Future of ‘Old Firm’ fixture put in doubt

Wednesday night’s Old Firm match in Glasgow not only had the usual off the pitch tensions between the two sides, but spilled on to the pitch as well in a fiery game that resulted in three sendings off and multiple fracas on the sidelines between players and members of the management teams.

34 arrests inside the stadium and many more outside meant that it was a busy evening for the Strathclyde police force. This latest flare-up of the historic rivalry comes only a fortnight after the last game between the two sides, which resulted in 229 supporters being detained and all the city’s police cells being filled.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond revealed that a summit has been called for next week to discuss the growing cost of the Old Firm clashes, as well as the violent behaviour that now comes hand-in-hand with the fixture. Police chiefs are claiming it will cost in excess of £40m to keep control of future games.

Even before the match was played the Scottish Police Federation had called for an end to the games being played in Glasgow, as they caused too much violence. A statement from Strathclyde Police welcomed the attention from the Scottish Parliament.

“There can be no doubt that the levels of drunken violence that have blighted our communities and the number of people who have been arrested due to their sectarian behaviour is simply unacceptable,” said the force.

“Something has to be done. We have today written to the Scottish government, urging them to bring all the parties together as soon as possible so that we can discuss these problems frankly and openly.”

What makes the latest meeting between the two sides more sinister was the on-the-pitch violence as well as the players disregard for match officials. In the first half, Rangers striker El Hadji Diouf clashed with Celtic manager Neil Lennon on the sidelines moments after being booked. On his walk from the pitch at half time Diouf was seen to continue his arguments with the Celtic bench and a number of players were shepherded down the tunnel.

The second half resulted in three players being sent off for Rangers, and a final whistle altercation between the Celtic manager Lennon and Rangers coach Ally McCoist, previously known to be friends. Speaking about the “squaring-up”, Lennon tried to defuse the tension: “There was an incident on the touchline at the final whistle between myself and Ally McCoist, and obviously its one that has attracted a lot of attention.

“We were still able to sit down after the game and as far as we are concerned the matter is closed.” Celtic manager Neil Lennon on his fracas with Ally McCoist

“We’ve both got a lot of experience of this fixture and know that sometimes, in the heat of the moment things can be said and words exchanged. It is a passionate game and both of us want our team to win.

“However, we were still able to sit down after the game and as far as we are concerned the matter is closed.”

Six-match ban

Lennon is already appealing against a six-match ban after clashing with a match official during a game with Hearts. Clashes between clubs and the Football Association have continued to be a major talking point of the season with Celtic officially saying of the ban: “We have maintained for some time that a range of the SFA’s processes and structures needed to be reviewed and updated.”

Wednesday’s fixture was the turn of Rangers to question the quality of the officials with multiple players surrounding the referee after he reprimanded players with red cards. Stewart Regan, Chief Executive of the SFA said: “Last night’s actions – which culminated in three red cards and 13 cautions in total – also re-emphasised the ongoing lack of respect for our match official”.

Even this caused offence amongst the Celtic ranks, whose own Chief Executive Peter Lawwell responded with: “Celtic had three players booked last night. To put this in the context of other matches, St Johnstone last night received two bookings in their match against Aberdeen, while Motherwell received five bookings against Celtic last Sunday. Contrary to Stewart’s statement I do not think that our players showed a lack of respect to officials.”

The battle between the power balance of the SFA and the two biggest clubs in Scottish football history will no doubt be addressed at next week’s forum. Representatives of both clubs will attend and matters to be dealt with are wide-ranging. Sectarian and racial abuse have long been a problem between the two sides.

In addition, domestic abuse complaints have historically been markedly higher on Old Firm derby days. Propositions to rectify the problems between the fans include banning alcohol sale in the city on match days, playing the game behind closed doors, or admitting only home fans right through to banning the fixture all together.

A brief history of one of sports most violent and political rivalries

The history of the rivalry between the two clubs has its basis in sectarian animosity, either on a Catholic (Celtic) versus Protestant (Rangers) divide or tied around the politics of Northern Ireland, pitting Loyalist against Republican sympathies. As a consequence the rivalry did not gather its modern spice until after 1912 as the problems in Ireland escalated. Rarely will a St Andrews flag be seen at Ibrox or Celtic Park as over the years they have been replaced with the more politically-symbolic Union Jack and Irish tricolore. 

Since the Second World War only three players have appeared for both clubs, the most recent being Kenny Miller, Scotland's current captain. A 1980 fixture between the two sides saw the worst-ever reported pitch invasion at a football match, as fans had an on-pitch battle at the National Stadium Hampden Park, following Celtic's 1-0 win in the Scottish Cup Final. This led directly to the banning of alcohol in Scottish grounds on match days. 

One of the four fixtures between the clubs in 1998 saw perhaps the most inflammatory gesture from a player towards opposition fans ever. England's Paul Gascoigne mimicked playing the flute, a Loyalist image, to the Catholic Celtic faithful, causing outrage amongst fans in the ground and those watching the game live at home. The player was fined £20,000. 

In 1999 missiles were thrown on to the pitch during a derby at Celtic Park, striking the referee Hugh Dallas and leading to the game to be stopped whilst he received treatment. At least four fans came on the pitch that day to directly confront the referee. This led to Old Firm games being arranged as early evening kick-offs, where possible, and an avoidance of Firm games being title deciders.

2011 and the cells were full up in Glasgow after February's clash between the two teams, with some arrested individuals being taken as far away as 50 miles to be detained. Two weeks later and battles on the pitch led by Senegalese player El Hadji Diouf, a player who has had numerous disciplinary problems in the past, spark yet more sectarian and racial violence in the stands and out on the streets of Glasgow.