Old Firm

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

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."

The two clubs are easily the most successful in Scotland, having won between them 63 Scottish Cups and 91 Scottish Premier League championships (as of 2006). 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 March 11, 2007, Rangers and Celtic had played each other 374 times, with Rangers winning 148 matches, Celtic 134 matches and 92 draws.^[1] 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 fanbase, 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 the United Kingdom and the Republic of 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.^[2]

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.

Contents 1 Rivalry 2 Possibility of Old Firm joining English Premier League 3 Footnotes 4 Further reading 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Rivalry

Main article: Sectarianism in Glasgow

The competition between the two clubs has its 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 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.

Increasingly in recent years, both clubs have frequently participated in initiatives and campaigns along with religious organisations and the Scottish Executive directed at removing the sectarian undercurrent, including supporting pressure group Nil by Mouth. 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.

The ferocity of rivalry makes it a rarity for a player to represent both teams during their career. Players who have played for both sides of the Old Firm include Alfie Conn, Jr., Maurice Johnston, Kenny Miller, Steven Pressley and Mark Brown. Rangers' signing of Johnston caused particular controversy, as Johnston was the first openly Catholic player to sign for Rangers since World War I.^[3]

[edit] 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 & 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.

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] Further reading

• Bradley, Joseph M. (2002). "The Patriot Game: Football's Famous `Tartan Army'". International Review for the Sociology of Sport 37 (2): 177-197. DOI:10.1177/1012690202037002004. Retrieved on 2006-11-20. 
• Burdsey, Daniel; Chappell, Robert (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 on 2006-11-20. 
• McMenemy, David; Poulter, Alan (May, 2005). "An Identity of Two Halves? Glasgow Celtic Supporters, Identity, and Scottish Society". Irish Studies Review 13 (2): 139-150. DOI:10.1080/09670880500060749. Retrieved on 2006-11-20. 
• 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. 
• 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. 

[edit] 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

[edit] External links

• The Old Firm, The Scotsman
• "possibility of a religious blessing being treated as a criminal offence", Sunday Herald, 27 August 2006

Rangers F.C.

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