• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Betting Offers UK

Best Free Bets & Casino Sign Up Offers For 2022

  • Betting Offers
  • Free Bets
  • Casino Bonuses
  • Home
  • New Sites
  • Free Spins
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Bookies
  • Football
    • Premier League
  • Horse Racing
    • Cheltenham Festival
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Old Course v New Course
      • Prestbury Cup
      • Top Trainers
      • Top Jockeys
      • Amateur Races
    • Grand National
      • Picking a Winner
      • Grand National Winners
      • Grand National Fences
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Back to Back Winners
      • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
      • Prize Money
      • Virtual Grand National
      • Grand National Sponsors
      • Reserve Horses
      • How Many Finish
      • How Many Run
      • Grey Horses
      • Popularity
      • Amateur Jockeys
  • Irish Lottery
  • Blog

Glasgow Kiss! The Five Fieriest Old Firm Derby Moments

21 September, 2017

Rangers v Celtic Match
Image Credit: Excalibur1953

Scottish football tends to get a hard time from those who consider it inferior to the English game, but what is undeniable is that the Old Firm derby between Celtic and Rangers is one of the most impassioned and entertaining fixtures you could ever wish to watch.

Dating back well over a century, there have been more than 400 meetings between the two teams and more rash tackles than could ever possibly be recorded. It’s a match played between 22 men kicking a bag of wind around, but it runs much deeper than that: there is a dark and blood-lined political and socio-cultural undertone to the game.

This is typically a feisty fixture in which the tackles fly in, and while there hasn’t been a red card shown in the last five Old Firm derbies, prior to that there were 13 shown in just 16 encounters!

Rangers, the underdogs, will be looking to make their mark on Celtic when the two teams meet at Ibrox on Saturday. The bookmakers have priced the Gers at 4/5 to be shown four or more cards during the match, and given what has gone before that seems like great value!

Here are five of the most memorable, contentious and downright naughty moments in Old Firm history:

Diouf vs Brown

It goes without saying that passionate encounters like the Old Firm derby breed individual rivalries and bitter personal battles that appear ready to boil over at any time.

El-Hadj Diouf, in 2011 a Rangers player, had hardly ingratiated himself to the Celtic fans by spitting on their legend Stan Petrov during an earlier meeting, and while the mild-mannered Petrov kept himself to himself, the next Old Firm match would bring Diouf up against a player who isn’t afraid to give as good as he gets: Scott Brown.

The pair enjoyed a running battle at Ibrox that occasionally threatened to turn into something more sinister. With Rangers 2-1 up, Brown picked up a loose ball on the edge of the 18-yar-box and let loose a left-footed screamer that hurtled into the back of the net.

How did Brown celebrate? By standing about 10cm away from Diouf, arms aloft and giving him the stare down. It remains one of the most iconic and enduring images of the fixture’s modern era.

Lennon vs McCoist

The 2010/11 meetings between the two teams were more ferocious than usual, and while the dust-up between Brown and Diouf was wholly predictable, the unsavoury scenes involving Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist were less so.

Celtic closed out a 1-0 win on home soil that was played out in ‘lively’ fashion, and the BBC Scotland cameras panned round to see Celtic boss Lennon shake hands with Rangers assistant McCoist.

They greeted each other warmly, but as McCoist got closer he whispered something in Lennon’s ear. Cue pandemonium, as dozens of members of staff from either side became embroiled in a free for all.

To this day Lennon has refused to reveal what everybody’s favourite former Question of Sport team captain said, but needless to say they were not discussing the weather.

Gazza Plays the Tune

There is a religious undertone to the Old Firm game, with the Protestants of Rangers regularly clashing with the Catholics of Celtic.

Even the slightest of provocations can cause ugly scenes, and it was only going to end one way when the Gers signed arch wind-up merchant Paul Gascoigne in 1995.

During a Rangers vs Celtic clash in 1998, Gazza celebrated by playing an imaginary flute – a reference to The Sash, a song favoured by Ulster loyalists.

As if to highlight how deeply the bad blood runs, Gazza admitted afterwards that he received death threats from the IRA, and was even trained in how to check for bombs placed on his car and property.

That whole incident is best forgotten by all parties, so instead here’s McCoist telling a tale about the time he and Gazza pulled an incredible prank on teammate Gordon Durie:

Mo Johnston, Mo’ Problems

There are some unwritten rules in football of things you simply do not do, and joining Rangers after playing for Celtic is one of them.

To make matters worse, Mo Johnston was a devout Catholic, but that did not stop him from signing on the dotted line for the Gers back in the late 1980s.

It caused uproar amongst supporters of both teams, with Celtic fans burning effigies of Johnston and some Rangers and refusing to watch their team until he left the club.

How could things get any worse? The striker would go on to score the winner for Rangers against Celtic in an Old Firm classic back in 1988. Brave boy indeed.

The Shame Game

In 1999 a whole bunch of ingredients were thrown into the mix which resulted in one of the most bad-tempered Old Firm derbies in history.

The recipe for disaster started with the timing of the game: it was played at 6pm on a Bank Holiday Sunday – the last evening kick off in an Old Firm derby. Matters were made worse by the fact that Rangers could claim the title if they beat Celtic on their own patch.

If the all-day drinking explained some of the antics of the fans – more than 60 arrests were made before and after the match, while referee Hugh Dallas was hit by a coin – only old-fashioned pride could explain the behaviour of the players.

Rod Wallace, Stephane Mahe and Vidar Riseth were all shown red cards for uncompromising tackles, while Rangers – who ran out 3-0 winners to clinch the Scottish Premiership crown – were pelted with missiles after celebrating in front of the Celtic fans. It remains one of the most ill-tempered Old Firm games in history.

Previous Post: « Signs You’re Getting Old #1: Remembering Wayne Rooney’s Debut
Next Post: Sing the Blues: The Five Best European Nights in Chelsea’s History »

Primary Sidebar

Blog

Falling Footballs in Front of Floodlit Goal
What is the Highest Number of Goalscorers in a Single Game of Football?
Losing Form Guide Against Goal Net and Pitch
What is the Longest Point-Less Start to a Premier League Season?
Businessman Holding Up Contract and Pen
What is a Lifetime Sponsorship Deal and Which Sports Stars Have Signed One?
Football in Goal Net Against Stadium Light
Has a Goalkeeper Ever Scored in the Champions League?
Mixed Flags of the USA and the EU
What is the Solheim Cup and When is it Played?
More Blog Posts | Full Archives

Archives

Betting Sign Up Offers

  • Free Bets
    • Bet £5 Get £20/£30+
    • Bet £10 Get £30/£40+
    • Casino Free Bets
  • Casino Bonuses
  • Free Spins

Loyalty Offers

  • Acca Bonuses
  • Acca Insurance
  • Best Odds Guaranteed
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Loyalty Points

Major Events

  • Grand National
    • How to Pick the Grand National Winner
    • Grand National Winners
    • Grand National Fences
    • Prize Money
    • Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Back to Back Winners
    • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
    • What Is the Virtual Grand National?
    • Grand National Sponsors
    • Reserve Horses
    • How Many Horses Finish?
    • How Many Horses Run?
    • Most Successful Owners
    • Changes Over Time
    • Female Jockeys
    • Grey Horses in the Grand National
    • Amateur Jockeys
    • Popularity
  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Festival Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Old Course v New Course
    • The Prestbury Cup
    • Top Trainers
    • Top Jockeys
    • Amateur Races
  • Premier League
    • Without the Big Six?
  • Irish Lottery

Related Posts

  • What is the Highest Number of Goalscorers in a Single Game of Football?
  • What is the Longest Point-Less Start to a Premier League Season?
  • Has a Goalkeeper Ever Scored in the Champions League?
  • Why Has There Been So Many Goals Scored at the Start of the 2023/24 Season?
  • What is Net Transfer Spend? Manchester United Top List of Highest Losses on Players
  • Does Shoe Size Affect Football Ability?
  • Which Footballers Have Been Sold for the Highest Cumulative Transfer Fees?
  • England Lionesses Results in Major Tournament Finals
  • Flipping Footballers: Who Is the Most Profitable Transfer in Football History?
  • What Is the British Record Transfer Fee in Football?

Betting Blog

  • American Football
  • Athletics
  • Betting Industry
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Darts
  • Football
  • General
  • Golf
  • Horse Racing
  • Motor Racing
  • Politics
  • Rugby
  • Snooker
  • Tennis

Please bet responsibly. If you need help to stop gambling visit Gamstop.


Copyright © 2023 Betting-Offers.com | BeGambleAware.org 18+