Yesterday the famous Old Firm rivalry between Rangers and Celtic was renewed for the first time this decade, and ended in a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park.The two giants of Scottish soccer waited until the final 15 minutes to score their respective goals. Scott McDonald headed home a cross from Aidan McGeady to put Celtic up in the 79th minute, but Rangers equalized through a Lee McCulloch header off a corner two minutes later.
The tie puts Rangers in firm position to repeat as league champions. The club are now seven points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League.
This summer, I visited Glasgow and had the chance to visit the respective stadiums of each club. I even got to go onto the field at Rangers' home of Ibrox (see below):
What I can tell you is that after traveling around the city, it's obvious that there is a distinct division between those who support each side. The blue and red of the Union Jack can be found all around the pro-Protestant portions of where Rangers is located, while the green and white of Celtic surrounds pro-Catholic sections of the city. It's as much of a social and political rivalry as it is a sporting one.
To say that the rivalry is heated would be an understatement; hate would be a better fit. Take for example the fact that until 1989, Rangers refused to sign Roman Catholic players.
To find out more about the rivalry's roots, click here.
0 comments:
Post a Comment