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And again and again Celtic and Rangers play again in 'Old Firm' derby
Posted: Saturday December 25, 1999 12:10 PM
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) -- The storied "Old Firm" matches between Glasgow rivals Rangers and Celtic may be growing a bit stale as they now play each other at least four times a year instead of the old tradition of two. The flagships of Scottish soccer face off again Monday at Celtic Park with defending champion Rangers holding a four-point edge in the Premier League over '98 champion Celtic. Rangers' American midfielder Claudio Reyna is doubtful with a thigh injury with goalkeeper Lionel Charbonnier back after missing 12 weeks with a knee injury. Celtic coach John Barnes isn't expected to field Brazilian international defender Rafael after his purchase earlier this week on a 4.8-million pound (US$7.7 million) transfer. There is almost as much attention on the referee for the match -- Hugh Dallas -- as the game itself. Dallas received a gash in the head from a coin thrown from the crowd in an Old Firm game in May won 3-0 by Rangers, who went on to win the championship. The trouble broke out as Dallas sent off Celtic's Stephane Mahe and Vidar Riseth, and Rangers' Rod Wallace. A photograph with Dallas bent down on one knee, blood gushing down his forehead, recalls how violence lurks despite a heavy police presence. "You have to take each game equally, but of course there are elements in this fixture which are different," said Dallas, one of Europe's most highly regarded referees. "But I'm looking forward to it. I always do." The Rangers-Celtic rivalry with its sectarian overtones is like no other in world soccer. But even hard-core fans say it may have lost some of its luster in a small league where two titans dominate and are continually squaring off. "The Old Firm matches are always relevant to the fans and I don't think that will change," said John McMillan, secretary of the Rangers Supporters Club. "However, I do believe a bit of bite has gone out of the game with the teams meeting at least four times a season. The fixture has been devalued. "While I would like to see a shift away from a 10-club league, it is difficult to say what the solution is. With all due respect to a number of clubs, Rangers and Celtic do not have the quality of opposition they need in Scotland and the gulf is getting wider." Peter Rafferty, secretary of the Celtic boosters club, found rare common ground with the hated enemy across town in Glasgow. "Every Old Firm game has its moments and I think it's still as big a fixture as it was when I was younger," he said. "The hype and the tension is still there. "The only point I would make is that it was probably a more important game when we played Rangers only twice a season instead of four times as it is now. I remember the 1950s and 60s when unless you drew Rangers in the Cup you only had Rangers visit Celtic Park once a season and for that reason there was a high level of passion."
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