3) Celtic vs Rangers
The Glasgow derby, otherwise called the Old Firm derby, is considered by many as the biggest and the most heated rivalry in football.
Some rivalries have social dimensions and some, political. But not many rivalries are as complex and have as many dimensions as the Old firm rivalry. Generally, the Old firm rivalry is considered to be centred around a religious dispute between the Catholics and Protestants with Rangers traditionally drawing support from Protestants and Celtics from Roman Catholics.
There is also a conflict of national identity with Celtics being Irish-Scots and Rangers, native scots. In the 19th century, Catholics from Ireland migrated to the city of Glasgow. This developed a sense of insecurity in the minds of local Protestants and they responded with hostility.
History is that the Irish immigrants felt oppressed by the local Scots. They simply couldn't integrate their community into the new country. As a solution to this problem, the Celtic Football club was founded in 1887. Primarily started with an aim of raising fund for charity, the Celtic football club became the face of Irish Catholics.
Opening entry to all religious faiths, Celtics quickly rose to popularity and became one of the most successful clubs in the country. The Scottish protestants desperately wanted a team of their own to fight the Celtics. Rangers, a club formed in 1872, emerged as the suitable option. From then onwards, the old firm derby has been nothing short of a war.
For Glasgow, football sometimes becomes the stage to demonstrate sectarianism and religious bigotry. The meetings of these two clubs often lead to violence. One notable incident is the riot that happened in 1980 during the Scottish Cup final which turned out to be one of the worst ever pitch invasions.
Nil by Mouth, an anti-sectarian charity organisation,is currently working to bring harmony among fans. Posters with anti- sectarian slogans are also being circulated to create awareness. Maybe with time people will commit to putting an end to the sectarian violence and maybe then we can hope for Old Firm derby to be a friendly game between two old firm friends- a fierce battle in the true spirits of the game.
