (Rangers 1905–1906, Celtic 1906–1907)
• Willie Kivlichan (Rangers 1905–1907, Celtic 1907–1911)
• David Taylor (Rangers 1906–1911, Celtic 1918–1919 wartime guest)
• Davie McLean (Celtic 1907–1909, Rangers 1918–1919)
• Scott Duncan (Rangers 1913–1918, Celtic 1918–1919 wartime guest)
• James Young (Celtic 1917–1918, Rangers 1917–1918)
• Tully Craig (Celtic 1919–1922, Rangers 1923–1935)

Post-war

• Alfie Conn (Rangers 1968–1974, Celtic 1977–1979)
• Mo Johnston (Celtic 1984–1987, Rangers 1989–1991)
• Kenny Miller (Rangers 2000–2001, Celtic 2006–2007, Rangers 2008–2011)
• Steven Pressley (Rangers 1990–1994, Celtic 2006–2008)
• Mark Brown (Rangers 1999–2001, Celtic 2007–2010)

See also

Footnotes

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Old Firm rivalry

• Head-to-head results Soccerbase
• The Old Firm, The Scotsman

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