Why the Old Firm Derby Is One of the Best in Football

Football is the world's biggest sport by far. The number of people who play the sport and watch matches is incredibly high and plenty of industries follow its trends to create products based on this sport. It should be no surprise that even online slot providers are in on it by creating football-themed games like Hot Shots, one of the many iSoftBet slots available to play. Given that it is such a hugely popular sport, it’s no surprise that there are some friendly rivalries too. One of these is the Old Firm; this refers to two Scottish clubs, Celtic and Rangers, and their ongoing competition. Let’s dig a bit more into it.

The History

Celtic and Rangers are both based in Glasgow and compete in the Scottish Premiership. The former was founded in 1887, while the latter was established in 1872. In football, a derby is a competition between two teams from the same area. The Celtic and Rangers derby is called The Old Firm.

This name is believed to have originated from the two teams' first match. Commentators referred to the teams as ‘like two old, firm friends', and the name has stuck ever since. The rivalry between the two clubs can also linked to religion, as Celtic supporters are predominantly Protestant, while Rangers fans mainly follow the Catholic church.

The Passion

Both teams have a massive number of supporters. They collectively contribute around £120 million to the Scottish economy every year. While there are many fans of the two teams in Glasgow, supporter clubs are found throughout Scotland and other countries.

Fans of Celtic and Rangers can be very passionate indeed. What makes them so committed to their respective teams is that the rivalry between them is deep-seated. It's been running for over a century, and there's a lot of history to it. In fact, it's not uncommon to have multiple generations of the same family support the same team.

The Pride

When the two clubs come together for a match, there's always a lot of tension. Each side wants their team to win. While draws do happen, these aren't ideal for supporters because there's no clear winner.

Whenever one team beats the other, supporters of the winner are typically proud because their club has done well. It's because the rivalry has been going on for so long that fans are delighted when their team wins; they feel a real sense of victory and are keen to celebrate it.

The Stadium

Celtic's home stadium is Celtic Park in the East End area of Glasgow. With a capacity of 60,832, it's the largest football stadium in Scotland. The Rangers' home stadium is Ibrox Stadium. It's Scotland's third-largest, with a maximum capacity of 50,817 and is located further west, south of the River Clyde.

Of the two, Celtic Park is said to offer the better match experience, especially when it's staging a Celtic-Rangers match. It's been ranked as the top stadium in the UK thanks to its size, facilities, and, of course, its atmosphere during matches.

Conclusion

The Old Firm derby is more than a friendly rivalry between two Glaswegian football teams. It's a key part of Glasgow's culture and greatly helps the city's tourism. Rangers have been faring better recently with slightly more wins, though it's only a matter of time before Celtic catch up.