When Europe was a scoosh...

Uefa Co-efficients

Celtic and Rangers were two of the finest teams in Europe during this decade. This text, of course, is about Old Firm matches but it is important to contextualise any period under scrutiny. Had UEFA coefficients existed at this time, the tally for both teams would have been:

Year                66        67        68        69        70        71        72        Total

Celtic              15        18        1          7          14        11        13        79      Lisbon/Milan

Rangers          0          18        7          15        3          1          16        60      Nurnberg/Barcelona

Year                02        03        04        05        06        07        08        Total

Celtic              10        23        15        8          1          13        12        80       Seville

Rangers         11.5      4          6          7          13        14        22        77.5     Manchester

At first glance these records appear comparable but like so many statistics there is more to it. The achievements between 1966 and 1972 were secured by playing many fewer games. When Celtic won the European Cup, they played 9 matches, but were required to play 15 to reach the UEFA Cup Final in Seville in 2003 (this includes 2 Champions League qualifiers against Basel). On reaching the Champions League last 16 in 2006 Rangers played 10 including a qualifier against Anarthosis Famagusta. Rangers won 14 points for their efforts in reaching the last 16, yet only 16 points for winning the Cup Winners Cup in 1972 playing nine matches. Note also that both teams reached two finals each in the first period and just one each in the second.

In seasons 1966/67 and 1971/72 Scotland was the highest ranked country in UEFA. It should be mentioned that Kilmarnock in 1967 and Dundee and St Johnstone in 1972 made significant contributions. Nonetheless, the game in Scotland was buoyant with attendances at their highest for some time.

Jimmy McGrory (Manager) v Rangers

Jimmy McGrory versus Rangers and Rangers’ best Unbeaten Run

Jimmy McGrory was Celtic manager from 1945 to 1965. While manager of Kilmarnock during the war he was unable to ply his trade as Rugby Park was being used as a munitions dump. However, it would not have been expected that he would take Celtic 12 games to register their first win at Ibrox after the war. They lost 7 matches and drew 4 before winning 3-2 in season 1957/58.

On two occasions Rangers won 5 consecutive matches. The second set of consecutive wins forms part of the longest unbeaten league run that either team has had over their rivals. From January 1, 1958 until January 1, 1964 Rangers won 10 and drew 3 matches. Celtic ended the sequence with a 3-1 win at Celtic Park in September 1964. The full list of matches is as follows:

1/1/58             Celtic              0,         Rangers         1

6/9/58             Celtic              2,         Rangers         2

1/1/59             Rangers         2,         Celtic             1

5/9/59             Rangers         3,         Celtic             1

1/1/60              Celtic            0,         Rangers         1

10/9/60           Celtic             1,         Rangers         5

2/1/61             Rangers         2,         Celtic             1

16/9/62           Rangers          2,         Celtic             2

9/4/62             Celtic              1,         Rangers         1

8/9/62             Celtic              0,         Rangers         1

1/1/63             Rangers          4,         Celtic             0

7/9/63             Rangers          2,         Celtic             1

1/1/64             Celtic              0,         Rangers         1

(Note that Celtic beat Rangers in the League Cup Final of 1957 as well as two other League Cup ties and two Scottish Cup ties during this period.)

Newco's first match

Rangers 2, Airdrie United 1 (Murray Park)
Rangers won their first match as the newly founded company on Tuesday 17 July, 2012. The team for the historic event, played behind closed doors, was:
Alexander (Gallagher), Cole, Broadfoot, Hegarty, Wallace, Mitchell (Clark), Hutton, MacLeod, Crawford (Naismith), McCulloch, Bedoya
Wallace and MacLeod scored to give the team a 2-0 lead before Rangers conceded a late penalty.

100 Years ago - Season 1912-1913

The following is taken from a forthcoming book/ebook about the history of the greatest football fixture on earth. This was the first season that the side winning both OF games lost the championship race.

Oct 26 1912                          Celtic 3,                                                     Rangers 2

                                                   (Brown, Gallacher, Quinn)               (Reid 2)

Rangers deployed three players in this match who were all playing their only Old Firm fixture. That kind of inexperience has proved telling over the years. There are many examples of great players making their only appearance or first appearance and producing very little of substance. To play three debutants could be a serious impediment to your success. Celtic were so much in the ascendancy in the first 20 minutes that the Rangers half back line had to contend themselves with defending, rather than feed their own forwards. Brown opened the scoring on 5 minutes after a good pass from Jimmy Quinn. Before the interval Rangers adopting a wide passing game that led to their equaliser by Willie Reid. It was quite some time before Celtic attacked with any intent but when they did Patsy Gallacher beat Farrington after the goalkeeper had blocked a Quinn header. Thus Patsy Gallacher became the first foreign player in an Old Firm match to score. Gallacher was from Ireland and played for both Eire and Northern Ireland. Two quick goals followed in succession as first Reid scored with a clever shot that beat Mulrooney and then Quinn scored the winner for Celtic with a characteristic drive.

Jan 1 1913                             Rangers 0,                                                Celtic 1

                                                                                                                        (Quinn)

This is the first occasion when the team that loses both Old Firm fixtures still becomes Champions. Over 60,000 witnessed this match and £1,508 was taken at the gates and £427 taken at the stands. Rangers were under strength with Hempsey playing only his third match in goal for Rangers. Bennett, Reid and Alec Smith were all unavailable their places taken by Goodwin, Parker and Paterson. Parker, an auxiliary centre forward replacing Reid, might have scored early on. Some indecision between Hempsey and Campbell allowed Quinn to head home from a corner.

                                  P             Pts

Celtic                       20           31

Rangers                  20           27

This is not quite an unassailable position for Celtic but having beaten Rangers home and away, Rangers now require favours from other teams. And three favours in consecutive matches came their way. Celtic lost to Aberdeen (0-3), Motherwell (0-1) and at home to Falkirk (1-2). Rangers by contrast were unbeaten to the end of the season dropping only two points at Tynecastle and Dens Park. Hempsey grew in stature and had five clean sheets in a row. Parker scored 10 goals in 6 fixtures.

Final Table            P          Pts

Rangers                34         53

Celtic                     34         49

Should Rangers be stripped of honours 2001-10?

Rangers won 13 honours between July 2001 and May 2010. It is known that the first Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) was issued to Christian Nehrlinger in July 2001. Only when HMRC intervened in 2008 did Rangers consider dropping the practice of paying players partly through EBTs. Apparently, every single Rangers player involved in 'Helicopter Sunday' in May 2005 was on an EBT. Therefore, when the First Tier Tribunal delivers its verdict on the matter (we know not when), the next question will centre around the honours being expunged. In this article in The Telegraph Tom Boyd, former Celtic captain, argues that they should.Should Rangers be stripped of honours?

Old Firm Fixtures

July 28 (Ibrox)
Scottish Challenge Cup
Brechin City v Rangers

August 4 (Celtic Park)
Scottish Premier League
Celtic v Aberdeen

And the facts are...

In a BBC piece they state that Rangers went into administration owing up to £134m to unsecured creditors and will eventually be liquidated.

But that is not strictly true. This pre-supposes that the so-called 'Big Tax Case' will convert to a bill of upwards of £50m to Rangers. The First Tier Tribunal is still to deliver its verdict. Yes, Rangers have been found guilty of using EBTs but that is not the issue. The issue is: Did Rangers use EBTs to circumvent the tax authorities.

VfR Aalen 1, Celtic 2

Celtic finally managed a win on their tour of Germany tonight. After being a goal down (Hubner), Celtic scored twice in the second half to score Neil Lennon's side's first goals of 2012/13. No surprise then that it was the trusted strikers of Hooper and Stokes who won the match in the second half. VfR Aalen have been newly promoted to the Bundesliga second tier so are a decent work out for a pre-season tour game.
Lennon picked a side that gets closer to the strongest team.
Celtic: Forster, Lustig, Wilson, Wanyama, Mulgrew, Forrest, Ledley, Kayal, Commons, Hooper, Stokes
Obviously, Matthews and Izaguirre would be first pick full-backs and one would expect Brown to captain the team.
The substitutes who were used were: McGeouch, Brown, McCourt, Bangura and Murphy.
This means that Daryl Murphy who was on loan at Ipswich Town last season has featured in all three tour matches. Does he have a future at Celtic? Or is he being played as a 'shop window' sale?

Club 12

On Monday 16 July Dundee FC learned that their application to participate in the SPL had been successful. They replace the 'oldco' Rangers.

Rangers in Division 3

Early in July the SPL clubs chose not to allow Rangers into the SPL for season 2012/13. The 'newco' was denied entry by a 10-1 vote with Kilmarnock abstaining. The vote was seen as a victory for fan power, as many fans had made their feeling known to their Chairmen.
On Friday 13 July the 'newco' sought to enter the SFL at the preferred First Division level. Unfortunately for Rangers, their application failed and it was decided that the new Rangers should play in Division Three. Rangers will now assume Stranraer's fixture list with Stranraer being promoted to Division Two. 

We Are Back

It is extraordinary to think that three years has elapsed since our last post. A lot has happened. Jonny Steen's wife has had twins and they have kept him busy. Also Mick Statto and Steen have been completing their comprehensive text on Rangers and Celtic matches. The 310-page document is a complete record of all the seasons of Old Firm matches. DB Publishers in Derby had said they were willing to publish the book, then thought it was overladen with stats and changed their mind! Of course, it is overladen with stats. How can a Celtic or Rangers fan challenge Hugh Keevins and Alan Rough on a football phone-in if he/she does not have the facts?