Old Firm

Old Firm derby
Fans kept apart at a match between the clubs
Other names Glasgow derby
Locale Glasgow, Scotland
Teams
First meeting 28 May 1888
Celtic 5–2 Rangers
Friendly
Latest meeting 2 September 2018
Celtic 1–0 Rangers
2018–19 Scottish Premiership
Statistics
Meetings total 414
Most wins Rangers (159)
Largest victory Celtic 7–1 Rangers
(19 October 1957)[1]
Location of the two teams' stadia in Glasgow, as well as Hampden Park where their cup meetings are normally played
Celtic
Rangers

The Old Firm is the collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, who are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are by far the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply embedded in Scottish culture. It has reflected, and contributed to, political, social, and religious division and sectarianism in Scotland.[2] As a result, the fixture has had an enduring appeal around the world.[3]

Between them the two clubs have won 103 Scottish League championships (Rangers with 54 and Celtic with 49),[4] 71 Scottish Cups,[5] and 44 Scottish League Cups.[6] Interruptions to their ascendancy have occurred rarely, 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 consistently and in all but one of seventeen seasons between 1995–96 and 2011–12, both clubs finished in the top two places. In recent years Rangers have endured financial difficulties, and were liquidated in 2012. Subsequently, they were re-established as a new company and entered the fourth tier of the Scottish league. Celtic have won the last seven consecutive Scottish championships.

Celtic and Rangers have played each other 414 times in major competitions: Rangers have won 159 matches, Celtic 156 matches, and 99 ended in a draw.[7][8]

The clubs have large fan bases around Glasgow and Scotland, and have supporters clubs in most towns throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland and in many cities around the world. In 2005 the presence of Rangers and Celtic was estimated to be worth £120 million to the Scottish economy each year.[9]

Origin of 'Old Firm'

The origin of the term is unclear but may derive from the two clubs' initial match in which the commentators referred to the teams as "like two old, firm friends",[10] or alternatively may stem from a satirical cartoon published in a magazine prior to the 1904 Scottish Cup Final between the sides, depicting an elderly man with a sandwich board reading "Patronise The Old Firm: Rangers, Celtic Ltd", highlighting the mutual commercial benefits of their meetings.[11][12] The name may also be a reference to these two teams being among the original eleven members of the Scottish Football League formed in 1890.[13]

Rivalry and sectarianism

The competition between the two clubs had roots in more than just a simple sporting rivalry.[3] It has as much to do with Northern Ireland as Scotland and this can be seen in the flags, cultural symbols, and emblems of both clubs.[14] It was infused with a series of complex disputes, sometimes centred on religion (Catholic and Protestant), Northern Ireland-related politics (Loyalist and Republican), national identity (British or Irish Scots), and social ideology (Conservatism and Socialism).[15]

Another primary contributor to the intensity of the rivalry in the west of Scotland was that Rangers supporters are historically native Scots and Ulster Scots,[16] and Celtic supporters are historically Irish-Scots. Although the confrontation between the two sets of supporters was often labelled as 'Sectarianism', 'Native-Immigrant tension' was an equally accurate catalyst for hostility between the two teams' supports in Scotland. Rangers' traditional support was largely from the Protestant community, and for decades the club had an unwritten rule whereby they would not knowingly sign a player of the Catholic faith.[17] The policy was decried by Graeme Souness when he became manager, and he brought ex-Celtic forward Mo Johnston to the club in a very public move away from the practice, which no longer continues.[18][19][20][21] Celtic's support was largely from those of Irish Roman Catholic backgrounds and while the club practiced no exclusion of Protestants and signed many of them to play for the team, there was a pro-Catholic mindset among some of the employees.[22] 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 Jack.[23]

"When I was growing up, I went to a Catholic school, and there wasn’t one Rangers fan in the entire school," said Neil McGarvey, 43, who is involved in the operation of Kerrydale Street, a popular Celtic fan Web site. "It’s much more mixed now — my boy goes to a Catholic school, and there are maybe 5 percent Rangers fans now."

— The New York Times, 2012[24]

Celtic were founded in 1887[25] on the promise that the club would deliver much-needed money and resources to a poverty-stricken Irish Catholic population in East Glasgow (although records indicated little of this income reached those causes)[16] and quickly drew large crowds at their matches, becoming a symbol for that section of the local population which were marginalised in other areas of society[21] and had previously shown little interest in the emerging sport.[16][26] Rangers had been founded much earlier in 1872 and had no particular religious leanings in their early decades, indeed they were described by the press as friends of Celtic in match reports at the turn of the 20th century.[27][26] In that era Rangers had won three successive championships and expanded their stadium at great expense, only for one of the new wooden stands to collapse during a Scotland v England fixture in April 1902, killing 25 and injuring hundreds of others.[28][29] The disaster forced the club to rebuild Ibrox for a second time and financed this by selling off their best players, with Celtic in particular taking advantage of the weakness to win six successive titles between 1905 and 1910 before Rangers returned to their previous strength.[26][30] The sporting side of the rivalry was now established, with their meetings providing considerable financial benefit as seen in the Scottish Cup finals of 1904 (which appears to be the origin of the 'Old Firm' term)[11][27] and 1909 when they drew twice and a further replay was ordered, with supporters of both teams deciding to riot on the assumption the results were being fixed to make more money – amid multiple injuries and considerable damage to Hampden Park, the trophy was withheld.[12][31][27][32]

The political aspect of the feud also developed in that period,[33] with perhaps the most significant development occurring in 1912 when Belfast shipbuilders Harland and Wolff (a company which already had anti-Catholic hiring practices)[34] set up a new yard in Glasgow due to instability in Ireland. Hundreds of Ulster Protestant workers, many of Scottish descent, also made the move, and they adopted Rangers – the closest large club to the Govan yard – as their new team.[21][27][35] Other events such as World War I and the Easter Rising contributed to the club being adopted as a symbol of the Scottish establishment and of British Unionism in the face of Irish Catholic rebellion personified by the success of Celtic[36][21][27] and from that time on, many across Scotland and Northern Ireland (and the disapora of those communities in England, North America and elsewhere) became supporters of Rangers or Celtic over and above their local teams according to their own political and religious leanings, including polarised attitudes towards 'The Troubles'.[35][25]

Nevertheless, this dividing line seems to be blurred in 21st century Glasgow: religious adherence in general is falling,[37][35] "mixed marriages" between Protestants and Catholics have never been higher and the old certainties — the Rangers supporter voting Conservative and the Celtic supporter voting Labour — are no longer in evidence.[36][23] In 2005 both Celtic and Rangers joined a project to tackle bigotry and sectarianism in sport,[38] but there was little change in the behaviour and subsequent prosecution of the fans.

The majority of Rangers and Celtic supporters do not get involved in sectarianism, but serious incidents do occur with a tendency for the actions of a minority to dominate the headlines.[38][14] The Old Firm rivalry fuelled many assaults on Derby days, and some deaths in the past have been directly related to the aftermath of Old Firm matches.[39] An activist group that monitors sectarian activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, violent attacks increase ninefold over normal levels.[40] An increase in domestic abuse can also be attributed to Old Firm fixtures.[41]

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.[42] Other high-profile games involving Rangers and Celtic incurred much lower costs.[42] The reason for the disparity in costs and the contribution made is that Strathclyde Police had to increase its activity elsewhere in Glasgow and beyond, while the clubs were only responsible for costs incurred in the vicinity of their stadium.[42] In a period between April 2016 and December 2017, when nine matches were contested (three each at the club's stadia and three at Hampden), more than £550,000 was spent by Celtic, Rangers, the SFA and the SPFL on policing inside the stadium alone. Rangers paid more than Celtic despite having a smaller capacity and a plan for the away support at Ibrox which required less of a 'human barricade' of officers to separate the rival supporters than was necessary at Celtic Park.[43]

In 2015, former Rangers player Brian Laudrup said that the Old Firm topped all of the rivalries he had played in,[44] which included the Milan derby and the Fiorentina-Juventus meetings[45] in Italy; ex-Celtic striker Henrik Larsson, who experienced El Clásico in Spain and De Klassieker in the Netherlands, has made similar comments.[3] Jim Bett, who had already played in Iceland prior to joining Rangers in the 1980s and thereafter moved to Belgium, stated that he declined an opportunity to return to the Ibrox club due to the sectarianism associated with life as a footballer in the west of Scotland, in contrast to his positive experiences living abroad.[46]

Disorder within stadia

Supporters of both clubs, when interviewed, have conceded that they do not particularly enjoy the intense atmosphere of Old Firm matches.[35][36] Opposing fans fought an on-pitch battle in the aftermath of Celtic's 1–0 victory in the 1980 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden.[27] 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.[31][47][48]

In January 1994, Rangers chairman David Murray announced that Celtic fans had been banned from Ibrox due to repeated instances of vandalism to the stadium which Celtic refused to take financial responsibility for.[49] Only one fixture, which ended 1–1, was played before the ban was rescinded[50][51] (the Scottish Football League passed a resolution preventing clubs from taking that action in future).[52]

There was serious fan disorder during an Old Firm match played on a Sunday evening in May 1999 at Celtic Park, with the usual tensions heightened by the fact that Rangers could clinch the league title with victory (and it became clear that they would do so from the early stages of the match). Several objects were thrown by Celtic fans, one of which struck referee Hugh Dallas forcing the game to be stopped while he received medical treatment.[53][23] With many of those in attendance having spent a full weekend drinking alcohol prior to the event, at least four Celtic fans invaded the field of play to confront Dallas during the game,[53] and more missiles were thrown at players on the pitch after the game.[53] 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.[54][55]

Visitor allocation and crushing incident

During the 2018 close season, Rangers announced that they would be cutting the ticket allocation for Celtic fans at Ibrox from around 7,000 (the entire Broomloan Stand) to 800, situated in a corner where smaller travelling supports were usually accommodated, following a fan survey backing the proposal as well as an upturn in season ticket sales. In response, Celtic indicated they would do likewise, bringing to an end a long tradition of both clubs offering an generous proportion of their stadium to their rivals.[56] The development was criticised by former players as diluting the famous atmosphere of the fixtures,[51][57] although others praised the extra income the change would likely generate.[58]

In the first Old Firm fixture at Celtic Park under the new arrangements, many more home fans were able to attend but segregation was still required outside the stadium to keep them apart from the smaller away support. In the minutes before kick-off, a main access road was closed as part of the amended segregation plan and thousands of spectators approaching Celtic Park from both directions were directed to the narrow enclosed walkway below the North Stand to reach the opposite side of the stadium, along with those trying to enter that stand via turnstiles. The volume of people in the walkway area built up to the extent that many were unable to move forward with more approaching from either side, and crushing was experienced in the congested area for some minutes, causing panic, with several fans scaling a high perimeter wall and fence to escape; one of them fell from the wall and later required hospital treatment, while four other persons were treated at the scene as the situation subsided. Those involved expressed their anger afterwards regarding the arrangements and the policing at the stadium on the day, with Celtic issuing an official apology to the fans.[59][60][61]

Legislation

From 1 March 2012, the police were given more powers to act against Sectarian acts at football matches through the new Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012. The law was designed specifically to target the Old Firm rivalry by reducing the religious hatred between the two opposing sides.[35] The Act created two new offences, one covering behaviour in and around football matches and the other related to posts sent by either electronic or postal methods. People convicted under the act could face up to five years imprisonment, a much higher sentence than was previously in place. It was hoped it would make it much easier to prosecute this misbehaviour, which had proved difficult in the past.[62]

In March 2013 a protest by a number of Celtic fans took place to protest against the new laws and the subsequent match bans that a number of fans had received for breaking the Act. The protesters, known as the "Green Brigade," had marched without police authority and the event was therefore cracked down on by local authorities resulting in thirteen arrests. The protestors claim that the police instigated the trouble that occurred at this march.[63] Following the march, media coverage reported that the fans were growing further apart from the police than ever before. They claimed that the trust the fans hold with the police to work in cooperation with them is falling dramatically. The march that took place resulted in a number of complaints from both Celtic and Rangers fan groups that they were harassed by the police.[64]

Labour MSP James Kelly introduced the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Repeal) (Scotland) Bill in June 2017. Kelly had described the 2012 legislation as having "completely failed to tackle sectarianism" and as "illiberal" which "unfairly targets football fans", and was "condemned by legal experts, human rights organisations and equality groups".[35][65] Professor Sir Tom Devine previously spoke of the Football Act as "the most illiberal and counterproductive act passed by our young Parliament to date" and a "stain on the reputation of the Scottish legal system for fair dealing".[66] Much was made of when a Sheriff described the law as "mince".[67]

After passing through the parliamentary process in early 2018,[68][69] on 19 April the bill received royal assent, repealing the 2012 Act.[70]

Joint sponsorship

Glasgow-based brewers Tennent's were the primary commercial sponsor of both teams for several years;[71][72] any local business that only sponsored one would likely lose half its customers.[24] Previously, glazing company CR Smith (who later had a deal with Celtic alone),[73][74] communications firm NTL[75] and English brewers Carling[76] had also sponsored both clubs.

Events post-2012

In 2012, Rangers suffered a financial collapse leading to the liquidation of the commercial entity,[77][78] however the sporting assets were acquired by a new company[79] which allowed its playing membership to continue unbroken (albeit in the lowest division of the Scottish football league system).[80] As a result, this would mean that for the first time in 120 years, no fixtures would be played between Rangers and Celtic.

The status of the Old Firm was also challenged,[16] following the logic that since Rangers 'died' during the events of 2012, the rivalry also expired and any matches played since that point would be between Celtic and a 'new Rangers', albeit playing at the same stadium, in the same colours, with the same supporters and some of the same players as before.[79][81] Adherents to this point of view refer to the club disparagingly as Sevco (the original name of the post-2012 holding company),[82] and Rangers supporters as 'zombies' or 'the undead'.[83] This difference of opinion became a new factor in the rivalry.[81]

Some Celtic supporters were particularly vociferous in their assertions, to the extent of a group paying for a full-page newspaper advertisement in January 2015 announcing that their club would soon play its first fixture against the new Rangers.[84][85][86]

It is regarded as a continuation of the same club by the SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster;[87] external governing bodies such as UEFA, the European Club Association and FIFA have never formally stated their position on Rangers but have issued general remarks about the continuation of a club's history when controlled by a new company.[88][89][90]

In 2013 numerous complaints were made to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over official marketing communications from Rangers which stated they were "Scotland’s most successful club", with this claim being disputed as the complainants declared the club had only been in existence for one year. Having considered the evidence including advice from UEFA, the ASA did not uphold the complaints.[91]

In July 2012, a large banner was displayed at Celtic Park during a game showing a cartoon zombie representing Rangers rising from the grave before being shot by a sniper, drawing criticism due to the gunman resembling a paramilitary from the Northern Ireland conflict, although Celtic escaped formal punishment over the matter.[92][93] Celtic fan groups have continued to display banners claiming Rangers are ‘dead’[94] as well as mocking other aspects of their economic problems.[95]

Celtic and their followers also became involved in other legal proceedings relating to Rangers,[96][97][98] including the outcome of the long-running EBT investigation.[99][100][101]

Results on the field

It took Rangers four years to climb through the lower divisions and re-take their place in the Scottish Premiership for the 2016–17 season; in the interim only two cup semi-finals were played between the clubs[102][103][104][105] and Celtic won all four league titles by significant margins (never less than 15 points).[106] The rivalry resumed in earnest by way of six matches during 2016–17, with Celtic eliminating Rangers from both cups at the semi-final stage on the way to lifting the trophies and emerging victorious in three of the matches in the league championship, which they also won without losing a game to secure their sixth successive title and a domestic treble.[107][108] The 2017–18 season was much the same: Celtic won three of the Old Firm league fixtures[109] plus a Scottish Cup semi-final meeting[110] and lifted all three domestic trophies;[111] Rangers finished third, behind Aberdeen.[112]

Recent results

Since the administration and liquidation of The Rangers Football Club plc, the clubs have faced each other fourteen times. Celtic have won eleven of these matches, with Rangers winning a single match via a penalty shootout. The remaining two fixtures were drawn.

Honours

[113][114]

Celtic Competition Rangers
Domestic
49Scottish first-tier League Championships54
38Scottish Cup33
17Scottish League Cup27
104Aggregate114
European and Worldwide
1UEFA Champions League/European Cup—
—UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (defunct)1
1Aggregate1
105Total Aggregate115

All-time head-to-head record

An Old Firm clash in 2008

Updated following match on 2 September 2018[7][8]

Competition First match Played Rangers Celtic Draw
Scottish League 1891 314[lower-alpha 1] 119 108 87
Scottish Cup 1890 51[lower-alpha 2] 16 25 10[lower-alpha 3]
League Cup 1947 49 24 23 2
Totals 414 159 156 99
  1. ↑ League championship statistics include an additional play-off match for the 1904–05 title which Celtic won 2–1.[115][116]
  2. ↑ The Scottish Cup totals include two matches in the 1909 Scottish Cup Final (a 2–2 draw and a 1–1 draw), although the cup itself was withheld.
  3. ↑ The 2016 Scottish Cup match was won by Rangers on penalties,[105][117] causing minor discrepancies in the tallies on some websites.

Defunct minor/wartime competitions

There are a number of matches between the two clubs that are not recognised in the official records, such as their first competitive meeting in the 1888–89 Glasgow Cup, in which Celtic defeated Rangers 6–1.[118]

Competition[117][119] Years Played Rangers Celtic Draw
Glasgow Cup[lower-alpha 1] 1887–1987 79 36 23 20
Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup[lower-alpha 2][120] 1892–1961 46 23 16 7[lower-alpha 3]
Glasgow League / Inter City League 1895–1906 19 6 9 4
Glasgow International Exhibition Cup 1901 1 1 0 0
British League Cup 1902 1 0 1 0
Drybrough Cup 1971–1980 2 1 0 1[lower-alpha 4]
  1. ↑ The Glasgow Cup continued to be contested during World War I and World War II
  2. ↑ The Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup continued to be contested during World War I and World War II
  3. ↑ 6 of the 7 drawn games were settled by coin toss or most corners, 5 in favour of Rangers
  4. ↑ Rangers won the 1974 Drybrough Cup final on penalties.

Wartime competitions (all WWII)

During the Second World War, the Scottish Football League and Scottish Cup were suspended and in their place unofficial regional league competitions were set up (these were dominated by Rangers).[121] One of these games was a New Year's Day derby in 1943 which Rangers won 8–1.[122][123]

Competition[117][119] Years Played Rangers Celtic Draw
Emergency Western League 1939–1940 2 1 0 1
Southern League 1940–1946 12 7 3 2
Southern League Cup 1940–1946 4 4 0 0
Summer Cup 1940–1946 2 2 0 0
Victory Cup 1946 2 1 0 1

Biggest wins

* Four or more goals difference between the teams.

Celtic

6-goal margin

5-goal margin

4-goal margin

  • Celtic 6–2 Rangers on 1 January 1896, Scottish Division One
  • Rangers 0–4 Celtic on 1 January 1898 Scottish Division One
  • Celtic 4–0 Rangers on 10 March 1900, Scottish Cup
  • Celtic 4–0 Rangers on 1 January 1914, Scottish Division One
  • Celtic 6–2 Rangers on 1 January 1939, Scottish Division One
  • Celtic 5–1 Rangers on 1 January 1966, Scottish Division One
  • Celtic 4–0 Rangers on 26 April 1969, Scottish Cup
  • Celtic 5–1 Rangers on 21 November 1998, Scottish Premier League
  • Celtic 6–2 Rangers on 27 August 2000, Scottish Premier League
  • Celtic 5–1 Rangers on 10 September 2016, Scottish Premiership
  • Rangers 1–5 Celtic on 29 April 2017, Scottish Premiership
  • Celtic 4–0 Rangers on 15 April 2018, Scottish Cup[110]

Rangers

5-goal margin

  • Rangers 5–0 Celtic on 1 January 1894, Scottish Division One

4-goal margin

  • Celtic 0–4 Rangers on 1 January 1899, Scottish Division One
  • Rangers 4–0 Celtic on 14 April 1928, Scottish Cup
  • Celtic 1–5 Rangers on 10 September 1960, Scottish Division One
  • Rangers 5–1 Celtic on 27 August 1988, Scottish Premier Division
  • Rangers 4–0 Celtic on 26 March 2000, Scottish Premier League
  • Rangers 5–1 Celtic on 26 November 2000, Scottish Premier League

Players who played for both teams

The ferocity of the rivalry has made it rare for a player to represent both teams during his career.[124] Players who played for both sides of the Old Firm included Alec Bennett,[125] 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,[126] Maurice Johnston,[19][20] Kenny Miller,[127][128] Steven Pressley[129] and Mark Brown (none of whom moved directly between the two clubs).

Pre-war

Post-war

Played for opposite clubs during youth and senior careers

Individual records

Most appearances

As of end of season 2017–18. Any current players in bold.

Highest goalscorers

As of end of season 2017–18. Any current players in bold.

  1. ↑ Miller scored 9 league goals for Rangers, 1 for Celtic

Managerial statistics

As of 2 September 2018. Minimum 10 Old Firm games as manager.

Name Team Years Overall Record[160][161][162][163] League Record[164][165]
GamesWinsWin %GamesWinsWin %
Brendan Rodgers Northern Ireland Celtic 2016– 12 10 84% 9 7 78%
Martin O'Neill Northern Ireland Celtic 2000–2005 27 16 59% 20 13 65%
Bill Struth Rangers 1920–1954[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] 116 66 57% 54 29 54%
David White Rangers 1968–1969 10 4 40% 4 3 75%
Graeme Souness Rangers 1986–1991 27 14 52% 20 10 50%
Walter Smith Rangers 1991–1998, 2006–2011 56 28 50% 46 22 48%
Jock Stein Celtic 1965–1978 58 29 50% 28 12 43%
Neil Lennon Northern Ireland Celtic 2010–2014 12 6 50% 9 5 55%
Scot Symon Rangers 1954–1967 61 29 48% 27 17 63%
Billy McNeill Celtic 1978–1983, 1987–1991 46 22 48% 36 16 44%
Gordon Strachan Celtic 2005–2009 18 8 44% 16 6 37%
Jock Wallace Rangers 1972–1978, 1984–1986 38 15 39% 28 9 32%
Dick Advocaat Netherlands Rangers 1998–2001 16 6 37% 14 5 36%
Alex McLeish Rangers 2002–2006 25 8 32% 18 4 22%
William Wilton Rangers 1899–1920 96 30 31% 42 11 26%
Davie Hay Celtic 1983–1987 21 6 29% 16 6 37%
Willie Maley Celtic 1897–1940[lower-alpha 3] 146 43 29% 84 22 26%
John Greig Rangers 1978–1983 27 7 26% 21 4 19%
Jimmy McGrory Celtic 1945–1965 80 18 22% 38 6 16%
Tommy Burns Celtic 1994-1997 15 3 20% 12 2 17%
Jimmy McStay Celtic 1940–1945[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5] 21 4 19% 0 0 0%
Liam Brady Republic of Ireland Celtic 1991–1993 11 2 18% 9 2 22%
Willie Waddell Rangers 1970–1972 12 1 8% 5 0 0%
  1. ↑ 116 includes 27 unofficial wartime games
  2. ↑ 66 includes 19 unofficial wartime games
  3. ↑ 146 includes one unofficial wartime game
  4. ↑ All 21 are unofficial wartime games
  5. ↑ All 4 are unofficial wartime games

Attendances

The stadium attendance records for Rangers' Ibrox (118,567, January 1939)[166][167] and Celtic's Celtic Park (at least 83,500, January 1938)[168][169] were both set at Old Firm matches; however while the Ibrox figure is the Rangers club record (and the record for any domestic league match in the United Kingdom),[166] Celtic's biggest 'home' attendance was the 1969–70 European Cup semi-final with Leeds United, moved to the larger Hampden Park due to the anticipated interest: the crowd of 136,505 is a record for any match in European international club competitions.[170][166]

Hampden, Scotland's national stadium and home of Queen's Park, is situated roughly an equal distance from Ibrox and Celtic Park in Glasgow. Due to the frequency of the two teams appearing in semi-finals and finals held there (often facing one another), its West and East stands are always allocated to the same club and are informally known as the Rangers end and Celtic end respectively.[171][172] That stadium, once the largest in the world,[170][166] attracted the largest Old Firm attendance of all time with 132,870 at the 1969 Scottish Cup Final[166] (it is not the record for the competition, with 147,365 having attended the 1937 final which also featured Celtic, versus Aberdeen).[166][170] The record Scottish League Cup final attendance (107,609; October 1965) was an Old Firm affair,[166] although the tournament record was set in 1947 when Rangers overcame Hibernian in a semi-final before 123,830.[173]

Since redevelopments completed in the 1990s, all three venues are all-seater with much smaller capacities of between 50,000 and 60,000, meaning the above records may never be beaten.

The 1971 Ibrox disaster – in which 66 Rangers supporters died in a crush on an exterior stairway – occurred at the end of an Old Firm match,[167] although the identity of the opposition was not a factor in the incident other than having drawn a large crowd of at least 75,000 to the event.[174]

Average attendances

When compared to other clubs in Scotland, the Old Firm maintain considerably higher attendances;[175] Celtic's recorded crowds tend to be higher than Rangers as their stadium holds approximately 9,000 more seats. Both clubs (among others) have been accused of inflating their attendance figures by counting all season ticket holders in the crowd when many have not actually attended the match in question, with the accurate figures reported to the police for crowd control being lower.[176][177]

The average attendances of both Old Firm clubs are regularly within the top twenty across Europe.[178][179]

Season Celtic Rangers Next Largest
1996–97[180] 47,691 48,122 Aberdeen 12,726
1997–98[181] 48,833 49,357 Hearts 15,343
1998–99[182] 59,233 49,094 Hearts 14,232
1999–2000[183] 54,440 48,116 Hearts 14,246
2000–01[184] 59,369 47,532 Hearts 12,771
2001–02[185] 58,511 47,879 Aberdeen 14,035
2002–03[186] 57,471 48,814 Hearts 12,057
2003–04[187] 57,657 48,992 Hearts 11,947
2004–05[188] 57,906 48,676 Aberdeen 13,576
2005–06[189] 58,149 49,245 Hearts 16,767
2006–07[190] 57,928 49,955 Hearts 16,937
2007–08[191] 57,072 48,946 Hearts 16,288
2008–09[192] 57,671 49,534 Hearts 14,398
2009–10[193] 45,582 47,301 Hearts 14,745
2010–11[194] 48,978 45,305 Hearts 14,228
2011–12[195] 50,904 46,362 Hearts 13,381
2012–13[196] 46,917 45,744[lower-alpha 1] Hearts 13,163
2013–14[197] 47,079 42,657[lower-alpha 1] Hearts 14,123
2014–15[198] 44,585 32,798[lower-alpha 1] Hearts 15,985[lower-alpha 1]
2015–16[199] 44,850 45,325[lower-alpha 1] Hearts 16,423
2016–17[200] 54,726 49,156 Hearts 16,315
2017–18[201] 57,523 49,174 Hearts 18,429
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Club was not in the top division.

Dominance of Scottish football

The intensity of the rivalry is fuelled by the clubs' historical duopoly in Scottish football, with most meetings between them being pivotal in deciding the destiny of a championship or cup and anything but a title-winning season seen as a major disappointment, particularly as it would usually mean 'the enemy' has won the trophy.

League

Side-by-side comparison of Celtic's and Rangers' final league positions from 1891–2017

Statistics show that Rangers and Celtic have been by far the most successful clubs involved in the Scottish Football League since its formation in 1890. The pair were the only participants in every edition of the competition until 2012, when Rangers were removed from the top tier for economic reasons; they returned for the 2016–17 season. Of the 121 championships played, 103 (85%) have been won by one of the Old Firm with Rangers ahead on 54 titles to Celtic's 49, and 19 between ten other clubs (including a shared title between Rangers and Dumbarton).

Although there have been brief periods when silverware went elsewhere, there have also been long spells of domination by each Old Firm club, the longest run of 9-in-a-row being first set by Celtic between 1966 and 1974, matched by Rangers between 1989 and 1997.

On just five occasions since 1891 have neither of the Glasgow giants been the league winner nor the runner-up. This includes 1964–65, the only season in which both Rangers and Celtic failed to finish in the top three places. The Old Firm have finished 1st and 2nd 48 times overall. Between the resurgence of Celtic in the mid-1990s and the liquidation of Rangers in 2012, '1–2' finishes were recorded in all but one of 17 SPL-era seasons.

The longest sequence without an Old Firm title is three years between 1983 and 1985, while the longest unbroken run of championships between the two clubs began immediately afterwards and is ongoing: 33 seasons and counting since 1986 (overtaking a previous sequence of 27 years between 1905 and 1931).

As of end of season 2017–18. Runners-up in (parentheses)

Outcome[4] Celtic Rangers Combined %
One club 1st, other 2nd 24 (24) 24 (24) 48 40%
One club 1st, other not top 2 25 30 55 45%
Title wins by Old Firm club 49 54 103 85%
One club 2nd, other not top 2 N/A (7) N/A (6) 13 11%
Neither club in top 2 N/A N/A 5 4%
Title wins by another club N/A N/A 18* 15%
Totals 49 (31) 54 (30) 121 100%
  • For the purpose of the calculation, the shared 1891 title is attributed to Rangers only here to prevent it being counted twice.

Scottish Cup

Although the initial Scottish Cup was played in 1874, 15 years before Celtic were formed, they have still won the competition more than any other club - 38 times, plus 18 runners-up - with Rangers not far behind on 33 (also 18 runners-up).

There have been 14 Old Firm finals, while there have been just 39 finals involving neither Rangers or Celtic, 17 of which were in the 1800s.

The longest run of Old Firm wins is 11 between 1971 and 1981.

As of end of season 2017–18. Runners-up in (parentheses)

Outcome[5] Celtic Rangers Combined %
Old Firm final 7 (7) 7 (7) 14 11%
One winner, other not involved 31 26 57 43%
Cup wins by an Old Firm club 38 33 71 54%
One runner-up, other not involved N/A (11) N/A (11) 22 17%
neither club involved N/A N/A 39 29%
Cup wins by another club N/A N/A 61 46%
Totals 38 (18) 33 (18) 132 100%

Old Firm Scottish Cup finals

League Cup

The Scottish League Cup has been contested 72 times since 1946–47. Rangers are dominant in terms of wins with 27 from 34 finals, with Celtic some way behind on 17 wins from 32 finals. 13 other clubs share 28 wins between them. 14 of its finals have been Old Firm occasions,[203] while 20 featured neither of them.

The longest run of Old Firm wins is 8 between 1964 and 1971.

As of end of the 2017–18 competition which concluded in November 2017. Runners-up in (parentheses)

Outcome[6] Celtic Rangers Combined %
Old Firm final 5 (9) 9 (5) 14 19%
One winner, other not involved 12 18 30 42%
Cup wins by an Old Firm club 17 27 44 61%
One runner-up, other not involved N/A (6) N/A (2) 8 11%
neither club involved N/A N/A 20 28%
Cup wins by another club N/A N/A 28 39%
Totals 17 (15) 27 (7) 72 100%

Old Firm League Cup finals

Women's football

The Rangers–Celtic rivalry in women's football has existed only in the 21st century, with Rangers W.F.C. having formed in 2008, one year after the Celtic F.C. women's team. The footballing environment is also very different, with a third team in the city – Glasgow City F.C. – not merely competing in the same division as the more famous names and attracting a similar fanbase, but dominant over them in the domestic league, with eleven consecutive titles up to 2017.[204][205] Rangers have only finished above Celtic once (2014), and neither club has won the Scottish Women's Cup; Celtic have lifted the SWPL Cup on one occasion, in 2010.[206]

Fixtures between the teams generate extra media interest due to their association with the parent clubs and are referred to as Old Firm matches as a result.[207][208][209][210][211][212][205] On 13 April 2016, Celtic women’s team played their first competitive match at Celtic Park, marking the occasion with a 5–1 victory over Rangers.[213]

See also

References

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  206. ↑ "Celtic secure women's League Cup". BBC Sport. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  207. ↑ "Celtic storm back to top". Women's Soccer Scene. 2 November 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  208. ↑ "Celtic women win Old Firm cup tie". BBC Sport. BBC. 15 April 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  209. ↑ "Rangers beat Celtic in a women's game for first time". BBC Sport. BBC. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  210. ↑ "SWPL: Celtic begin season with win over Rangers". BBC Sport. BBC. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  211. ↑ "Clark Relishing Old Firm Clash". Rangers F.C. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  212. ↑ "SWPL: Rangers Women win Old Firm derby". SheKicks. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  213. ↑ "Derby delight for the Hoops in Paradise". Celtic F.C. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

Further reading

  • Bradley, Joseph M. (20 November 2006). "The Patriot Game: Football's Famous 'Tartan Army'". International Review for the Sociology of Sport. International Sociology of Sport Association and SAGE Publications. 37 (2): 177–197. doi:10.1177/1012690202037002004.
  • Burdsey, Daniel; Chappell, Robert (20 November 2006). "'And If You Know Your History'. An Examination of the Formation of Football Clubs in Scotland and their Role in the Construction of Social Identity" (PDF). The Sports Historian. 21 (1): 94–106.
  • Foer, Franklin (2004). "How Soccer Explains the Pornography of Sects". How Soccer Explains the World: an Unlikely Theory of Globalization. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 35–64. ISBN 0-06-621234-0.
  • McMenemy, David; Poulter, Alan (20 November 2006). "An Identity of Two Halves? Celtic Supporters, Identity, and Scottish Society". Irish Studies Review. Routledge. 13 (2): 139–150. doi:10.1080/09670880500060749.
  • Murray, William J. (1984). The Old Firm: sectarianism, sport, and society in Scotland. Edinburgh: J. Donald Publishers, Atlantic Highlands. ISBN 0-85976-121-5.
  • Murray, William J. (1988). Glasgow's giants: 100 years of the Old Firm. Edinburgh: Mainstream. ISBN 1-85158-111-1.
  • Murray, William J. (1998). The Old Firm in the new age: Celtic and Rangers since the Souness revolution. Edinburgh: Mainstream. ISBN 1-85158-984-8.
  • Murray, William J. (2003). Bhoys, bears and bigotry: the Old Firm in the new age. Edinburgh: Mainstream. ISBN 1-84018-810-3.
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