It’s no secret that Old Firm violence marks out Celtic Vs Rangers as quite possibly the fiercest derby in world football.
The green and blue halves of Glasgow are due to do battle again on Saturday, in a game that means so much more to both sets of fans than just football.
Brendan Rogers’ Celtic side are currently top of the Scottish Premiership, with 48 points. But with two games in hand, manager Philippe Clement could bring his Rangers team to within two points if they were to win at Celtic Park.
In all competitions, there have been 437 Old Firm derbies over the years, with Rangers edging the head-to-head by the smallest of margins. Since 1890, they have won 169 to Celtic’s 166, with 102 draws.
Ahead of this weekend’s huge game, we have taken a look at some of the fiercest clashes in Old Firm history.
Celtic vs Rangers Most Red Cards
While away fans have been banned from attending Old Firm games in recent times due to “security and safety issues”, things have been relatively calm on the field.
Eleven games have now passed without a red card, the longest run since 2004. Celtic’s Callum McGregor was the most recent to be dismissed after two quick bookings at Ibrox in 2021.
But things haven’t always been that way. Back in the 1990/91 Scottish Cup quarter-final, four red cards were issued as Celtic ran out 2-0 winners.
Celtic’s Peter Grant was the first to be given his marching orders. But with three Rangers men dismissed, two first half goals were enough for Celtic to seal the victory.
In more recent times, the Scottish Government ordered a summit in 2011 to address the violent scenes in that year’s games. Ally McCoist clashed with Neil Lennon after three Rangers players were sent off in fiery Scottish Cup replay.
Old Firm Violence
Violence has always gone hand-in-hand with the Old Firm derby. While plenty of people know the history and reasons behind the off-field animosity, things are rarely peaceful on it either.
The derby is know for ferocious tackles, no quarter given, and some incredible battles. There have been more bust-ups than you can count, but here’s some of the biggest flashpoints in recent years:
Although recent years haven’t seen as much Old Firm violence since VAR was introduced, things are never far from boiling over.
All it takes is one bad tackle or choice word and both sets of players are at each other’s throats. But for the neutral, the Old Firm derby is such a good watch precisely because of the potential for chaos.
Celtic vs Rangers Best Fights
Things frequently spill over after the full time whistle, with flare-ups often taking place at full time. Emotions are unsurprisingly high as one team celebrates and another has to accept defeat.
No game matters more to either side, so post-match altercations are commonplace – as happened in 2019.
And with Saturday’s game meaning so much for this year’s title race, we can expect more passion than ever.
The two sides are almost neck-and-neck in both the overall head-to-head, and the table. With both teams chasing Champions League and Europa League qualification as well as the title, there’s plenty at stake.
There’s no such thing as an Old Firm game that doesn’t matter, but this one carries more weight than most.
Celtic and Rangers kick off at 12:30 on Saturday in what will no doubt be another titanic clash between these two old foes.
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