The term Old Firm refers to the rivalry between the Scottish football teams Rangers and Celtic, both based in Glasgow. A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Rangers Football Club are an Association football team based in Glasgow Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. The Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the east end of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom

The origin of the term is unclear. 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. ^[1]

The two clubs are the most successful in Scotland, having won between them 63 Scottish Cups and 93 Scottish Premier League championships (as of 2007). The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, usually known as the Scottish Cup, is the national football cup competition of Scotland The Scottish Premier League, currently known as the Clydesdale Bank Premier League for sponsorship reasons and often known as the Premier League or SPL 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. The New Firm is the term used to describe the rivalry between Scottish football clubs Aberdeen and Dundee United. Aberdeen Football Club (also known as The Dons, The Reds and The Dandies) is a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen 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. Heart of Midlothian FC (most commonly referred to as Hearts) is a football club from Edinburgh, Scotland who play in the Scottish 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. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[2] 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 Scottish Premier League, currently known as the Clydesdale Bank Premier League for sponsorship reasons and often known as the Premier League or SPL

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]

Contents 1 Rivalry and sectarianism 2 Head to head record 3 Footnotes 4 Further reading 5 See also 6 External links

Rivalry and sectarianism

Main article: Sectarianism in Glasgow

The competition between the two clubs has roots in more than just a simple sporting rivalry. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Sectarianism in Glasgow takes the form of religious and political sectarian rivalry between Roman Catholics and Protestants. It is infused with a series of complex disputes, sometimes centred on religion (Catholic and Protestant) and Northern Ireland-related politics (Loyalist and Republican). A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. Irish republicanism (Poblachtánachas is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent Republic 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. Sectarian violence or sectarian strife is Violence inspired by Sectarianism, that is between different Sects of one particular mode of thought

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. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate 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. As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Irish republicanism (Poblachtánachas is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent Republic Rangers fans are traditionally loyalists, and some of them sing songs that reflect that point of view. Unionism in Scotland is the belief in that Scotland should remain in the United Kingdom in its present structure as a union between its main Constituent countries One effect is that Scottish flags are relatively rare among supporters: Celtic fans are more likely to wave the Irish tricolour while Rangers fans tend to wave the Union Flag. The Flag of Scotland is a white Saltire, a crux decussate (X-shaped cross representing the Cross of the Christian Martyr The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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. Alfred James Conn (born 5 April 1952 in Kirkcaldy) was a Scottish professional footballer who was the first post-war player to play for both Maurice John Giblin "Mo" Johnston (born April 13, 1963 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a former Scottish football Kenneth "Kenny" Miller (born 23 December 1979 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish professional footballer playing for Scottish Steven John Pressley (born October 11 1973 in Elgin, Moray) is a Scottish international footballer, currently Barry Robson (born 7 November 1978) is a Scottish footballer who plays for Celtic in the Scottish Premier League. Rangers' signing of Johnston caused particular controversy because, although he was not the first Catholic to play for Rangers,^[4] he was by far the highest-profile openly Catholic player to do so since World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All ^[5][6] 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. Graeme James Souness (ˈsuːnɨs (born 6 May, 1953 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager Maurice John Giblin "Mo" Johnston (born April 13, 1963 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a former Scottish football ^[7][8][9]

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. Sectarianism is Bigotry, Discrimination, Prejudice or Hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions 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. The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral Nil by Mouth is an anti-sectarian charity based in Glasgow, Scotland. Surveillance is the monitoring of Behavior. Systems surveillance is the process of monitoring the behavior of people objects or processes within systems for conformity ^[10][11][12] 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 . A bigot is a person who is intolerant of opinions lifestyles or identities differing from his or her own and bigotry is the corresponding state of mind . . respect for all aspects of the community - all races, all colours, all creeds. "^[13] Rangers launched their anti-sectarian campaign Pride Over Prejudice in 2003, which has since been renamed Follow With Pride ^[14][15]

In 2006, Rangers were ordered to make a public announcement at all of their home games prohibiting the chanting of the song "Billy Boys". The Billy Boys is a loyalist song from Belfast, sung to the tune of " Marching Through Georgia. ^[16] Celtic 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. Dr Brian Paul Quinn, CBE (born in Glasgow, 1936 is an honorary Professor of Economics at Glasgow University. Peter Lawwell is the Chief executive of Scottish Premier League football club Celtic. The following are often-sung Irish folk ballads. The songs are arranged by theme under two main categories of 'Political' and 'Not Political' and are not necessarily contemporary ^[17]

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. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club Villarreal Club de Fútbol, usually abbreviated to Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Villarreal The Union of European Football Associations (Union des associations européennes de football is the administrative and controlling body for European football. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus ^[18] However, UEFA declared the Rangers fans not guilty of alleged discriminatory chants. ^[18] UEFA challenged the ruling, and their Appeals Body partially upheld it,^[19] 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. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 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". The Billy Boys is a loyalist song from Belfast, sung to the tune of " Marching Through Georgia. ^[20]

Despite these measures, UEFA indicated that they would 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. "^[21] In September 2007, UEFA praised Rangers for the measures the club has taken against sectarianism. ^[22]

Head to head record

Competition	Played	Rangers	Draw	Celtic
Scottish League	288	112	82	94
Scottish Cup	46	16	8	22
League Cup	45	23	2	20
Totals	379	151	92	136

1888-1999 statistics obtained from RSSSF. The Scottish football league system is a series of generally unconnected leagues for Scottish football clubs The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, usually known as the Scottish Cup, is the national football cup competition of Scotland The Scottish Football League Cup is an Association football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs Remaining stats obtained from Soccerbase

Footnotes

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. International Sociology of Sport Association and SAGE Publications. doi:10.1177/1012690202037002004. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document.  
• 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.  
• 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. Routledge. doi:10.1080/09670880500060749. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document.  
• Murray, William J. (1984). The Old Firm: sectarianism, sport, and society in Scotland. Edinburgh: J. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Donald Publishers; Atlantic Highlands, N.J.. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. ISBN 0-85976-121-5.  
• Murray, William J. (1988). Glasgow's giants: 100 years of the Old Firm. Edinburgh: Mainstream. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. 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. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. ISBN 1-85158-984-8.  
• Murray, William J. (2003). Bhoys, bears and bigotry: the Old Firm in the new age. Edinburgh: Mainstream. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. ISBN 1-84018-810-3.  

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

The New Firm is the term used to describe the rivalry between Scottish football clubs Aberdeen and Dundee United. This article deals with major football rivalries around the world In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby (pronounced 'dur-bee' in American English and 'dar-bee' in British English after the city of Derby Sectarianism in Glasgow takes the form of religious and political sectarian rivalry between Roman Catholics and Protestants. Art in Glasgow The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has a famous collection of paintings including many old masters French Impressionists etc This article is intended to show a Timeline of the history of Glasgow, Scotland, up to the present day Ethnicity and football is a description of the Global acceptance of the Sport of Association Football, with players from many different races Football culture is a descriptive term of the cultural aspects surrounding the game of football. Sport plays a central role in Scottish culture. The Temperate, Oceanic climate has played a key part in the evolution of Sport in Scotland, with The Scotsman is a Scottish national Newspaper, published in Edinburgh. The Sunday Herald is an award winning Scottish Sunday Newspaper launched on 7 February 1999 Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

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