Old Firm

The term Old Firm refers to the rivalry between the Scottish football teams Rangers and Celtic, both based in Glasgow.

One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. A newspaper report stated that both sets of players "got on so well that you would believe that they were old firm friends." However, William J. Murray states that the term derives from the commercial benefits of the two clubs' rivalry, which were viewed with distaste in some quarters in the early days of the game.

The two clubs are easily the most successful in Scotland, having won between them 63 Scottish Cups and 93 Scottish Premier League championships (as of 2007). 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. Starting with the 1995-96 season, the Old Firm clubs finished in the top two places in every season until 2005-06, when Hearts finished second behind Celtic. As of May 5, 2007, Rangers and Celtic had played each other 375 times, with Rangers winning 149 matches, Celtic 134 matches and 92 draws. The two clubs normally compete four times a year in the SPL and are regularly drawn against each other in the two Scottish cup competitions.

The clubs' large supports, which are far greater than those of other Scottish clubs, means that the Scottish Premier League — which has always been dominated by the Old Firm — has become less competitive. Even in cities such as Edinburgh and Dundee, there is a large Old Firm fan base, in addition to support for the cities' own clubs. The other clubs in Scottish football have traditionally had far fewer football successes (except for spells in the 1890s, 1950s and 1980s), supporters, and money than the Old Firm teams. This has led to some acrimony between these teams and the Old Firm, which is amplified by widespread disgust towards the religious bigotry some associate with these two clubs, and by a general feeling that the primary national loyalties of Rangers and Celtic fans lie not with Scotland, but with Britain and Ireland respectively. However, it has been said that the presence of Rangers and Celtic is worth £120 million to the Scottish economy, and that if the two clubs left the Scottish Premier League, the other teams would lose out.

The result of the combination of the two clubs' dominance of Scottish football, and their significance in social, cultural and political terms, is that both Celtic and Rangers are prominent institutions in Scottish life, to a degree beyond what would be expected for large football clubs elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Rivalry and sectarianism

Main article: Sectarianism in Glasgow

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). The result has been an enduring enmity between fans that has extended beyond the kind of intra-city footballing rivalry that might be expected in situations where two clubs dominate a country's footballing scene. This has been manifested in a history laden with sectarian violence, sometimes leading to deaths.

Rangers' traditional support has largely come from the Protestant community, while Celtic's has often, but by no means exclusively, come from those of Irish extraction. The rivalry between the two clubs has often been characterised along sectarian lines. Celtic have had a historic association with the Catholic peoples of Ireland, and some Celtic fans sing Irish Republican songs. Rangers fans are traditionally loyalists, and some of them sing songs that reflect that point of view.

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 Alfie Conn, Jr., Maurice Johnston, Kenny Miller, Steven Pressley, Mark Brown and Barry Robson. Rangers' signing of Johnston caused particular controversy because, although he was not the first Catholic to play for Rangers, he was by far the highest-profile openly Catholic player to do so since World War I. Until Graeme Souness signed former Celtic player Mo Johnston, in 1989, Rangers were said by him to have had an "unwritten policy" of not signing any player who was Catholic. However, Catholics who signed for Rangers before Johnston include Pat Lafferty (1886), Tom Dunbar (1891-1892), J. Tutty (1899-1900), Archie Kyle (1904-1908), Willie Kivlichan (1906-1907), Colin Mainds (1906-1907), Tom Murray (1907-1908), William Brown (1912), Joe Donnachie (circa.1914-1918) and John Jackson (1917), Laurie Blyth (1951-1952), Don Kitchenbrand (1955-1956), Hugh O'Neill (1976) and John Spencer (1985-1992).

Both Rangers and Celtic now accept that they have a problem with sectarianism, and both admit that a proportion of their supporters have been, and continue to be, guilty of perpetuating partisan, sectarian beliefs as well as cultural intolerance. Working alongside the Scottish Parliament, church groups and community organisations such as Nil by Mouth., the Old Firm clubs have clamped down on sectarian songs, inflammatory flag-waving, and troublesome supporters; using increased levels of policing and surveillance. However, disagreements about what constitutes sectarian behaviour have undermined progress in these matters, and consensus over what types of songs and flags are acceptable remains difficult to achieve.

In 1996, Celtic launched their Bhoys Against Bigotry campaign, later followed by Youth Against Bigotry which, according to then chief executive Ian McLeod was meant to "educate the young on having ... respect for all aspects of the community - all races, all colours, all creeds." However, in October 2006, club chairman Brian Quinn dismissed calls to institute a list of what songs are unacceptable at Celtic Park, and chief executive Peter Lawwell defended the singing of "Irish ballads" at matches.

Rangers launched the anti-sectarian campaign Pride Over Prejudice in 2003, which has since been renamed Follow With Pride In 2006, Rangers were ordered to make a public announcement at all of their home games prohibiting the chanting of the song "Billy Boys".

On 12 April 2006, following an investigation into the conduct of Rangers supporters at both legs of their UEFA Champions League tie against Villarreal CF, the Control and Disciplinary Body of UEFA imposed a fine of £8,800 on Rangers following the improper conduct of some of their supporters, notably the smashing of a window of the Villarreal CF team bus at the second-leg match in Spain on 7 March. However, UEFA declared the Rangers fans not guilty of alleged discriminatory chants. UEFA challenged the ruling, and their Appeals Body partially upheld it, fining the Ibrox club £13,500 and warning them as to their responsibility for any future misconduct.

On 9 June 2006, Rangers, in conjunction with representatives from several supporters clubs, announced that they would comply with three UEFA directives. The club was "ordered to announce measurable targets in order to reduce sectarian behaviour amongst its supporters". The club was "to control their anti-sectarian activities by producing comprehensive statistics that are communicated to the public". The club was "to make a public address announcement at every official fixture, be it international or domestic, stating that any sectarian chanting and any form of the song 'Billy Boys' is strictly prohibited".

Despite these measures, UEFA indicated that they will launch another investigation after Rangers fans clashed with riot police and were filmed making sectarian chants during the defeat by Osasuna in their UEFA Cup match in 2007. The Rangers Supporters Association secretary indicated his belief that a small minority of fans are to blame, suggesting "it doesn't matter how often they are told [to stop sectarian chanting], some people will just not listen."

Possibility of Old Firm joining English Premier League

Both Celtic and Rangers have expressed a desire to leave the Scottish league system and become part of the English Premier League. Both clubs currently receive less in television revenue than many English clubs with significantly smaller fan bases. A move to the Premiership would give both Old Firm clubs a significant financial boost. This, however, is not the wish of most clubs in the Premiership: the smaller clubs fear their displacement and consequent loss of revenue; the larger clubs fear a reduced potential for qualification for European competitions. Some clubs in the Football League Championship have also argued against this move on the grounds that it would reduce their chances of promotion to the Premiership.

Regardless of the level of support from English clubs, a remaining stumbling block is that both national football associations, (the Scottish Football Association and The Football Association), and Europe's governing body (UEFA), have to agree to the switch. In this light, it is unlikely that either Rangers or Celtic will be playing in the Premiership in the foreseeable future.

Head to head record

Competition	Played	Rangers	Draw	Celtic
Scottish League	287	112	82	93
Scottish Cup	46	16	8	22
League Cup	45	23	2	20
Totals	378	151	92	135

1888-1999 statistics obtained from RSSSF. Remaining stats obtained from Soccerbase

Last 10 league matches

• As of 29 March, 2008

Season	Home	Score	Away
2007–08	Rangers	1:0	Celtic
2007–08	Rangers	3:0	Celtic
2006–07	Rangers	2:0	Celtic
2006–07	Celtic	0:1	Rangers
2006–07	Rangers	1:1	Celtic
2006–07	Celtic	2:0	Rangers
2005–06	Celtic	0:0	Rangers
2005–06	Rangers	0:1	Celtic
2005–06	Celtic	3:0	Rangers
2005–06	Rangers	3:1	Celtic
2004–05	Rangers	1:2	Celtic

Further reading

• Bradley, Joseph M. (2002). "The Patriot Game: Football's Famous `Tartan Army'". International Review for the Sociology of Sport. 37 (2). International Sociology of Sport Association and SAGE Publications: 177–197. doi:10.1177/1012690202037002004. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Burdsey, Daniel (2001). "'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. Retrieved 2006-11-20. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• McMenemy, David (May, 2005). "An Identity of Two Halves? Glasgow Celtic Supporters, Identity, and Scottish Society". Irish Studies Review. 13 (2). Routledge: 139–150. doi:10.1080/09670880500060749. Retrieved 2006-11-20. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Murray, William J. (1984). The Old Firm: sectarianism, sport, and society in Scotland. Edinburgh: J. Donald Publishers; Atlantic Highlands, N.J. ISBN 0-85976-121-5. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Murray, William J. (1988). Glasgow's giants: 100 years of the Old Firm. Edinburgh: Mainstream. ISBN 1-85158-111-1. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• 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. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Murray, William J. (2003). Bhoys, bears and bigotry: the Old Firm in the new age. Edinburgh: Mainstream. ISBN 1-84018-810-3. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

See also

• New Firm (Scotland)
• Major football rivalries
• Local derby
• Sectarianism in Glasgow
• Culture in Glasgow
• Timeline of Glasgow history
• Ethnicity and football
• Football (soccer) culture
• Sport in Scotland

External links

• Head-to-head results from Soccerbase
• The Old Firm, The Scotsman
• "possibility of a religious blessing being treated as a criminal offence", Sunday Herald, 27 August 2006

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